Category : Books-Fiction

Sub Category : Romance

Author's notes:
Hi guys! Sorry for not posting for a few days. I was slightly stuck on this chapter's direction but I'm glad that it's finally done and ready for your viewing. I hope that it's to your liking. Do check it out, would love to hear your opinion. Much love! 

Chapter 25
          Hectic wasn't even the fitting word to describe Chris's first day of work. The children were all over him, marveling at his fading brown hair as if it is the most interesting thing in the world. Finally able to relax only when Bea decided it was story time and the kids scattered to surround her instead. 
          With Bea sitting crossed legged on the ground while some of the children formed a circle around her as others started bringing her books they wanted her to read. She had on a tender smile and her entire being radiated pure happiness. Chris could see why Bea liked her job so much. Surrounded with laughter and joy, It was like a family she no longer has. 
          Chris himself was sitting against the wall, watching as Bea interacted with the kids, smiling to himself at the warm sight when all of a sudden, he felt a sting on his upper right arm. 
          “Owh!” Chris snatched his arm upwards defensively. 
          He almost glared at the person that had unforgivingly pinched him when he realised that it was but a boy, standing with both hands behind his back. Chris recognized the boy to be the same boy that had flung the book at him and called him an alien. He has already momorized the boy’s name to be Alex. He peeked to see what the boy had hidden behind his back and noticed that it was a book. 
         “Why’d you do that for?!” Chris asked, rubbing his arm. It was a powerful pinch, considering it came from a 11 year old. 
          “You were staring at Bea. Do you like her?” Alex asked, innocently. 
          Chris could feel his cheeks heat up. Not denying, Chris held up his pinky finger, wanting to make a promise with Alex, saying, “Look boy, this is between the both of us."
          Alex didn’t reciprocate, instead he stuck out his tongue at Chris and called out to Bea.
          “Be…..!" 
           Bea turned around, but all she saw was a book laying on the ground. Shrugging it off as a hearing mistake, she went back to humouring the kids. 
          Chris had one hand over Alex’s mouth and the boy's small body caged in between his arms so that his back was pressing against Chris's chest while Chris sat leaning up against the wall. He had dragged Alex into one of the corners of the room, out of Bea’s sight just in time before she turned around. Alex struggled to break free from Chris, his little legs kicking around frantically but failing as Chris's grip on him was just too tight. 
          “Let…...go......of me!” Alex demanded as he tried to pry apart Chris’s hand from his mouth.
          “Look boy, today is my first day on the job and I don’t want to get fired.” Chris warned sternly as he let go of Alex. Best believe he isn't going to let a kid ruin the relationship he currently has with Bea. 
           The moment he was freed, Alex jumped away from Chris. Pouting, Alex then raised a hand towards Chris, as if he was demanding something from him. Chris looked up at him questioningly. 
           “If you buy me sweets, I’ll keep your secret.” Alex demanded, a sneaky smirk on his face. 
          It took Chris a few seconds before his lips curled upward into a smile, finally reading into the situation. 
          “You’ve got a deal.” Chris grabbed the boy’s hand and shook it. He hated the kid's guts but he definitely liked the way the cogs in his brain works. 
          “And you have to do anything I say.” Alex added smugly. 
          “…...Sure.” Chris wasn’t too sure about that last demand but for the time being he decided to go along with it. In his current predicament, it's not like he has much of an option, best to go along with everything the boy says, stay on his good side.
          Alex then disappeared for a moment, coming back with a book in his hand, the same one that he had dropped earlier when Chris so suddenly pulled him. 
          “Read this.” Alex commanded, holding the book out to Chris. 
          Taking the book from him, Chris decided to dismiss the lack of mannerism. He definitely didn't expect the boy to just drop down in his lap, moving to adjust himself until he was seated comfortably on Chris's lap. Chris blinked in surprise at the boy’s unexpected action. 
          Finding the boy’s behavior so unlike his earlier demeanour, Chris almost laughed out loud. Instead he opened the picture book. Noting that it was written and illustrated by an author by the name of Zool. 
          “What kind of name if that?” Chris couldn't help but laugh. Obviously, he knew that it was a pen name but it just sounded childish. 
          "What's taking so long?" Eric asked, tilting his head upward, almost bumping into Chris's chin. 
         Chris flipped to the next page, smiling, he said, "Nothing, your majesty."
         When Eric looked back down, Chris rested his chin on the boy’s head as he complied with his wish and started reading. 
          Chris couldn't deny that for a picture book it had a surprisingly interesting storyline. It tells the story of a young girl that went on a long journey to find her long lost imaginary friend. 
          By the time Chris read the last page, he could feel the little head beneath him bobbing to the right and left ever so slightly. He could tell that Alex was dozing off. Chris put the book down on the ground before placing a palm on the boy's forehead, carefully guiding his head backwards to lean on his shoulder blade. The boy shifted and curled into a fetus position before falling asleep in Chris’s lap. 
          “Alex never really talked to the other kids, I’m so glad he warmed up to you.” Bea told Chris as she saw Chris piggybacking Alex out of the house, joining her to send the kids off to their respective guardians who have come to pick them up. 
          With the boy sleeping so soundly, lips slightly parted, he looked like an angel, no one would have thought that just a while ago he had threatened and blackmailed Chris.
 
           “Do you do this every day?” Chris asked Bea after he passed the fast asleep boy delicately into the arms of his mother who had come to get him, not wanting to wake him up. 
          “As you know, Mrs. Helda doesn't insist I come all the time but I try to because it can be very tiring, since she's all alone.” Bea answered. 
          Cue Mrs Helda to appear when she is the subject of interest. She had suddenly walked out from the house to meet them. 
          “You two can go home now, leave the cleaning to me.”
          “We can help.” Bea offered and Chris nodded. 
          “Because of Alex, you guys had to stay back, you’ve been an enormous help and I wouldn’t want you guys to be out this late at night, it's not safe.” Mrs Helda rejected them as she pushed Chris and Bea out of the house and waved them good bye. 
          “Mrs. Helda is right. it’s already half pass 8.” Chris said after checking his phone for the time. 
          Bea looked at Mrs. Helda worryingly. It definitely didn't go unnoticed by the woman, she gave Bea an assuring smile while shooting her a thumbs up. 
          "I'll be fine Bea." Mrs. Helda said before Bea smiled back, finally trusting their boss. 
          Hence, Chris ended up walking Bea back to her apartment. 
          “Thank you for walking me back. You know you didn't have to.” Bea told him. 
          "Well I insist, besides, it's on the way." Chris retorted. 
          "Well then, I'll see you tomorrow." Bea said, waving goodbye before entering her apartment. 
          “I’ll look forward for it.” Chris replied, beaming, already looking forward to the next day. Heck, he was already counting down the hours. 
          Chris pulled out his keys and entered his dorm room. As he was about to retire for the night, he remembered the guy that had deliberately knocked into him, causing his bag and phone to fall on the ground. The guy wore a black hoodie but apart from that, why did he find that person's shillote so strikingly familiar? Where has he seen him before?
          Chris thought hard but no matter how hard he racked his brain, he couldn’t think of anyone. Settling on the fact that if he can't remember now he'll remember eventually, he switched off the lights and drifted into dreamland, literally. 
                      XXXXXXXXXX
          Chris opened his eyes to register that he was indeed in the apartment yet again. However, to his surprise, this time, the place was in a much better state, there was still a mess but it was much more decent, the place looked livable. Someone must have cleaned up the mess and threw away much rubbish. At least now, there was place to walk, without having to step over filth.
          He saw the boy and his mother. They were sitting around a table that was never there before in his previous visits. The woman was watching her son read a novel, although Chris knew that the boy's mind wasn't on the story one bit. 
          Chris observed that the boy looked older now, probably around 12. He was about to walk up to them when the boy suddenly spoke up, causing Chris t freeze in his spot m
          “Mum, where is dad?”  
          And Chris automatically looked to his mother as well. He saw his mother's face drop, the smile leaving her face. She had her lips pursed together into a thin line, Chris could tell that she was refraining herself from answering and Chris caught the glistening of tears pooling up in her eyes. Oh god! Chris hates when his mother cries. He could feel his own knees go weak just by seeing his mother on the verge of tears. 
          The woman just shook her head, blinking the tears away, she forced a smile. She brushed the boy’s bangs out of his face. 
          “I have finally saved up enough money, you'll be able to continue your studies.” She said instead.
          Chris hasn't heard his mother's voice in such a long time, it was overwhelming, even knowing that it's a dream, Chris wanted it to last. 
          The boy grew visibly frustrated at being ignored.
          "I know you are a very smart boy, you'll be able to adapt amazingly." His mother carried on saying, having not detected her son's displease. 
          The boy laid the book down on the table rather harshly, biting his bottom lip nervously. "He's never coming back, is he?" He finally asked. His face void of any emotion, it sent shivers down Chris's spine how a 12 year old could elicit such coldness in his tone. 
          And his mother's face paled. “Chris, your father loved you......H-He just left to redeem himself.” Her hand reaching out for the boy. But the boy flinched away from her. 
          “If he loved us, he wouldn't have left.” The boy replied coldly. 
          His mother said nothing, not confirming nor denying. Chris saw the hurt expression that adorned her features at the boy’s words and she retracted her hand. 
           “Chris, please don't...... " His mother's pleading tone piercing through Chris's heart. 
          Chris knew what was going to happen next, all too familiar with the scene unfolding in front of him, a piece of memory that was still fresh in his brain.
          "Don't say it." He found himself asking of the boy as well. His own voice almost as desperate as his mother's. 
          The boy merely stood up, not looking at his mother he uttered in between gritted teeth, "...... I hate him."
          It wasn't a loud proclamation but the intensity laced in those Last few words was filled with pure hatred. 
          Chris stood rooted as he watched the boy storm up the stairs, leaving him alone with his mother. Chris's attention was brought back to his mother when he heard the opening of a door. 
          He watched as his mother lifelessly entered the room, he pushed aside the already opened door and followed in. He saw her slumped onto the ground and cried at the end of the bed. In her arms, was his father and mother's only wedding photo. 
          Chris had to turn his head away, not strong enough to face such a heartbreaking scene. Even in his dreams, his mother isn't happy. 
          “I’m so so sorry, Chris.”
          Chris turned back the moment he heard his mother whisper in between sobs. 
          Eyes widening in shock, Chris could feel his heart clench in pain. This is the first time he heard his mother apologise. He spoke, his own voice breaking, “It’s not your fault.” 
          “I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you. I’m sorry that this happened to you. You don't deserve this.” His mother carried on apologising, brows furrowed and head shaking furiously, one hand fisting the bed sheets. 
          “You raised me well, it’s not your fault......” Chris said, wanting anything but his mother to blame herself. 
          “I hope you find it in your heart one day to forgive him.” 
          Chris mentally slapped himself, he stared in disbelief at his mother, taking a few steps forward, he asked incredulously, “He left you. He left us. Why do you still forgive him?”
          Unexpectedly, as though his mother actually heard him ask, she opened her mouth to speak. And nothing would have prepared Chris from what he was about to hear. 
          Tears falling from her eyes, she looked at wedding photo, brushing off the tears that have fallen on it, before saying, "Living a life of hate will only bring about suffering......" His mother's words started trailing off. "......I want you to be happy......" 
          Upon hearing his mother's explanation, Chris backed shakily until his back hit the wall. His knees buckled and he collapsed unceremoniously on the ground. Mouth agape in distress. 
          Eyes watering involuntary and mouth drying, Chris had to shut his eyes tight to prevent himself from crying. All the while taking sharp intakes of breath to calm himself.
          Chris was hit with the hard reality of the weight of his mother's words. He was going through an internal battle of conflict. How could something feel so wrong, yet so right at the same time? His father doesn't deserve to be forgiven for all that he has done to them, yet if Chris doesn't take a step back, he'll forever be tied down. 
          "I can't...... I don't know how to." Chris finally mouthed. 
          This time he was greeted with silence as his mother no longer acknowledged him, her eyes red and puffy but she was no longer crying, she merely stared blankly ahead. 
          Chris got up from the floor, wobbling in the process, he exited the room and ascended the stairs. He entered the room where he caught sight of the boy looking out the window, staring at the stars that littered the sky. In any other occasion, Chris would have found this very sight beautiful. 
          “That man has left me. He has abandoned us.” He heard the boy chant, repeating it over again and again as if to convince himself. The boy never once shed a tear, unlike his mother, but Chris knew that the boy was just as hurt as his mother. He could see the lonely eyes of the boy, the big eyes that once radiated innocence can no longer be seen. What's left is the empty hollow stares. 
          Chris walked up to the boy. “He will come back 6 years later.” Chris told him even though he knew his words can’t be heard by the boy. 
          As much as he knew he can't change the past, he had hoped that he didn't give up that easily back then. 
          After a long debate with himself, Chris decided to add, revealing, “He’ll come back a changed person......" 
          With his mother's words ringing in his head, he willed a smile on his face as he added, "...... And a good person."
          After all, he could at least try to believe in his father again, right? 

All Rights Reserved @ 2018 by Anne Teng


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