1 A Smile and a Corpse

Earth

Barangay Santo Niño

The sky was clear as ever as the sun provide light and warmth to the people below. Birds were flying freely under the blue and white sky. Simple houses were surrounded by mountains and tall trees. Rice fields stretched across the land and dedicated farmers were smiling brightly while working, thinking about the future of their children. Laughter filled with pure happiness could be heard in a river as children were splashing water on their playmate's faces.

At the back of a small wooden house, a huge flower garden was built with a simple wooden fence, protecting it from the chickens and dogs owned by neighbors. It has a long and straight pathway formed by vibrant green grasses at the center;at each side of it are rows of flowers of different colors and beauty. It could be seen that the owner of the garden really loved them base on each flower's nearly perfect petals and healthy glow.

A huge and super tall tree is standing proudly on the very center of the garden. It had a protruding thick roots that can be seated while its umbrella-shaped crown was like its shape, protecting everyone from rain as well as the rays of the sun. On one of its roots—a young woman was seated, facing the children, who were sitting and listening attentively to her words while sitting on the grass. She wore an off-shoulder floral summer dress, reaching her calves and paired it with a cute pink slippers. Her silky black waist-lenght hair was tied up in a simple low bun with small strands of hair framing her small white face. Her black, almond shaped eyes was filled with love and patience. People could see that she was truly happy teaching the children, base on her sincere smile and the bright light in her eyes.

"Sister Rina, can we play already? Please!"

An adorable girl who seemed to be five-year-old with a chubby cheeks and big round eyes said cutely while pouting her lips.

Irina could not hold her laughter and said,

"Since our little beauty Maria cannot wait for play time, then let's play."

The children's joyous giggles rang as they played, like little and naughty puppies.

Irina stood and watched the children play, her smile became even more bright seeing their happy-filled face. Summer vacation is a great time to come back to her hometown to teach the children and it make her heart at ease all the time. Children helped her calm her soul. That's why summer vacation is her favorite time, where she can take a rest from everything.

"Goodbye Sister Rina! We will see you again tomorrow!"

After frolicking for almost two hours, the children left from Irina's garden to their own respective homes because the sky was started getting dark. They bid her goodbye and ran while laughing and thinking about what their viand for their dinner.

Irina was left alone once again, she was fighting alone for two years after the death of her family because of earthquake two years ago. She was still eleventh grade that time, the emptiness she felt for all the years can only filled barely in the presence of the children. In fact, she did not like children in the past because she found them troublesome, however, the children she found nuisance was the one who saved her from her hardest moment. She regretted not spending more time with her family but well, regrets...the dead will never come alive because of regret.

For these two years, she worked hard, harder than ever so that her mother and father will be proud of her if they will see her from above. She changed her hardheadedness and rebellious attitude. She eat everyday at the right time because her mother scolded her for starving herself because of spending too much time on her phone. She sleep early every night because her father and mother always worries for her health because of chatting with her friends and reading online novels in the evening until five in the morning.

She lay down on the grass because she was feeling a little bit dizzy, looked at the stars and moon above.

'How pretty!

They said that everyone has a star in the sky, then it means mother and father's star were among them.

'Mother, father, I hope you are proud of me now.'

The chilly wind makes the flowers and the leaves of the trees to swayed slightly, as if small little fairies are dancing.

She stared at the lush and pretty flowers and smiles brightly before closing her eyes, thinking about her mother and father.

A single tear dropped from the corner of her eyes before everything went silent.

***

The children who excitedly discussing what their sister Irina want to teach them barged into her house and directly went into the garden.

"Sister Irina, we're here!"

They shouted, without reaching the garden yet, expecting their sister Irina was already in the shed as usual and will greet them a good morning with her gentle and beautiful smile. However, what greeted them was silence, only the whistling of leaves and rooster's sound could be heard. After they reached the garden, they found sister Irina, sleeping on the grass with a smile on her face.

They smiled thinking that their sister Irina is pranking them until the oldest among them named Albert touched Irina's cold body. He got a bad feeling but he denied it. He is already in seventh grade and already know how to check pulse and sister Irina also thought them about it. He wished that his feeling was wrong but his wish did not come true.

He did not say anything and cried, hugging his sister Irina's body. The younger children also cried, not knowing anything but they cannot help but cry seeing Albert.

Then the neighbors heard the children crying, they checked what's happening and was devastated after seeing what happened; Irina Carpio, just a nineteen-years-old girl, every children's big sister in neighborhood, passed away peacefully with a smile on her face.

She might be dead, but she will always be alive in the memories of the children and those who knew her.