The Girl Named Mirage

Nicolo’s face turned cold and he forced a fake smile.

” You should go, Dr. Travis.”

Travis was dazed but he also got serious when he came to his senses.

” The operation will take too long so I suggest you all take a rest. I’m going. ”

He then vanished behind the operating room’s door. Nicolo looked at his grandpa with questioning eyes. Don Augustus sat down on the bench outside the operating room, looking exhausted and fed up. He seems that he’s already had enough even before he started.

” I bet you still remember everything as if it happened yesterday, Nicolo. ”

” Of course. Who would forget when you were branded as a liar, crazy story-maker and delusional 10 year old boy? ”

Glint of pain stricken on his eyes as he muttered those words bringing up again the memory of his unpleasant childhood.

Don Augustus exhaled full of regrets. Remembering the past makes him feel terribly miserable.

” That’s why I don’t blame you for hating me. You experienced those awful things because of me and me, regretting now won’t make a bit of difference. ”

Nicolo stays silent. Pointing fingers and blaming won’t really help and change anything right now.

” You must have heard about how I disagree with your Uncle Alfonse’s wife, Miranda, right? Well, that time, I am truly convinced that she’s just after our money. After all, she knew that we were just taking a vacation in the Philippines at that time. I didn’t see the good in her. Or her good intentions. I was being conceited, narrow minded and a total jerk. All I want to do is to remove her from my son’s life. She was just  a nuisance for the future that I paved for him. I was blinded by my own belief of what’s good for my son that I forgot to ask him what would really make him happy. ”

” That’s why I’ve done something unforgivable… ”

” Alfonse ran away from home, he flew back to the Philippines and lived with that woman I despise. I cut off all his credit cards thinking he would come back if he had no more money to use, I ordered every company that he tries to work with to decline his application or fire him. But that doesn’t stop him. He worked as a part-timer. On a cheap restaurant, gasoline station, as a taxi driver and even in a rundown factory. He worked hard making a living for the family he started to build. Outside the luxurious life I worked very hard to give to him. ”

” But one day, that woman called me and asked me to send her a large sum of money. Knowing that I was right about her makes me unbelievably mad. I ridiculed her. Throw every disgusting word I can think of. I don’t give a damn even if she’s pregnant that time. I send her the money in exchange for her child and that she will never ever face my son again. She agreed without a second thought and took my money. ”

” A couple of days later, she informed me that she’s about to give birth. So we also flew back to the Philippines and stayed for a vacation. At the hospital, I saw that It was indeed a beautiful baby girl. That time, the daughter-in-law of someone who worked for me before had also given birth at that hospital but the baby died. I asked that man to switch the babies so Miranda would think that her baby died and she couldn’t use Alfonse’s daughter to get money from me in the future. That’s the time you and Travis saw that man switch the babies. Both of you followed me to the hospital when you overheard that I’m going to get the baby. I still couldn’t believe both of you have the guts to follow me all by yourself let alone in a foreign country at that very young age. ”

Both of them make a sad smile remembering that incident.

Nicolo and Travis accidentally heard that their baby girl cousin was being born that time. They were thrilled by the thought that they got another cousin. So they sneaked out of the villa,  hailed a cab and followed Don Augustus. At the hospital, they witnessed the babies getting switched. They told the doctors and nurses they saw what happened but no one believes them as the CCTV camera footage doesn’t show that something like that happens. Travis as a boy was discouraged when the adults told them that they were just mistaken or confused or just being silly. He chose to be silent and admitted that maybe they were really mistaken.

But Nicolo insisted that he saw everything and that he’s not just making up stories. They call him a liar and a boy who cried baby. They make fun of him until their bodyguards show up to bring them back home. Since then, he never talked to Travis for not taking his side and not standing up with him. It’s been 25 years already and he grows distant to Travis that’s why he finds it hard and awkward to approach him again.

” I ordered them to delete that scene from the footage. I’m sorry, I need to do that. It was really a pathetic thing to do but I have to. Even that will make you a liar. I really thought I was doing that to protect our family, but I was absolutely wrong. You, Travis, Alfonse, my wife and my granddaughter suffer because of me. ”

The Don’s eyes turned watery at the mention of his beloved wife. His wife finds out everything and is struck with deep sorrow.  She suffers depression that makes her health deteriorate. Before she’s gone, he wished for her husband to be able to make amends of what he’s done and to make everything right and make their family happy again.

But the Don couldn’t do it.

Don Augustus also suffered depression after his wife passed away. And he really doesn’t know what to do after knowing that the money Miranda asked him about was meant for his son who’s suffering at the hospital at that time because of some people who dare choose to be evil. Alfonse was stabbed by a robber on his way home. After Miranda recovers from the death of her daughter, she goes back to South Korea, and leaves Alfonse behind without saying anything.

” I was the one who ruined our family and made it like this. When Alfonse realized that it’s all my fault, he followed his wife to South Korea. I didn’t do anything to stop him. I don’t want to make mistakes again and stop them from being able to live their life at peace despite what happens so I dare not meddle anymore. I just send someone from time to time to know if they’re doing alright.”

” My granddaughter… who’s innocent and knows nothing about all of this… was gone under my surveillance. That man that switched the babies died and his family moved to a different place that no one knows. I ordered to search for them but wasn’t able to find them because of lack of leads. I’m losing hope that I wasn’t going to see her anymore until you saved that woman. ”

Nicolo who’s silently listening felt a roller coaster ride of emotion. He understood everything and felt sorry but he also found the reason absurd. He knows that condemning Don Augustus from every negative thing that happened in the past won’t make it anything better. Nicolo breathed out exasperatedly.

” For now, let’s all hope for her to pull through…”