- 8.
The atmosphere in the embassy was heavy.
The staff had been waiting.
They pulled up airline records and pointed to
Ashley and Brooke’s names on the screen,
explaining the chaos.
The screen showed a huge crowd, screams
and cries everywhere.
Gunshots kept going off, people running in
every direction.
The staff told how Ashley and Brooke fought
their way to the counter, only to watch their
tickets get canceled, collapsing in despair.
く
Mom and Dad stared at the screen, as if they
could see their daughters‘ desperate eyes.
Then, the scene changed to empty streets,
with scattered luggage.
A pink suitcase stood out, it was Ashley’s
favorite.
The staff said, “After everyone else was
evacuated, they were the only ones left,
stranded and alone. Their luggage was
scattered, their passports and wallets were
gone.”
“Then, we got a distress signal and arrived
but…”
He paused.
“We couldn’t save Ashley. We found her, she
had been trying to protect her sister and had
been killed.”
The staff didn’t say what had happened, but
Mom and Dad could imagine it.
Dad slumped into a chair, covering his face
and crying.
Mom’s legs gave way, she collapsed, tears
streaming down her face.
“Ashley, Mom and Dad are so sorry.”
That’s when they finally believed it, their
daughter was dead.
Mom started yelling at the staff.
く
“Why didn’t you save them? Why didn’t you
go sooner?”
The staff said, “We were doing everything we
could! The situation was complex, we were
understaffed…”
“We are sorry for your loss.”
The staff understood their pain, but said they
had been wrong as parents.
“Normal parents would do anything, pull every
string, just to get their family home safe.”
“You canceled the tickets!”
“Do you know how many texts and calls
Ashley and Brooke made? We tried to call your
as well ”
“But the phone was not answered, after that
we could not get through.”
“You killed their hopes.”
Dad pulled Mom up, saying, “It’s our fault…”
The staff played a video of Brooke in the
embassy and Ashley’s death.
In the video, Brooke was crying and
screamed, “Dad, Mom, save us!”
In the other video, Ashley was lying still in a
pool of blood.
“Turn it off!”
Mom couldn’t take it, screaming.
Г
She remembered the blocked messages and
calls on her phone.
Countless missed calls and texts, all from
Ashley and Brooke.
“Mom and Dad, there are gunshots all around,
we are so scared.”
“Pick up the phone.”
“Please come save us, we promise we will be
good.”
The last message was sent three minutes
before Ashley died:
“Mom and Dad, we may not make it, don’t be
too sad, Ashley and Brooke will always love
”
<
you.”
Mom trembled, saying, “Tiffany manipulated
our phones.”
Dad grabbed the phone, looking at the
messages.
He fell to his knees, screaming.
Mom started crying, both were hugging.
If they had not listened to Tiffany,
If they had answered their daughters,
What if they had done the right thing?
But there were no do–overs in life.
