"My shining star in the dark". She said as she slightly brushed my black hair to the side, revealing my forehead.
She wrapped her hand around my head and used it to move my face closer to hers.
She revealed that dazzling smile of hers, melting away my worries under the assumption that she was going to be okay.
Her eyes were closed and her lips made its way toward me as she gently laid it on my forehead.
All the while, I was holding onto her right hand.
"Mother loves you. Always".
Those were the last I heard of her before the light of life deemed and her body turned cold.
My father?...
He was the first soul to be taken by the unfortunate accident.
It was a sunny day at the time when the sun was soon to retreat into its confine.
We were coming back from the park, having had all the fun I ever wanted with both parents by my side.
Then, we were driving down a paved cliff road when this car came running from the opposite side. Abrasively.
At a glance, one could tell that the driver of the car was not in the right state of mind. He was deadbeat drunk.
My father's body was crushed after the car was sent tumbling down the cliff and was soon to lose his life.
My mother?...
We were both taken by ambulance to the hospital where we received immediate treatment.
Or at least we were supposed to.
The hospital was cramped full of patients and only one of us could be attended to with immediate effect, leaving the other to wait a while.
She insisted that I be attended to first even though she was in a much more dangerous situation than I was.
I could see the fiery vigour in my mother's eyes when she took up complaining to the nurses to do whatever they could to attend to me first even though she was on a stretcher.
Heavy wounds or a weak body was not enough to stop the strengthened mind of my mother who cared only for the safety of her child.
At the end of the day, I was attended to first.
I was treated at a fast pace, and soon my mother was to be next.
They were about to carry out the surgery on her when my mother summoned for my presence.
Perhaps the ordained intellect of motherhood had hinted to my mother that she wasn't going to survive.
The nurse in charge heeded her request with the consent of the doctor who had also given up an attempt to save a patient already at the door's death.
I was brought to her. With the little amount of time she had left, my mother used it all to convey her undying and unwavering love for me.
And so. Within a single day, I was left an orphan.
As for the other party responsible for the misfortune, he was set free under the excuse of being an accident that could not be avoided.
Blames were shared by both parties involved is what the authority concluded on.
Such bullshit.
The only reason they refused to persecute him is because he is of high-class birth. The son of a wealthy and vastly known conglomerate.
We were not poor per se.
My father had a company with an alright background. But as we know, behind a tall mountain is yet another tall mountain.
.
"Fuck you bitch!! You lost your brother's company to that fucking nerd, yet you still have the guts to bring another responsibility into my house".
The voice wasn't asking. He was explaining what he thought of as her wrong as he dishes out physical punishment to her body.
Her face was badly bruised and she cowered her body on the ground, in fear of the kick that was aiming for her torso.
I stood in front of the closed door with a blank expression as I watched the violent scene unfold before me.
Slightly turning my head to the right, past the crude scene, I saw the child who is no older than I am, holding her teddy bear with eyes similar to mine.
No. Her eyes are far beyond mine. Mine looks like it is just starting to peer into the dark side while hers?!!!
It feels as though she controls the dark side itself!!
'Ahh... This place isn't for me. I thought as I picked up my luggage and made my way out of the building.
As much as I pity my aunt, there is nothing I can do to help her.
I am but a child while he is a fit adult. Crude as he might look, he has a well-built body that could easily tumble me over as many times as possible.
If anything, she should be the one to help herself by signing for divorce.
However, seeing as how she is not doing so, I am assuming she has reasons of her own.
Who am I to intrude on that?...
"Where do I go from here". I muttered with a whispering tone.
I stopped and took my time to feel the absence of people around me. The silence reverberated in the alley.
The cloud turned mushy followed by a heavy downpour that masked the tears flowing down my cheek.
I was fatigued. Not physically, but mentally.
I stood there and cried for as long as I could in a place where nobody could see me, unaware of the curious set of eyes creeping up on me from the wall behind me.
On that day, I was to consider myself an entity that brings nothing but ill omen to those around me.
But then, the sight of my mother showing me a smile that masked away her pain and grieve, gave me the strength to live on.
I picked up the luggage I had dropped down and dragged it in the mud as I threaded my path without a destination in mind.
.
*Bringggggg!!!*
The alarm clock went on for minutes, intruding on my beauty sleep as if to say; I won't stop if you don't give me what I want.
Damn!
I knew I was the one who set the timer to do that, but it hurts when it does what I want.
I sluggishly rose my body from the bed and planted my feet on the wooden floor.
A creaking sound was let out from the furniture I stepped on, a case that happened to be due to how old the building was.
I turned off the alarm and hurriedly moved into the bathroom that was to my left.
Getting in, I first went to the mirror fixed on the wall. I got in there and smiled brightly at it.
"My name is Raul, and this is my story".