Chapter 20
I adjusted my black shirt and skirt infront of
the porch as my dad rang the doorbell. We were infront of my mother’s house, to
attend the funeral. A lady aged 40 or over, opened the door and without saying
anything she ushered us towards the large livingroom where lots of people were
talking silentl, dressed in all blacks. My legs felt wobbly, and i slumped onto
the nearest armchair.
“are you alright honey?” my dad
whispered, as he squated down infront of me, holding my hand. I nodded, as a
portrait mesmerized me.
“Is that her?” I asked him, showing
the picture. He turned around and looked at the portrait hanging upon the
fireplace.
“Yeah.” He replied meekly. “She’s
fifteen at that photo, must be the times we were together.”
“She’s so beautiful.” İ said. “It
seems like we have the same face.”
“Whenever i look at you, your face
reminds me her.”
Then, a woman aged 30 or something
sauntered over us and stopped right beside my dad. We both stood up, my dad and
she shook hands unwillingly. The lady was examining my face very carefully that
i had to look at another direction.
“You must be her.” She spoke coldly.
“Uhm...let me introduce you. Skylar,
this is your..mother’s best friend Jessica, and Jessica this is my daughter
Skylar.” My dad piped up sheepishly.
“Elizabeth’s daughter.” Jessica
corrected numbly.
“Who raised her?” my dad replied
vehemently.
“Who gave birth to her?” she said with
the same insensitivity.
“Close this subject Jessica.” My dad
retorted. She just scoffed.
“You hadn’t met your mother before
right?” asked Jessica.
“No..no i hadn’t...” i stuttered.
“I hope, you’re aware that it’s all
your dumb father’s fault, right?” she continued bombarding me with her dreadful
questions.
“Jessica, would you shut your damn
mouth up?” my dad hissed. I had felt a sudden urge to defend my father.
“Please forgive me if i say something
inappropriate, i wouldn’t want to talk bad after a dead person but as far as i
know my mother wasn’t so innocent either. Considering the fact that she had
left me infront of my dad’s house isn’t something that is easy to forgive, or
forget. Basically, i owe my dad my life. He could give me to an orphanage
easily...but he didn’t.” I finished my speech coherently.
“How can you blame your mother? The
one who gave you birth?” she asked unbelievably.
“Sometimes giving birth could be
something unimportant, the most important thing starts after that.” I spoke.
“And i can’t think of any logical reason for getting rid of your child whatever
the reason is, cos i’m a mother too.” I continued sternly.
“Unfortunately Nick, she’s just like.
Ill-mannered, selfish and numb.” She said accusingly, turned around on her
heels and walked away.
“Bitch.” I grumbled. “Can you please
tell me dad, how in the world you know a woman like this?” i asked curtly.
On his perfect lips curled a
mischevious smile.
“She was Elizabeth’s best friend. The
girl who introduce us.” He spoke. “But honey, you dealed her really well, you
were incredible!”
I couldn’t help but laugh slightly. He
again had forgot that he was a dad, and that he would have repremanded me for
talking that rudely to someone older than me. But again, he was my immature
dad.
“Can i see my mom?” i whispered to his
ear after sometime.
“I don’t know...” he answered looking
around. “Let’s search the rooms upstairs.” He mumbled and we went upstairs and
started our search.
As i opened the last room’s door, i
came across with a room that its walls had plastered with Backstreet Boys’
posters from 1995 to 2017. As i looked
around the room, i saw her coffin, with her laying inside peacefully.
“I guess it’s her.” I said slowly,
looking at my dad.
His expression scared me to death. His
ocean-blue eyes had glued on her white face, his face also as white as hers.
“Dad, are you feeling ok?” i asked,
going near him and touching his face. He held my hand and squeezed it.
“You...you may want to be alone with
her...” he mumbled turning around and leaving the room quickly, letting me
enough time to notice the tears welled up in his eyes.
Hesitantly, i walked over to the
coffin, placed on her bed.
“Hey.” I whispered slowly. “I..I don’t
know what to say, or even call you, y’know...but i guess you’d want me to call
you mom...”
“Mom...” i said again and touched her
cold face, as my warm tears started streaming down on my face. “Why did you do
this to me? Who couldn’t you go and tell him that you were pregnant and get
married? Why couldn’t you? WHY?” i whispered, my voice shaky.
“I hadn’t realized how much I needed
you all my life, since i had Piper. Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you about my
precious Piper...look.” I opened my purse and took a photo of Chris and Piper
together taken recently, wiping my tears away. I sniffled.
“Look.” I said, showing the picture to
her face as if she could see. “She’s gonna be really beautiful one day, don’t
you think? She looks like her father. Oh, and this guy is my fiancé, he’s
really gorgeous, ain’t he? I love him so much...” I sighed. “See Mom, I could
live without you but dad couldn’t...” I glanced the walls. “I guess you were
aware of that. You must have heard the rumors before he met Vanessa....ı
think Vanessa had rescued him from a desperate life. They’re very happy
together, you should see their kids. They’re the cutest things in the world
and..” my non-stop talking interfered with the door’s sudden opening.
“What are you doing here?” it was that
bitchy Jessica, with her hands on her hips, standing at the edge of the door,
looking at me sternly.
“I just wanted to sat goodbye to her.”
I mumbled.
“You hadn’t even said hi to her, why
are you caring to say goodbye?” she replied feverishly.
“What’s your problem?” I said weakly,
my eyes was searching for my dad but he was nowhere in sight.
“I have no problem with you darlin’, I
have problems with your father.” She had suddenly changed and became sweeter.
“Then why are you blaming me? I mean,
I don’t know much about their relationship...”I spoke.
“You don’t really?” she asked. I
nodded.
She came near me, held my hand and
ushered me towards the chairs in my mother’s room.
“It’s time for you to know then.”
***
