1 Impossible

Speaker: Jenny Kalaw

The only sound I can hear is the clock's seconds arm ticking in this silent room. How long am I waiting for him to return again? Although it is already late at night, I can't fall asleep because this anxiousness I feel creeps inside me.

I hear a sound that someone opened one of our house's room door. I turn around to see if my suspicions are right. And yes, they are indeed correct.

"Mama, I can't fall asleep at all! When will Papa go home?" My sole daughter, Andrea Kalaw, asks me. Her face says that she is tired of waiting her Papa.

I sigh when she asked. I told her that she should sleep and she probably faked it a while ago. I do not want to make my daughter anxious.

"Didn't I tell you to sleep already?"

Andrea looks guilty and sorry.

"I'm sorry, Mama. I... I am worried about Papa too!"

I can not blame her. She already apologized, and that is enough. I give her a warm hug to feel that it is going to be okay.

"Don't worry, Andrea. We will wait for Papa together alright, just promise me you won't lie again. You will do that for Mama, right?"

I see her nod and that is all the answer I need.

Later, Andrea falls asleep on my lap. Perhaps, she could not sleep because there was no one who would assure her that everything is going to be okay.

I look at my husband's phone placed on the center table. If I can; I already called his phone but my husband left it when he got to work unfortunately. If I look at his phone; I might get a clue where he is, but I do not have a single clue what is his phone's password. Out of all things, why must he forgot his phone?

It is not like I suspect my husband for cheating, but I feel like there is something that he is hiding from me and I do not know what it is. Staying silent will not make my doubts disappear, so I need to ask him when he arrives.

I finally hear someone outside banging our house's gate. I carefully place Andrea's head away from my lap and grab a pillow as an alternative. I hope it is my husband who arrived.

Without looking at the monitor, I open our house's gate door.

"What took you so long?!"

I almost jumped when I hear my husband's angered shout. What is that smell? Is he drunk? I am irritated because I should be the one who is asking him that question.

"Why are you shouting? Our neighbors are already asleep and I should be the one who's asking you that question, Theodore Kalaw."

I flinch when he grabs my arm that it hurts.

"Not even you, Jenny! Not even fucking you!"

I am confused. What he is talking about? I want to tell him that he should calm himself down.

"Calm do—"

"Why is everyone doubting what can I do?! Please tell me, not you Jenny..." His grab on my arm loosens a little bit.

What happened to him? Why is he asking me that? I want to ask him first before answering him.

"Why aren't you answering...?" His grab on my arm tightens once again which makes me flinch. "I TOLD YOU TO ANSWER ME!!"

He pushes me strongly that I lose my balance and I fall down.

"WHY?! WHY AREN'T YOU ANSWERING?!"

I see him clench his fist while I shut my eyes close and ready to receive that stinging pain, but it does not come. Instead, I hear a bash that someone is punched. I open my eyes to see what happened and my eyes widens as I see my husband is lying on the ground and groaning in pain.

I carry his back using my arms and try to shake him.

"Theodore! Theodore! Hey, open your eyes!"

But it seems like he fall unconscious. Is it the effect of the punch and his headache from being drunk?

Why does it seem like this happened before...?

"Are you alright?" Someone asked.

When I hear that voice, I become frozen as if I am being poured by a cold water or my blood left my body. I do not want to look back who it is.

"Did you not hear me? Are you alright?"

"I-I'm alright... there is no need to help me." I answer.

"That's so cold of you, Jenny. I even went into trouble to save you, yet you're being ungrateful? Wait, why am I even expecting you would be grateful? Maybe I thought you will change, but it seems like I'm mistaken."

"Why are you here? I thought—! I thought you are... Why...?" My body starts to tremble.

"Why are you asking as if I don't exist? Do you really hate me that much, Jenny?"

I feel that someone's breath on my right ear which startles me that I turn around to shake that someone off me.

Kevin Bong.

Years has passed, yet his face is still the same. He is handsome as ever.

I never know he can transform like a caterpillar who becomes a butterfly. His body that was chubby before turns into masculine. His skin that was dark brown before turns pale white. His haircut that was always been black and bowl-cut before turns into platinum blonde and slightly curled cut. His face that was full of pimples before turns into clear and smooth. His eyes that would reject contact lens before turns into an eyes that wears blue eye contact lens. His lips that was dry turns into moist that is tempting to kiss to check whether it is soft or not.

While I aged a lot and lose my body shape because of my responsibilities as a mother and wife for Andrea and Theodore.

"Just go... Kevin."

I do not wish to see him again. Why is he back? What does he want?

"If that is what you want." He starts to walk, but then stops his steps again. "But I'll be back to crush you, Jenny. Make sure to prepare yourself from now on."

He already leaves.

I blame myself for this, maybe I am the reason why Kevin is acting this way.

I can only hope that he forgives me, but that seems to be

impossible.