Ocean of Feathers

13 - USS Arizona 1915

The short story is dedicated to Caryl Faith Gonzales. Thank you for helping me during the muting days!

13 – USS Arizona 1915

It's been years when I last saw her. And among those girls from the past who've witnessed how brave and dedicated she was, I was the only one who can barely remember the whole scenes that was kept thousands of years ago.

Her bravery was buried beneath the depth of the sea with no traces of all. Yes, there was unknown author who spilled some of the information but the book didn't last longer because it was burned brutally just like how the canons chased our life to pull us from freedom.

Maybe Angelica, a woman who settled from the past had the slight information about her, but I considered myself as the woman who has the accurate information about the sunflower girl's real responsibility in this present time.

Dahil ako lamang ang nakakaalala sa lahat, ilang beses niya akong nadadalaw. She told me that she didn't dare to meet the girls in this time twice because they will definitely freak out seeing her again for the second time.

Who wouldn't be?

In this present times, who would still believe in time travel?

She told me that it is better to become the mystery. No more questions and no more answers to be spilled out.

"Caryl, I have to go." Yumakap sa akin ang aking asawa bago ito humalik sa aking mga labi.

He's going to work. Yumuko ito at humalik rin sa aking nakaumbok na tiyan.

And yes, little girl was the reason why I've met my lovable husband.

"Audee, please go home early. Hihintayin ka namin ng anak mo."

"Of course, I will also file my leave. I can't wait to see our baby." Ngumiti ako sa sinabi niya.

Next week will be my duedate.

Muli siyang humalik sa akin bago siya humiwalay at magpaalam sa akin. At nang sandaling magsarado na ang pinto alam kong may batang babae nang nasa likuran ko.

"How are you Cap?"

"Barely breathing," sagot niya sa akin.

"So have you collected them all?" tanong ko sa kanya.

We went inside our dining area, I offered her coffee that she gladly accepted.

"Hindi pa," she innocently answered while playing while moving her feet like a real little girl.

"Oh, I think you're running out of time."

"Yeah, yeah."

"How are you?" siya naman ang nagtanong sa akin.

"Happily married, thanks to you."

"Good to know,"

"Actually, I was not just looking for those girls were I failed to save. What happened to my crews? I was shot dead on my head before the ship sank, what happened to them? No one had survived?" tanong nito sa akin.

"Ito ang paniniwala ko, but the author of the book had a slight information and some were accurate. I can tell that it was coming from the point of view of one of the crews. Dahil alam nito kung paano kayo naglayag at nakarating sa isla. There's a possibility that the author was one of your crewmates who survived." Ilang beses tumango sa akin ang batang babae.