The Wicked Mrs. Gastrell (English version)

Flashback

“Hey sister, you’re back home. Where’s dad? I cooked his favorite soup. I put a lot of meat in it. I also gave some to your friends outside. Just a moment and I’ll heat the dish on the stove.”

Diego stood up energetically and took the covered plate from the table. My gaze followed him until he went out the door.

How can I tell him that dad is gone? How can I explain to him that we just finished burying our father? They finished in less than thirty minutes. They covered dad with soil and cement on top. His name is even misspelled.

It’s that easy. They insulted my father so easily.

Why? Is it because we are poor or because I showed resistance to their wishes? Why do they take lives so easily? Is a person’s life just a speck of dust for them? But why? Yes, they have a lot of money and influence but they are also human beings like me. We breathe the same air, look up to the same sky.

They are not gods. They are just human like me, like Diego and like dad, but they only treat us like animals. Now, how do I tell my brother what happened? How can I tell him that he will never see dad again? How can I hurt my brother whose only desire in the world is to find a job so that he can help our family.

I witnessed how people judged and despised him because he was different. He swallowed it all and tried to smile at me, scratching his head while trying to stop me from fighting those who were bullying him.

Now, I’ll actually be the one to tell him about it. How can I say it to him? I do not know. I do not know. I’m ignorant. I hope it’s easy. I hope it will be just easy but I know it won’t be. It’s a mess. It’s a mess. It’s crazy. It’s making me crazy. I don’t know how to tell my only brother.

Because I can’t accept that in the blink of an eye, my father is dead, especially when I can’t get a sensible answer as to why he died. They say it’s a heart attack. Someone else at the hospital said that a vein in the head had burst. They all just mix it up. And what’s worse is that I can’t get my father’s death certificate.

Maybe that’s how life really is. It disappears in an instant, evaporates like a bubble. You never know when. But I know that the Asturians did something to facilitate my father’s death.

If only everything would have ended there but no… they gave me another problem to tell the death of my father to Diego.

I just smiled bitterly when I saw the smiling face of Diego when he came in carrying the steaming bowl full of soup. He looks so innocent and happy. It’s a pain that I have to squeeze out that pleasure from him.

I couldn’t take it anymore. I sat on the floor and cried. I can’t… I can’t tell him that dad won’t come back to us forever.

I immediately felt his arms around me.

“Karina, why? You’re crying again. You’re always like that. I hear you every night in the bedroom. Why? Did dad get worse? But didn’t your friends heal him?” he asked innocently.

He wiped my tears and hugged me. I just cried more. How can I say this without breaking his heart?

“Karina, stop crying. I’m sad too when you’re like that. We can do it, sister. Dad raised us to be strong so let’s fight, sister. Dad will get better and he’ll be able to come home here with us. We’ll be able to go back to school,” he said with full of hope.

A thousand needles pierced my heart. Can I tell him everything? I’ll just lie and then when I find the right time, I’ll confess everything to Diego.

I broke free from him and touched his face. Nope. I can’t hide it. He has a right to know. He should know.

“Diego, he’s gone… dad’s gone.”

My world stopped spinning for a moment as I waited for his reaction.

“Huh? W-what’s gone? Dad doesn’t have medicine anymore?” he still managed to say it but I knew he got what I wanted to convey. His lower lip trembled and his eyes gradually reddened.

I shook my head, not removing my cold hand from his face.

“No. He’s gone… Dad’s really gone. He’s dead, Diego. Dad’s dead.”

He angrily slapped my hands away from his face and turned away. He began hurting himself while punching the floor. I’m shocked. It is the first time that I saw him this violent.

“What the hell, sister?! You’re lying again! Dad isn’t dead yet! I won’t believe you because you’re a liar! You said when we moved that I would be able to go back to school but that didn’t come true. You said you have a good job but you just go back to selling on the side of the road. And now you’re going to say that dad’s gone? I’ve talked to him. I’m still talking to him so I won’t believe you! Dad’s alive! He’s alive !”

I tried to get closer to my brother but he just looked at me so hard that I went back to being thrown on the floor.

“You know I don’t lie, Diego. You know I won’t tell lies especially about dad’s condition. Diego… Dad is really gone. Believe me.”

Our tears continued to fall as we stared at each other sadly.

“If what you say is true, where is father? I want to see him. Where is father, sister?”

I avoided looking at him. Why is it getting worse and worse?

“We buried him earlier in the cemetery.”

I averted my eyes again when he looked at me more intently.

“You said you’re just going shopping?” he said in a scolding voice.

I swallowed the blockage in my throat and crawled closer to him on my knees. With trembling hands, I mustered up the courage to reach for his hand.

“I’m sorry Diego that I couldn’t wait for you. I need to bury my father right away. If you want, I can go with you to the cemetery where we buried him but maybe not now because it’s not allowed. The men outside will be angry. I understand you. Do you understand your sister, Diego?”

I didn’t hear any answer from him so I thought he understood me so I was surprised when he suddenly stood up and clenched his fists and yelled at me.

“You’re bad, sister! Why don’t you want me to see dad? Why have you changed since you came here? I’m going to see dad now whether he’s alive or dead!”

He ran out the door. I didn’t expect what he did so it took a few seconds before I stood up. I also ran in his direction.

“Diego! Diego don’t! Listen to your sister. Stop right now! Diego!”

My brother was no longer in the yard so I was even more nervous.

“Diego! Diego!” I called for him. I felt something sharp stab my bare foot but I didn’t care about it. The important thing now is to see my brother because he is in a very dangerous situation now.

How terrible I felt when I got to the end of the land and saw my brother with a gun in his hand and pointing it at the guards. All my strength was gone when I saw that the guns of Ymir’s men were also pointed at him.

“Diego, put that down, please. Have mercy on your sister. Don’t hurt yourself, please. Come on. Put that down, please.”

I prayed hard that he would follow me because I knew these men wouldn’t think twice to pull the trigger.

“Karina… They don’t want me to go to dad. I just want to see dad, sister,” he cried.

“Yes, Diego. I’m going to ask them to allow us to visit dad, so go ahead and put it down. Go ahead, Diego. Have mercy on your sister. Put it down,” I continued to plead.

He bowed his head and lowered the gun. I breathed a sigh of relief. I immediately ran between us but I was just surprised when he suddenly put the gun back up.

A shot rang out as his body hit the ground.

Everything stopped for me. I can not move. I could hear nothing but the deafening blast. And when I found my voice, it was already too late. My brother is already bathing in his own blood.

“Diego…” was all I could say. “Diego,” I repeated and stepped closer to his body on the ground. “Diego!” I shouted.

I touched his pale face, his bloody chest. I seem to see our father’s face in him.

“No… No… Diego, wake up. Don’t leave me. Don’t leave your sister. You’re the only one left with me. You’re the only one left, so please don’t. Don’t, please Don’t leave your sister.”All text © NôvelD(r)a'ma.Org.

I turned hysterically to the men who were just looking at us.

“Let’s take him to the hospital. Let’s take my brother to the hospital. Come on… Have mercy. Take action, please. Come on. Diego… Diego!”

I shook my motionless brother, hoping he would listen to my pleas.

“Please, don’t. Don’t. You’re all I have, Diego. Don’t…”

But like almost all my pleas, none of them came true. Not even one. At the end of the day, I still have to bury my last and remaining family member.