CHAPTER 8

"Mom, are you here?"

I pushed the door and I called mom. Her car's already parked at the garage so I know she's already here. She called me and said to me that she's not going to fetch me after school. I don't know but her voice's shaky. I'm worried so I immediately went home.

The house is dark and it's very strange. The ambience is very sad and dim. The candles on the table aren't lit up, the lights are out, no smell of any food being cooked and seems like there's no one around.

I never expected silence can be this disturbing. I never thought silence can bring pain to my ears. Where is mom anyways?

I walked into her room and saw her lying down on her bed. Her shoes aren't removed, even her coat that she always wear whenever she's driving. Her sunglasses were placed on her desk and pictures are scattered all around the floor.

I stepped forward and I stumbled onto something. Beers. They were scattered all over the floor as well as those pictures. Is mom drunk?

"Mom?", she didn't answer.

I immediately run to the kitchen to get a basin of cold water and a towel. Maybe it'll help her get back to her senses. I'm not usually used to her getting drunk. Since we started living under the same roof, never did she come home drunk and she never ever drink.

"Mom, I'm here. Let me remove your shoes."

I placed the basin of cold water into her desk. Then I fixed her, removed her shoes, took her jacket off and let the damp towel run over her shoulders down to her arms.

"Mom you're wasted. I'll prepare you some soup later."

I never imagined myself taking care of someone like this, especially mom Kelly. She's a very independent woman. She never hang out with guys, she never dated someone and just focuses her life with making money and providing me some happiness. I never thought she would do this. Is she fatigued or frustrated? I don't know.

I sighed as I started picking up the pictures on the floor. I was very intrigued while looking at the pictures. It was my mom Kelly, maybe about a decade younger with a guy who's wrapping his arms around her and she's leaning on him too. Both of them are happy and by looking at this picture, I can tell she's in love with him.

I casually picked up the second pic and it was still the same guy and her, behind a car, both smiling as most people would do in a picture. Who would even think of frowning on a picture? Even if life treats you hard, you have to smile and capture it like you were some desperate, frustrated but a happy creature. Yeah, I'm used to faking my feelings especially when Rain starts to hit the capture button on her camera. I look like an alien who's trying hard to get along with the people around me.

But how I wish I have some pictures with my real parents as well. I mean, who wouldn't want to have a complete family picture right? I wish someone has captured the three of us complete before we ended up falling to a disaster.

The third pic is a picture of the guy alone. He was sitting on the side walk. He is wearing jeans, a plane white shirt and a blue cap. On the background is a huge house, which I can consider a mansion. I can even see some trimmed and pretty decorated plants on his back. He is covering the words being sculptured on the wall of the house but you can still read is as, 'The Large' and the last word was covered. Who is this guy and why is he keeping a lot of pictures of him?

If this is mom Kelly's "the one that got away", I'm pretty sure it's hard for her to forget her. How can someone leave without explaining why they are leaving to the person who loves them? That's ghosting and that's detestable.

I collected all the pictures and put it all in mom's closet. As I collect the cans of beers, I noticed a letter hidden under mom's bed. I grabbed it and opened it for it was folded. Though it's bad reading someone else's letter, I started reading it.

"Kelly,

I am sorry for not keeping in touch with you. Rebecca has caught us cheating and she said she's going to take our daughter if this continues. I'm sorry Kelly but I can't lose my daughter. She's the most valuable thing I have in my life. When I became a father, all my strength was gone. I became the softest and the weakest person on earth when I saw her breathing for the first time. My daughter needs me. I know you know her condition and she needs a complete family to be with her. Again, I am sorry Kelly; I am not the man for you. Let's end this relationship. I don't want to hurt you anymore. I don't want to hurt my daughter. We should stop seeing each other. You deserve a man who will love you with all his heart and I'm not that man."

This was written 6 years ago. And it came from a man named A.D? Those were just initials of the guy I guess. I looked at mom Kelly and pity started to consume me. She doesn't deserve this kind of treatment. Whoever this guy is, he sucks! He has his family, he has his daughter yet he had relations with mom Kelly?

I brushed her hair with my fingers and whispered, "It'll be alright mom."

I once again opened her closet and throw the letter inside. When I close her closet, the banging on the second floor started again. I hate it; I should go there and check it.

I rushed to my room and threw all my things there. As I went out, I look at the stairs and took a deep breath before going upstairs.

I am still wearing my long black socks while I was making my way to the top. My skirt's swaying for the wind is really strong there. The window beside the room where I suspect the weird noises came from was open.

"Come near the door. Open it for me. I know someone's there."

I heard those words. I tremble hearing that voice. Is there really someone a person locked in here?

"Who are you?", I asked.

"Please open it up. I will explain it to you."

"No you have to tell me first. Who are you?"

"Please open it up."

"Okay, wait right there. I'll be unlocking the door."

I pressed the lock of the first one. It's above my head and I even stacked a pile of books that mom has compiled on her bookshelf.

I was about to press the second lock when I heard mom downstairs, shouting...

I rushed to the stairs and even heard the man still talking, begging me to let him out.

"Open this up please. I will help you."

I ignored him and rushed to mom's room. I saw her sleeping but she is gripping on her blanket. Maybe she is dreaming. Mom told me about her having lucid dreams and it scares me whenever she shares her story.

"Mom! Mom! Wake up!"

She got up and rushed to hug me the moment she saw me waking her up.

"It's okay mom. You're safe, I'm here."

She ended up crying. I hugged her real tight for her to feel relieved. She's holding me so tight and I know she is very scared. Maybe because she's drunk, her weird dreams were triggered and are slowly consuming her now.

"Can you sleep here with me for the night? I need someone to be here."

"Yes mom. I will sleep next to you."

I combed her hair with my fingers and she's still hugging me tight. I let her head rest on my shoulder and a few minutes later, she's already asleep. The alcohol's strong I guess.