It was the Christmas season. The big boss man gave me one last assignment before taking my holiday leave. It sounded so easy and quick that I didn't think anything of it. During the job, I realized I couldn't go through with it. I'm about to tell you how I got the name "Silent Angel" and why I hate it.
The story takes place with a small family in a small town called "Fairweather County." I had been scoping out the target from afar since the start of December. Let's call him "Eli." Eli was living with his daughter and her family. One day, a person I'd never seen before arrived at the house. She looked like she came from abroad because of her luggage. Probably a college student. She looked happy to see Eli but also worried. I concluded that she was his other grandchild. Eli and his family were delighted to be together. It was a warm sight.
As the days went by, I was starting to doubt myself. I decided to wait until after New Year to complete my job. I didn't care about my holiday off. Something about this family, specifically Eli and his granddaughter, interested me about their relationship. It was like a father-daughter type. I went through my files and saw a picture of a baby girl in Eli's arms. Then it clicked. Now I understood why Eli and the girl were so close. It just made the job even harder to complete.
The college girl would sometimes leave the house with some family members and then come back early and spend time in the living room with Eli. Around 11 pm, she would head upstairs to her room and sleep. At 8 or 9 am, she would be awake. She would greet Eli before doing anyone else. Sometimes she would join Eli for his short morning walks. She was like his little shadow, always following him everywhere he went.
A heaviness in my heart started getting worse the more I thought about my task. My idea was to finish this after New Year but the sight of Eli and his granddaughter. I couldn't do it. I changed my decision and decided to wait until the girl had to leave. I better be getting paid more than usual for this, big boss man.
New Year came, I was anxious. I've never felt like this, ever. I felt unprofessional for feeling this way. I watched Eli and his granddaughter. It was the same as every other day, but the girl had some sort of sadness about her. I assumed it was because she was going to leave soon. The thought of her leaving gave me some relief. But deep down, I felt like I was doing something wrong. Oh, how I wished I listened to my gut. After sunset, the girl and her family left to celebrate New Year. Eli and his daughter were left alone. They watched some movies and ate a bit. After midnight, Eli's granddaughter and the family came back home. It was late, so everyone had gone to bed.
In the morning, Eli's granddaughter was getting ready to leave. She said her farewell to everyone before giving her last goodbye to Eli. I hated what I was feeling at that moment. I couldn't do it. The sadness on the college girl's face made me hate my job. I decided to wait for a couple of days to gather myself. It was a need because I was letting my emotions take over.
January 15. 5 am. I finished the job when everyone in the house was asleep. I thought everyone was. I barely got away, but it was a job well done. Eli's daughter had woken up right after I finished my task. I managed to get away without getting caught. I was on my way back to headquarters when I had the sudden urge to look back. It was a sight my heart couldn't bear. I was never going to forget what I saw. Eli's daughter was doing her best to stay strong, but the tears were overflowing. Everyone in the house was awake. Tears were nonstop. One of the other ladies had made a phone call, but I'm guessing it wouldn't go through because she started texting something. I hurried back to headquarters and reported to my boss.
I went to Madaline Heights for my vacation. I didn't expect to see Eli's granddaughter that night. She was having fun with some friends. I chose a seat from the far side of the restaurant to watch her. She had no idea what I had done. After 10 minutes of watching her, she gets up to answer a phone call. I decided to follow her out to the balcony. I was a few feet away from her. I could hear the conversation well enough.
"Hi, Tita. It's Luka," she said in a cheerful tone. "Sorry I didn't answer your call earlier. My boyfriend decided to have a double date with our friends. What's up?"
I knew what her aunt said. I didn't have to hear it. Luka was in shock from the news. Her hand fell to her side, phone falling on the ground. I couldn't pinpoint the emotion she was feeling. Suddenly, she fell to the ground and let out an agonizing scream. Her boyfriend, I'm guessing, ran out to the balcony and tried to comfort her. Luka just kept screaming and crying as she grasped her hand over her heart. Luka's boyfriend held onto her like she was going to disappear. He answered her ringing phone. It was Luka's tita on the other end. Luka and her companions brought her back inside once she had quieted down. I sat back in my seat and watched Luka. She was quiet with her head down, shoulders hunched over. My phone chimed. I look down and see that my boss texted.
"Congratulations to our Silent Angel :))"
I clenched my fist in disgust. The following text made my blood boil and my stomach sick.
"Oh, wait. It's Christmas' Silent Angel."
I stood up immediately. I couldn't be in the same place as Luka, knowing what I had just done. I quickly made my way towards Luka's table. What was I thinking? Everyone at the table was too busy getting Luka to talk, to do something. She didn't budge. I looked down at Luka's phone. The message I read had me running out of the restaurant. I threw up in the bush next to my car. I looked at my reflection in the car window. Anger. Regret. Hatred towards myself. Torment. What have I done?
I am so sorry, Luka.
I'm so sorry, Eli.