Guardian Evil

CHAPTER 25: In Another Life

He could help but stare in awe at the beautiful girl just a few meters away from him.

Romeo decided to take a rest in a secluded garden just a distance from his house before he’ll go back to his shift in the Chinese restaurant where he’s working. The garden had been his favorite place and he also watches over the flowers and plants that he planted out of hobby as well. He wanted to take a nap under the tree but he noticed a girl walking around the garden. He couldn’t help but watch her as she happily touching and smelling the flower around them.

He stared at her in astonishment.

She’s like an angel who just came down to Earth… truly beautiful.

He’s just enjoying the moment watching her having fun in the garden when she suddenly turned to him and he hastily hid behind the tree, almost bumping his head in the process.

“Who’s there?” the girl sounded so terrified so Romeo hissed in embarrassment and slowly walked out of his hiding place. The girl looked scared that he raised his hand in defense, trying to calm her down.

“H-Hey, Miss… don’t worry, I didn’t-I’m not here to harm you. I-I was here because I wanted to take a rest, to sleep and then… and then I saw you. I’m very sorry if I disturbed you. I-I should take my leave,” Romeo kept on bowing as he immediately walked away.

“Wait!” he paused when the girl called him. He slowly turned his head.

“Umm, I should be the one to apologize. I’m sorry, I disturbed you,” the girl said, shyly.

“Oh, no. You didn’t haha. You didn’t, Miss. I actually find it cute that you enjoyed the flowers around here. I-I actually planted some of the flowers here so I was glad that you liked them…” Romeo scratched the back of his neck as he awkwardly told her about his plants.

“They’re so pretty. You really take good care of them…” the girl smiled at him.

For the first time in Romeo’s life, it’s the first time he felt so happy. He felt so happy that he saw this stranger in front of him praising him and smiling at him.

He’s genuinely happy.

He knew that it’s ridiculous to say that he fell in love at first time.

But he did. He did fell in love at first sight with the girl in front of him.

“What is your name?” the girl asked him.

“I-I’m… I’m Romeo. Romeo De Guzman. And you? What is your name?”

The girl smiled at him. “Julieta. I am Julieta Alfonso.”

"I wanted… I wanted to see her for the last time.”

“Oh, it’s quite a huge house,” Romina murmured. They’re currently outside an unfamiliar house. Luciel already transformed into a human and Romeo was just beside them.

“I don’t recall this house…” Romeo muttered.

Luciel faced the ghost and snapped his finger. Romeo suddenly felt heavy around him and he even felt something warm. When he realized, he had a human body. “Luciel, what is…?”

“Don’t you think Julieta might freak out if she’ll see you as a ghost?” he asked then in a serious face, he spoke. “I’ll give you thirty minutes to talk to her. My powers can’t hold your human form for more than that so you have to speak to her within that minute, are we clear?”

Romeo nodded in happiness. “This is already enough for me, Luciel. Thank you so much.”

Romina suddenly popped out from Luciel’s back. “Wow, you really looked good, Mr. Romeo.”

“Thank you so much for the compliment.”

They heard the gates open and saw a woman around her mid-20s looking at them right now.

“Oh, Luciel. You’re back,” the lady greeted him. Her eyes settled on Romeo who immediately gasped. “Oh! Are you the one Luciel’s talking about? My lola’s first love’s grandson? Come in! Come in! She’s been waiting for you.”

“How did she know you and your name?” Romina asked, whispering. “Don’t tell me you—”

“I didn’t. I introduced myself to her properly and told her about Romeo. You told me that I won’t use my powers except if it’s really needed.”

The lady walked ahead to lead them inside and Romeo immediately held Luciel’s arm. Before the ghost could utter a word, Luciel spoke. “I told her that you’re ‘Romeo De Guzman’s’ grandson so she wouldn’t freak out if she’ll know that you’re the actual Romeo De Guzman.”

“Oh,” the only words Romeo could mutter.

Luciel turned his head forward. “Let’s go inside.”

Romeo couldn’t help but get emotional.

As soon as they went to the living room, he saw portraits.

The portraits of his face.

“Wow,” Romina muttered. “Lola Julieta is so talented.”

“Yes, she is,” Julieta’s granddaughter, Sasha responded. “Lola Julieta loves painting and sketching so much. Ever since I was a kid, she loves to paint or sketch me. But one exceptional model and the subject of her favorite paintings and sketches…” she turned her head to Romeo who kept on looking at the paintings and sketches in awe. “Is your grandfather. You really looked exactly like him.”

It’s me… Romeo thought that he felt his eyes starting to mist. The paintings… it’s me…

“It’s actually kind of sad that she couldn’t do it anymore because she’s already bedridden due to her illness…”

“Can we see her?” Romeo asked her. He’s really eager to see his lover so much. “C-Can I see Lola Julieta?”

Sasha led them to a room on the second floor of the house. She silently opened the door and Romeo immediately spotted his love of her life on her bed—her back leaning on the headrest of the bed. Compared to him, he could actually see how skinny, frail, and wrinkled his lover was in front of him. She looked so old and weak.

But that doesn’t change the fact that Romeo still finds her beautiful.

“Who are you?” trying to adjust her eyesight, Julieta asked.

Romeo slowly walked towards Julieta and stopped in front of her. With tears streaming down his face, he called her. “Mahal…”

That endearment. That voice.

No matter how many years have passed.

With everything that happened to her—from her running away from her family in search of Romeo to getting caught in an accident in an unfamiliar place to having amnesia to falling in love with another man, oblivious about her past to building her own family to regaining her memories from the past until now that she’s already old and sickly, she still couldn’t forget the man she loved the most with all her heart.

“Romeo…” she called him in a soft voice. “Romeo…” her voice cracked as her hand slowly outstretched to reach Romeo. “Mahal, is that you?”

Romeo immediately held Julieta’s hand and as he kneeled on the floor, he kissed his lover’s frail, wrinkled hand. “Ako nga ito, mahal. This is me, Romeo. I’m sorry for making you wait for so long. I’m sorry that I just met you now.”

That made Julieta cry. “What happened to you, my love? I went to our tagpuan and you’re not there anymore. I wanted to search for you but mama and papa didn’t want me to leave the house and so I ran away but I was caught in a car accident and had amnesia that I didn’t manage to search for you anymore because I forgot everything about you but you kept appearing on my dreams and after years, I finally remembered you but I don’t have the capacity to search for you anymore. I got mad at you and myself because we’re not able to meet each other. I waited… I waited for so long…”

Sobbing, Romeo kissed Julieta’s hand again and spoke. “I’m sorry, my love. But I didn’t fail you. I didn’t break my promise to meet you in our tagpuan. I waited for you there, hoping and praying for your safe trip. We’re supposed to meet in our tagpuan to celebrate our anniversary. You’re running late but I still kept waiting for you, waiting until the evening came. But suddenly, a group of men came instead. I didn’t know what happened… but all I could remember that they punched me, kicked me, tortured me and even stabbed me when I said that I won’t leave you because I love you. I woke up and realized that I’m already a ghost. I woke up realizing I’m already dead without even knowing what happened to my body.”

Julieta cried so much after hearing what happened to her beloved. “Patawarin mo ako, Romeo. I didn’t know that happened to you. I didn’t know… I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry I wasn’t there to protect you, my love. I’m so sorry.”

“Hush, my love…” Romeo kissed her hand once again. He slowly stood up and sat on Julieta’s bed, facing her. He gently wiped her tears away using her palm. “I’m here. I finally met you and fulfilled my promise to meet you. I’m sorry for making you wait for so long.”

With tears in her eyes, Julieta smiled at him. “I finally met you, my love.”

They hugged each other and Romeo softly kissed Julieta’s forehead. Romina and Sasha couldn’t help but getting emotional seeing the two lovers reunited in front of them.

“I love you so much, my love. It’s always been you that I love. In another life, my love… I pray that if we’ll be born again in this world, we’ll be able to love each other freely… with no regrets… with no limits.”

From behind Sasha and Romina, Luciel watched Romeo look at him with a smile on his face as his tears rolled down his cheeks. The ghost lit up and slowly fades like glisters but before he fades, he muttered “Thank you” to both Romina and Luciel.

Luciel just nodded as he snapped his fingers, leaving Julieta hugging the clothes Romeo wore. He could sense on Julieta’s sobbing that it’s not crying for sadness. It’s the crying of fulfilling one’s promise and happiness at the same time.

Luciel couldn’t understand why humans bear such emotions like this. He couldn’t understand a thing.

“Isn’t it amazing, Luciel? Human’s life, I meant.”

So this is what you really meant… Luciel’s eyes settled on Romina who’s now comforting Sasha as they walked towards grandma Julieta to hug her.

So this is what you meant… back there.