Torment

THE LADY IN WHITE

The sun was already at its peak when Rosalie Ramos finished her bath. Two servants were next to the tub patiently waiting as they held her robe and towel. "Thank you." She gently said finally stepping out of the bath and wrapping herself around the white robe. It was bright inside the bathroom, filled with her own radiance and beauty. Every droplet of water hitting the ground in perfect slow motion was the only sound inside. Rosalie moved in perfect grace as she accepted the towel. The two servants even assisted her with her white dress, with her shoes and with Rosalie drying her own hair. No longer than thirty minutes she was already well dressed and the servants finally left.

Rosalie sat in front of her vanity table. She unlocked the windows of the room wide opened to let the wind and the sun stream inside.The light fabrics of the ivory curtains rippled and fluttered as the light illumanated the corners, the walls and the floor.Rosalie had always loved the entity of nature. The soft breeze of the month chillingly touching her skin, sweeping her hair, filling her lungs. It was something she would always admire. It was one of the reasons why she would rather live in Santa Lucia than Manila. It was too crowded in the country's capital city, polluted, tumultuous and even though quite an entertaining place, Rosalie would still prefer Santa Lucia. She was born there. She grew up there and she wished to die there no matter what the future would soon bring her. Thousands of memories she had in the place were forever sealed in her heart, and Rosalie knew, she would never ever let anyone take that away from her.

Her wide radiant eyes stared back at herin the mirror  but she immediately looked away. Rosalie sighed and saw the copy of Charles Baudelaire's "Flowers of Evil" lying on the vanity table next to her jewelleries. She remembered reading it last night. The poem's verse still ehoing in her head whispering, "*You wrap my heart and brain in a misty shroud and bury them in sepulchres of cloud..." Rosalie then got jaded she closed the book and set it aside to wear her diamond earrings. Carefully, she leaned forward towards the mirror to hook it around her ear but she suddenly paused, staring at her reflection, still holding her earrings when she heard the bellowing sound of the piano from the hallway. Rosalie thought she was just being delusional but she could not be wrong especially when the hinges of the door squeaked to open and more music entered. She could hear and recognise the piece louder, she knew it was from Antonio Vivaldi's 'Four Seasons' but she was unable remember what it was.

"Hi." Rosalie was startled when she felt soft misty lips landed on her bared right shoulder. She laughed and quickly hooked her earrings to turn and kiss her husband. "Ginulat mo ako Ed." Rosalie shook her head and turned back to the mirror to wear her other earring. She was watching him in the mirror when Edgar Ramos gently smiled and gave her another kiss, it was on her temple this time. "Flowers of Evil." Said her husband. "Why?"

All of a sudden he got the book and recited a part of the poem she was reading. "Nothing is sweeter to the gloomy heart so long enured to frost and chilling showers than your pale shadows, the unchanging sight." His thin lips moved in perfection along with the music from the hallway. Rosalie giggled and shook her head again. "Why are you laughing? And the curtains. The windows- Rosalie." She shrugged and glanced at her husband who was now catching the fluttering curtains to shut and seal the rear windows. "Ed-" It disappointed her a bit but she could not be angry with him. His white alabaster skin shimmered when the sun's rays hovered on him. It made him even more handsome, she thought.

"We're leaving Rosalie. Are you ready?" Rosalie sighed and checked herself in the mirror one last time. "You-are-beautiful." He uttered then came back behind her to place the book on the table and gave her another kiss on her shoulder. But he rested his chin this time. Together, they stared at their reflection. The music from the hallway was still playing magnificently. His arms were around her shoulders. It was a satisfying moment, but how come she was uncertain about it? She gulped suddenly feeling uncomfortable, rather suffocated of his arms around her. Rosalie whispered, "Can you hear that? I never knew Georgiana could play Vivaldi's piece." Edgar stared at her confusedly for a second then realised the commotion of notes flying all over the place. "Well, alam mo naman ang anak natin, manang mana sayo. Reckless, beautiful, intelligent I'm just afraid baka magising ang mga customer." Said he. "Anyway, hurry up ma'ma and pa'pa are waiting." Her husband was already leaving the room when she did not move from her seat. "Susunod na lang ako Ed I realised I fogot something-"