School is stressing me out lately. Too many projects given because semestral break is fast approaching. I don't have enough sleep, I'm tired and exhausted but still managed to attend the remaining school days.
I was taking trying to take a nap but I'm listening to an old man standing in front of us. His voice blend well with the noise coming from my classmates who's complaining in unison while talking about the break.
"How can we enjoy the break if there's two to three project each subjects!"
"The break is useless!"
"This is insane, two to three projects each subject is not easy! They should give us time after the break!"
You can hear some of them cursing. I lean my back on the chair then rubbed my blurry sight with my bare hands. I put my arms across my chest while observing our adviser's face who's turning red.
Suddenly we heard an explosion as his hands violently punch the table in front of him. They looked at him in surprise, those bubbling mouth earlier shut up.
"As far as I remember, all your projects were announced three weeks ago. Am I right?"
"Yes, but—"
"But why is it you're still complaining? Three weeks is already too long kids!"
"Kids my ass" a fat boy who is sitting three chairs far from me said to himself but seems like everyone heard it.
"What!?" The old man shouted that made him startled. He shock his head meaning nothing.
"Back when I was still a student like you? We're only given one week to do our projects. You're already lucky because you're given three weeks!"
"But before is not the same as today sir"
"Yeah right"
"Yes sir. Don't compare your time and our time because it's different"
"How different? Can you present the difference?" He pulled the chair from below his table and sat with arms across his chest. It made me remove mine and put my head at the top of my right hand while elbows on my table. We're doing the same gesture earlier.
"In what way was it different!" His loud voice made some students rolled their eyes, while others faced away from him.
"Because before the task were easy compared to now"
"Yeah right, that's true"
"Yeah sir, Don is right!"
Don is a known guy in this school unlike the typical famous characters from dramas and series, he is not handsome nor hot. He is known as a complete mess, a student who likes to argue with teachers. He's often sent to the guidance counselor's office.
"Your generation's task is easier that us Mr. Pang!" He shouted bravely.
His action made the old man closed his eyes until a smirk appeared on his face. This is exciting.
"Are you really A+ students or their a mistake here. You're showing me that you don't deserve to be here!" Mr. Pang hissed before leaving his seat and walked to the back of the room.
"Don, a so-called tough guy because you have the guts to argue with teachers but in reality your a nut!" He smiled offensively at Don who was freezing on his chair, "I think you're just here because of mon—"
"Mr. Pang that's below the belt"
A girl with red cheeks obviously because of too much make up said cutting the old man's words. She caught his attention then he smiled at her.
"Below the belt? Really from a known bully like you? That's funny Thara"
"Mr. Pang..." She stuttered.
"Cutting the hair of a girl from section B shortly, bullying a fat guy from section C verbally, physical fight, cyber bullying, black mailing. What else Thara?"
She didn't respond instead she went back to her seat obviously feeling ashamed.
"Okay enough. As I said earlier, you're given only until the last day of semestral break to pass your projects. Late ones are automatically" he paused for a while to emphasize his next word "ZERO"
He walked out of the room with books on his hands and a wide smile on his face. The silent environment due to fear started to create noise again.
"He is crazy!"
"That's impossible. How can we do all of this in a short period of time!"
"This school is hell, the teachers here have horns on their head!"
Someone standing outside the door sneaking caught my attention. He was frowning because of what he heard. It was Mr. Pang who didn't really left, he just himself behind the walls, listening to their complains. He went back inside that made everyone quiet again and avoid facing the two faced old man.
"Before I really go back to the faculty"
"You shouldn't have came back"
"That's so sweet of you Ms. Lime, but I'm here to tell you one last thing"
"Say it immediately then leave"
"Right!"
"Yeah leave immediately"
The old man rolled his eyes, "Mr. Chatmanee"
The moment my last name came out of his mouth, everyone starred at me, confused. I shrugged my shoulder because I know nothing.
"Mr. Chatmanee what?" Someone asked
"He'll be given bonus point each subject for passing all projects ahead of time. He can enjoy his semestral break" he smiled at me but I avoided his face, "You should be like him. Okay I have to go now, bye everyone see you after two weeks!"
Yeah, I passed everything ahead of time. That semestral break is my only hope to breathe from this exhausting school and all kinds of stress.
Everyone starts gossiping about me. Some looked at me badly that made me sighed. I played a loud music in my phone and put my earphones on, then I looked outside the window beside me.
Our class ended earlier that the usual 4pm. I checked below my table if there's a thing of me left before leaving the room. I walked alone at the corridor while both hands inside my pocket. Unlike others, I don't hang out with everyone, being with my self only is kind of enough. I guessed.
The moment I stepped outside the gate, a familiar black car across the road caught my attention. I bit my lips before crossing the road and enter the car immediately without anyone noticing. A guy is sitting in front. He's probably on his late 30s, with tanned skin and over built body. I looked at his reflection on the mirror who is smiling at me all this time.
"Why are you here?" I asked then I looked away.
"As usual, making sure you that you went to school"
"I am. You don't have to waste your time going here everyday"
He chuckled, "Mr—"
"Don't mention his name, I hate hearing it"
"My cousin wants to make sure your doing great in school, because you have to—"
"Provide for him in the future? I know that already. You always told me the same exact words everyday"
He just laughed.
"Tell him he is expecting for nothing"
I left the car without looking back. After walking far enough, I spotted a taxi near by so I called it.
My house is not that far yet no so near from school. It was located in a village named Starry Village. The driver stopped the car right in front of the gate, I gave him a waai before going out of the car. I took the key out of my pocket to open the gate. The sky is not that dark enough for me to see the plants at the garden. I left my shoes on the shoe rack beside the door the moment I entered the house. I turn on the lights and searched for someone I know that will make this tiredness disappear. My mind is recalling her face. A forty years old woman with no wrinkles, small beautiful eyes, pinkish lips the same as my grandma, and pointed nose like my grandpa. While looking at her around, ny mouth wants say the three letter word that starts with m but I don't why I can't. Tension starts to build inside me when I can't her. I run back to the living room with teary eyes but it was replaced by a forced smile.
"Hi mom" my voice was shaking while looking at her eyes. I walked closer to her, I stretched out my arms to her. Those eyes made me feel a lot better than earlier, "How are you mom? I hope you're fine up their in heaven"
I hugged her picture frame tightly before kissing it and returned it to its place. I grabbed my bag from the couch where I left it earlier then went upstairs straight to my room.
I throw my body like a piece of log on my bed, putting all my weight on it. I fixed my eyes to the light of the bulb on the ceiling that almost blind me. I sighed before jumping out of the bed.
I went to the bathroom to take a shower before climbing to my bed, half sitting. I dry my hair using the towel placed at me shoulder while my other hand is busy with my phone.
I was reading my classmates conversation from the private chatroom other than the original class group chat where Mr. Pang is excluded.
"I will look for someone to do my projects, I'll just pay"
Someone sent a laughing emoji
"So everyone is going tomorrow right?"
"Yeah"
"Uhm"
"Of course!"
They're talking about the trip they planned inside the room last week. They planned to go to a resort owned by Natalia's family in Phuket, she's a half western girl with rich parents by the way.
"Everyone is going except Ren"
"That's not new at all, he always decline"
The one they're talking right now is me. Ren is just a shorter version of my name, or should I say it was my nickname. My full name is Renjun Saengdad Chatmanee. My first name is a mixture of my parents name Karen and June.
I'm not used to hanging out with everyone at school. I don't have close friends nor enemies. I communicate with them when it's needed and not if it's not. They talk, I either shrugged my shoulders or shock my head as response.
I hate them? No. Like them? I don't know. Am I an outcast? No because they tried to make friend with me. Am I a loner? Probably. Did I make something wrong? No, I never. As I said earlier, I'm used to being with my self only and it's enough.
RRRRRrrrrrr
Someone called me.
"Hello?"
[Hello Ren, this is Cana your mom's friend. My phone is dead so I used my husband's phone to call]
"Uhm, hi"
I spoke in a calm cold voice. P'Cana is my mom friend I just know a couple of weeks ago. I heard from her that they're really good friends, no wonder why I'm comfortable with her.
[I called to ask you what soap and shampoo you always use so that we can buy it for you]
"Everything is fine with me"
[How about food, are you allergic to something?]
"No I'm not but sometimes I'm not in the mood to eat fish"
[Okay, we'll buy plenty of pork and chicken meat. By the way I can't fetch you at the airport later, I'll send my son in behalf]
"Son?"
[Yes]
"Okay"
She hanged the call as soon as I said goodbye. I connect my phone's charger before turning it off and placed it at the top of table beside my bed. Then I turn the lights off.
I don't know how long I was closing my eyes when I suddenly heard something outside. I turn the lights on again before taking away the blanket away from my body and jump out of the bed. I stroke my head gently while looking at my reflection on the mirror then walked out of the room. A sound of a woman crying downstairs was the first thing I heard and it made me run downstairs. I was shock and shaking when I saw a mom laying on the floor with bruises on her arms and feet, there's a baseball bat near her body. I forced my head to look at the figure in front of her, a man in black smoking was laughing at her and it made me clinched my hands. He stand up from his seat and bend down on the floor, putting his other hand on mom's face. He holding jaw really hard and I can saw pain from mom's eyes. He spit on her many times before showering her lower body with kicks. I'm mad, I want to do something, but I'm scared and I my body won't move. I heard him cursed a lot at her before sobbing the cigarette on mom's arm, she cried out loud but it doesn't satisfy the man. He stand up straight and scratched his head like he still want to see her suffering more. He pulled her hair and look straight to my mom's eyes.
"Stop!" The word suddenly came from my mouth as I saw him slap her face again and again, tears starts to stream down my eyes. But no matter what I said, even if I shouted many time already, it seems like he can't hear me.
Then I saw a child running towards her, pushing the man away from mom and hugged her. He tried to help mom and I'm so disappointed to myself that I can't do the same. Mom gave him a sign to runaway but it was too late because the man with face unseen grab the boy away, grabbing him upstairs and locked him inside my room. The evil man seems to not notice me like I don't exist, and so as mom and the boy.
"Can't you hear me!? I said stop already!?"
But he didn't listen. He grabbed the bat on the floor and gripped it so tight. The next scene I saw made me kneel down, shaking, covered my eyes because I can't watch her being beaten like a trash. I cried, I cried so loud and bit my lips till I can feel sting and blood flow from my lips. Silence, the next thing I noticed was silence. The moment I removed my hands from my face, I saw my mom laying there with blood on her body. I wanted to crawl next to her, I did tried but I can't move.
"MOM!" I shouted, "EVERYONE HELP!"
I shouted many times. I screamed for help and do it again and again because she's almost out of breath.
Tears? I saw tears from her eyes. She's crying and it hurts me to see her like that.
"Mom, hang in there. I will call for help" then she looked at me with smile on her face.
Finally, mom saw me. She tried to hard to smile at me. She tried to move but she can't. Suddenly I had the courage to move next to her, I hold her hands tightly. I'm shaking, she's gasping.
"Mom, don't give up please. I'll bring you the hospital"
I tried to carry her but why did she refused? She open her mouth and say something but I can't hear anything.
"Mom, I can't hear you"
She tried to say it again. I placed my ears near her mouth while hands holding hers tightly.
"Mo—"
Someone grabbed my collar that made me looked back. The man in black who is gone came back. He can see me now. He chocked me, his eyes looking straight in to mine and both ours are filled with anger. I tried to push him away or remove his hands but he's too strong. The next thing I feel is dizziness. Like the little boy, he grabbed me upstairs and I can't do nothing but look at mom with blurry vision almost passing out. Then my sight turns dark and I heard the sound of the door shut violently.
I heard a cry from a little child. I want to open my eyes to comfort him. I want to tell him that mom is going to be fine. But I can't, I'm too weak because that merciless man almost choked me to death.
"Mom" he cried as we both heard a lot scream from the woman we love being tortured to death by that man who is evil above all.
I want to wake up, I tried. But I can't. All I can see is darkness. I tried to move my body and there was deafening silence again.
I can't hear mom nor the child. Was she dead? And is the child?
No that can't be!
I tried to speak or listen or open my eyes. I tried to move but I can't do anything. I'm stuck in this dark room filled with pain inside and out.