"What do you want to know?" I raised my eyebrow at him.
"Everything," he answered then narrowed his eyes on me.
I survived again; death is after me, but this man did everything to save me because he wants to know everything that I know.
"Why? There's no use in knowing everything. You already have the Aliyah that your grandpa was talking about." I smirked.
"You know that I got the wrong Aliyah. Is it you? The Aliyah that my grandpa cherished the most?" he asked again.
"What made you say that?" It's my time to ask him.
"Aliyah Arandia, tell me everything." He was almost pleading.
"Why should I tell? What can I get if I tell everything that I know?" I looked at him.
He sighed. "I made a promise to my grandpa that if I find that Aliyah, I should give her the letter he wrote and the ring that once belong to his true love."
My eyes widened. "The ring... Where is it? I want to have it." I held his hands.
"Tell me everything first," he said.
I nodded; I was about to start my story when someone entered my room. It was an old woman, her familiar face made me stopped for a while.
She smiled at me and when her eyes drifted who I was with, her eyes started to shed tears. "I was waiting for this moment to happen. Finally," she said then cried.
"Mama, why are you crying? Aliyah is alright now." My papa entered the room then accompanied the old woman.
Mama? It must be...
"Grandma?" I spoke.
She nodded. "I missed you, my Aliyah. I am very scared that I will not going to meet you again." She hugged me then kissed both of my cheeks.
"Grandma Cristel," I said again, my tears are falling.
"Yes, Aliyah. I am here. Nice to meet you again," she said then wiped my tears.
My grandma, she is here. She is here. I don't know what to say, I just want to hug her more. I want to make sure that I am not dreaming, that this is the reality.
"I thought that I will never see you again. I love you, grandma." I hugged her more.
"I love you too, my dear. Please, don't scare me again like that. I can't lose you, it is too early for you," she said.
I nodded. "I promise, I will take care of myself from now on. I am very glad that you lived longer than I thought. I am very happy that I was able to meet you here. Grandma, I missed you so much."
I was too preoccupied that I didn't even notice that Dr. Dizon is watching us. He cleared his throat then stood up.
"I will come back to talk with you again, Aliyah. I have my duty now," he said then smiled at my grandma.
When he finally left, grandma looked at me with a mischievous smile. "You already met him."
"He didn't know that I was that Aliyah. He was with another Aliyah," I said then sighed.
"It's okay, the heart comes back where it truly belongs. He will come back to you for sure," she said then signaled my papa to leave the room.
"Grandma, can I ask something?" I need to know how I changed her fate.
"What is it?" She smiled.
"How did you live longer? How come you are still alive? I changed something, right? What did I do?" My heart is pounding so fast.
"Your last letter changed everything, my dear."
My letter? "I didn't know what I wrote there. I don't remember anything."
"You stated there the things you don't want to happen. I was shocked to found out that I am going to die early. That I cannot watch you grow. I don't want that to happen, I want to live longer until I can finally see you happy. Thank you for everything, my dear." She hugged me again.
"How about Henry? What happened to him? Is he alright after I left him?"
She smiled. "On the week, he didn't even want to go out. He didn't speak to us. We understand it since he loves you so much. But your grandpa keeps on visiting him. Sonia really took care of him. She loved Henry with all of his life. While fulfilling his promise to you, he learned to love Sonia. I fulfilled what I promised you too. I forgave Sonia, time healed me. I managed to overcome the pain and anger, we become very good friends. But even all that happened, Henry still kept on coming back where do you usually meet. Your place when he chose to be buried, to spend his forever sleep. You never leave his heart, he still loves you," she said then a tear escaped her eye.
I nodded; I understand now. I am happy that they all lived a peaceful life, I am not regretting anything. They deserved to have that. After all the pain... After they all gone through.
"I love him too, grandma. I really love him. I think I can able to move on fast. I am not even sure if I can forget him," I said.
"You don't have to forget him. You just need to accept everything. Henry took a long time to accept the reality, but he did. I will not leave you until I can see that you are already happy. I never tell Henry the truth because that what I am supposed to do, you are right, my dear." She caressed my face.
"I want to be happy too, grandma. Just like what you did, I want to accept everything," I honestly said. I don't want to be caged forever by this loneliness and longingness.
"Don't worry, my dear. You made a lot of help to us, I know from the beginning before you said hello to the world, you will be lonely because of the past. I may not be young anymore but I will help you. I can't thank you enough for all your sacrifices and helps, this is the only thing I can do; is to lead the heart on where it should belong." Her words are full of sincerity.
"Grandma." I looked into her eyes.
"I love you, Aliyah. You deserve more than we did. If that time is not for you and Henry, then I believe that this is the right time." She held my hand.
"Grandma, I don't think that I am ready for that. Henry is still who I am missed. No one can replace him, even his grandchild, even they are very look alike. I can't just let my heart love again when it's still aching and bleeding." I am going to be honest now.
Although I want to correct Dr. Dizon in his wrong assumption, I am still not ready to accept him. I thought this going to be easy, but I was wrong. Henry marked my heart.
"Then, when you are ready. I will not force you to love again. Dr. Dizon and Henry are indeed different from each other. But believe me, my dear. Henry really taught him well, you will like him just like what you did to Henry. He is a very adorable man, rejected every female because he is waiting for that Aliyah. The Aliyah that her grandfather cherished the most. And that Aliyah is none other than you. It is you, Aliyah..."