I am reading a book that Aunt Gisselle lend me. It's already evening and I'm just about to take a sleep. A loud knock from my door interrupted me. It just opened immediately and Aunt Gisselle came in with a box she's holding.
"Aunt Gisselle, what are you up to?"
She came close to my bed and looked at the book I was holding. She was just looking seriously that I had never seen before. She is always heavenly and rarely gets angry. Her aura is different right now.
"Jane, you need to go home," she said. I was stunned because the tone of her voice was cold. "Your father's outside."
"What?!" I exclaimed.
"Get dressed, Jane. They're picking you up."
I shook my head and immediately got up to go to the living room. I found a suitcase near the door while a man faced his back on me. Aunt Gisselle followed and put the box beside the luggage. She's wearing her poker face when she glanced at me. The man noticed that someone was looking at him so he turned around. It was dad.
" Jane, let's go." He commanded.
"Dad..." I can't move nor step. Something's stopping me. I can't even utter a word to defend myself.
" We talked about this, Jane," he said coldly. The looks his giving me makes me weak. I even need to hold on to something just to support my weight.
I expected this to happen yet I didn't know that it will be this early. I'm not yet ready to face them nor go back to our mansion.
I did not realize that someone approached me. He grabbed my arm and pulled me out. I don't have the strength to fight back or push him away. He's more strong to me. He put me in Dad's car. I am in the back seat when I saw mu dad follows. When he entered, he sat down next to me and all I could hear was the closing of the van's door.
The man who brought me to dad's car went to the driver's seat and started to maneuver the car. The silence was suffocating that it gives me chills to be here. I looked at my dad's direction. He's just comfortably sitting beside me as if nothing happened.
I want to escape, but how? I don't want to be with them. I want my normal life back. I felt my tears flowing down as I stared at my father.
"D-dad," I called him with my trembling voice. He looked at my direction to see those cold stare. "Can you please let me go? I don't want to go home dad."
" No," he simply said. I lost hope because of what he said. Finality is in his voice. I just cried silently the whole ride.
Suddenly, the car stopped in front of our house. It's still the same. The modern exterior design that are also made of glass. Dad went out first and then he looked at me.
"Come," he ordered.
I felt my hands and feet were trembling. I can't even move out as I looked at our house. I also saw the housemaids were at the door as if they're expecting someone. Slowly, I went out, not minding the stares they're giving me. They almost whispering as if daddy was not just here.
When I got out, the housemaids immediately approached me. Others took my luggage at the back. I looked at dad as he motioned me to get inside. The double door opened and I saw my older sister Jace smiling widely as she came to my direction. Her eyes were red and teary eyed. She hugged me tightly that I can't even breath.
" Jace," I said that made her loosen the hug. I hugged her back and cry on her shoulder. I admit, I really miss her and my older brother too. She let go of the hug and looked at me.
"Jane, where have you been?" She asked as tears were flowing on her cheeks. I didn't answer immediately. I stared at her and did not know what to say. I saw my older brother Jack went out from the kitchen and shocked was evident on his eyes. He smiled at me that I never expected.
" Jack..."
He went to our direction and stopped in front of me. He tapped my head and the smile on his lips didn't faded.
" Welcome home, Sam."
I was teary eyed as I heard that name. He's the only one who calls me that. I looked at my sister and she also smiled to me.
"I'm fine, Jace. Don't worry." I reassured her.
" I really missed you. Don't ever do that again."
I missed you too.
The maid called us to eat. I want to refuse because I have no appetite but my siblings are naughty. They never left my side and even walked with me towards the dining table for our late dinner. The food was ready when we got close to the table. Daddy sat in the far end while the three of us were on the left. The right side is vacant because only mommy is sitting there.
"Your mom's not here." I heard dad said. I didn't look at him and just stared at the food that was served. I didn't even want to be here. He just forced me. I don't want to be here but I can't change the fact that I miss them. I just don't want their authority ruled over me.
"It would be okay if she's not here. She's busy anyway." I answered.
"Jane." My sister called my name with authority. I just kept quiet and ate.
" Let's just eat." My dad said in a monotone voice. We ate in silence and no one dares to talk. I finished my food first. I bid goodbye to them because I want to go to my bedroom and daddy only answered with a nod.
He knew that I don't want to be here yet he still force me. I'm not the daughter he wanted before who always obey his orders. I'm not the kid that will always responds a yes just to pleased him. I'm not that Jane anymore.
Even in a young self, I learn how to live my life. I encounter many struggles along the way that made me who I am now. In my sixteen years of existence, I learn how to value freedom that no one can have unless you do something to break through.
It's hard to be alone, fighting alone. I'm still grateful to have grandma and Aunt Gisselle. They're my guide in taking the path. I am the one who's responsible of doing things along the way. The one who needs to survive, and the one who needs to stand alone on her own shoes. I don't want to depend on them. I want to be independent.
I took a deep breath before I slowly opened the door and turned on the switch. Brightness overruled at the four corners of the room.
I still have good equipment here and the only difference is the color of the bed sheet. It used to be purple, but they replaced it with black. It matches the wallpaper on the white wall.
What's with black?
I approached the bed and slowly sat down. It was the same bed too, and the stickers and pictures were still glued on the headboard. They have paintings pasted near the window and some of them are my works. One of those was my first painting.
I missed my room.
There was a sudden knock on the door so I turned around and my sister peek when she opened it.
"Can I come in?" She asked. I just nodded and watched her approached my direction. She smiled and laid some of the clothes she was carrying on the bed.
"Maybe what you are wearing before doesn't fit with you anymore."
"I'm fine Jace," I replied. "Dad brought my clothes when he picked me up at home."
She smiled softly and sat down next to me. I noticed that my sister matured more than before and also her dress, her actions and her speech.
" How are you?"
"I don't know Jace," I replied. "I don't want to go back to this life."
"You need to accept it, Jane."
"But Jace, this is not what I want. I don't want them to control me, neither mommy nor daddy. I just want to go back to the past, when we are still happy."
"I wish too," she mumbled and caressed my hair. "You're still young, Jane. You still have a lot of things to go through. You still don't understand what our parents are doing right now."
I looked at her. "Maybe Jace, but I don't want to regret it."
"At first, I also thought about what you did. I also don't want to be tied to all the responsibilities they gave me. We have the same goal, Jane. But not in all cases, escape is the solution."
"What do you mean?"
"You see, eventhough you've escaped from their tight grip, they will have the other chains. The invisible chains that were also attached to you. Dad can do a lot and one of them was easily finding you."
I was silent at what she said.
"But still be thankful to him Jane, because he let you live the life you wanted even for such a short period of time."