#YesterdayWasRaining

[hel-of-niflheim]

Yesterday was Raining

Today is January 5, 2020.

The sky finally warmed up from the heavy rain that fell since the start of the year.

Evelyn could feel the soft rays of the sun in the early morning.

Today is also the last day that she would stare at nothing and mumble randomness to her favorite pot plant that she has been taking care of for a golden number of years.

Before closing the white curtains of their worn-up window, she first inhaled the cool blows of the northeast only for her nostrils to be filled with the bittersweet aroma of the black coffee that she was heating.

Evelyn hurried to the kitchen and clumsily poured the coffee in two mugs,

staining the white lacy mantle.

“Ay putangina!” she said while wiping the brown color of the fabric as if it would instantly undo the tinge, but it only smeared more and burned her a little.

She earned a small chuckle from the old man sitting on a wheelchair at the table. “Almost 70 years and you still move with no grace,” his hoarse voice struggled to pitch higher. He has always been the silent man, especially up to now.

Evelyn did not respond and instead rolled her eyes. She held the mug, blew on it passionately, and put it on Laury’s lips. The old man then slowly sip, careful not to burn his mouth like what his wife did to her fingers.

Hmmm… Evelyn always makes good coffee. He remembered how she offered him one while waiting for the sun to rise during the day when he was still working for her family’s house. The coffee was the best thing he had tried. Its sugar did not take away the morning ache, but it added excitement from wanting to taste things other than bitterness. It tasted like an eternal chase for sunrise. Long after he finished the drink did he only took the liberty to glance at Evelyn. That was how they met and the house that he was making back then was theirs now.

“After never-ending years, we can think of nothing other than ourselves now,” Laury started.

Today is the first day that they would live in their house alone.

They already bid goodbye to their youngest daughter who was picked up by

her conveniently rich white husband yesterday.

And Evelyn knew what Laury meant by that. A trip. A trip that he had always asked her even from when their children just reached legality. But it never really happened. She promised to take him to the park yesterday, but the weather wasn’t so nice.

Now, nothing would hold them back.

She hardly felt at peace.

“You’re free as a bird, but not as healthy as a stallion.”

“You are the stallion—a clumsy one, I must say.”

“I’m not a stallion and I’m not your caregiver,” she said with an overdue weariness etched on her face.

“But you’re my wife,” he simply said.

“We, unfortunately, did not decide on that,” and the enthusiasm died.

It was true.

She was the only one willing about the marriage. Their parents arranged it all and had Laury part with his past lover who was secretly engaged to him.

He had always described his long-lost love as sunshine he would never feel again. His wife might have been adoringly strong like the black beans she always brews, but one can never easily outgrow a spark that was once believed to last forever. So Laury had no choice, then, but to cut strings

and Evelyn had to crawl on their first years as one.

Although she adored him deeply, the rift between them grew upon the ruins of his heart. He was like a sunflower longing to blossom, but it wasn’t she that he sought.

"Eve…”

"Sure, honey. We’ll go on a trip today. But later in the afternoon, we will visit your doctor.”

His frail façade shifted to satisfaction. The last time that he was left alone with only his wife, he still had black hair and dressed in a

stylish action star atmosphere.

After finishing breakfast, Evelyn put bags of clothes inside the car’s trunk. All the credit cards and money from her children were stashed in the compartment. She put Laury on the passenger’s seat, locked all possible doors in the house, and watered her plants generously—knowing that it would be a long time before she does it again.

After seating on the driver’s seat, Laury looked at her amused. “You’ll drive?”

She rolled her eyes and looked at his trembling body “Who else, will you?.”

“You once dreamt of being a racecar driver, Eve,” he said. He was struggling to speak out since aging got to him, “Baka maunahan kita sa

bilis mo magpatakbo.”

The old wife thought of what he said as nonsense and made sure she kept her eyes from rolling. He was the one in a wheelchair, of course, he’d go first.

And so today is an exciting day.

Evelyn and Laury would go on a trip together alone for the first time.

They had fun like in the past and agreed with each other without the influence of Evelyn’s coffee. They looked like they had been in a happily willing marriage all along. Building a safe and sound family for the children did strengthen their relationship. They even realized that their years of companionship weren’t really put to waste.

Today, the old couple got the chance to kindle their marriage.

They walked in a park, but Evelyn boasted that her garden was more flowery. They dined in a restaurant, but Laury insisted that his wife cooks his meal. They both fell asleep in the middle of the mass. Lastly, they longed for their peaceful house because it’s the only place where they were truly alone.

“Eve…” Laury said.

Evelyn went down to him and met his drowsy eyes.

“B-Beautiful.”

Evelyn’s heart swelled. Her eyes twinkled the same as before and even the stars, which were older and floated in an unknown universe, envied them because they had something they never once had—life.

It was the first time her husband called her beautiful and despite the wrinkles and fats all over her face, she felt as if the world stopped to look at her in every step.

His eyes passed hers and looked at her back, “…sunset.”

Oh. He meant that sunset is beautiful.

She stood up and continue to walk, ignoring the angst she felt.

“Okay, honey. It’s time to visit your doctor,” she noticed how his body became much feebler again. The tinge of color from his face a while ago slowly faded to pale cream.

They were about to drive to the hospital when Laury vehemently shook his head.

“S-sunset…” he pleaded, breathing’s hitched.

Laury looked at her knowingly as if waiting for his wife to take the hint.

Ah…

“Yes, love.”

It’s about high time. The day is about to end and she needed to make a big decision.

Now, Evelyn is driving back home.

“Eve…”

“Yes, my love, we’re almost there.”

“Eve…”

There he is with her name again… Always Eve—but never darling, love, or honey.

“Just a few houses to go. Hang in there, we’ll watch the sunset together.”

She glanced at Laury and found him smiling at her, but got shy and pulled away.

Back when their children were still in school, she remembered Laury blabbering about what a day is or something like that. She couldn’t remember exactly, but she never forgot about the sunset part when he said he wanted to romantically watch it together with her someday. Well, they always watch the sunset together from time to time, so it never occurred to her that it would be dramatic like now.

While driving, Evelyn suddenly thought of what his marriage with Laury was like. Although chaotic as it is, they have always been serene together, except that her heart was never put to ease. She made sure that he knew she loved him, but she also made it sure that she partly hated him for

putting thorns around her.

“Eve… L-lo--”

“Yes?”

They were finally back home. Laury fell asleep so his lids heavily drooped over his eyes. Evelyn woke him up until she got no response.

Dumbstruck by the sudden turn of events, it was the first time she felt numb.

“Laury… wake up… I’ll make you a coffee.”

----

This is the day Evelyn and Laury kindled their marriage.

Today is January 5, 2021.

Today is also the day that Laury died.

Evelyn took him inside the house, passing the wilting pot plant that swam in the water.

When they reached the garden where he could see the sunset, she started to weep.

The past sixty years had been spent as a perfect husband and wife, holding empty promises and chasing on so many things but time. He savored his morning dew too long while Evelyn kept on her bitter heart.

It was too late when Laury realized what kind of sunset he really wished to see. He failed to let her know that he had already loved her as his beautiful wife.

Now Evelyn remembered how Laury had begged her to go on a

trip with him yesterday as she caressed his face.

“Pasensiya ka na, ha… Umulan kasi kahapon.”

It was once full of life. His handsomeness was more golden than the rays of the sun that touched him.