Adwin used to look up to talented people like them, and he never imagined they would look down on him. I can't believe this could happen. Seeing my dear husband's dream get crashed by his fellow artists... I felt like my heart was broken into pieces.
"Help!" I screamed as I saw my husband's hand. I couldn't hear anything; I was dazed. All I can see is how Adwin is crying in pain. His hand was bleeding, and nobody dared to help us. "Y-your hand, Adwin!"
With my hands shaking, I helped him stand up. My knees felt weak, but I know he was weaker in that state. "Let's go, Adwin. It will be okay; please hang on." I couldn't recognize my voice. "Hang on, honey. It will be okay, it will be alright, I promise. We'll get out of here."
People started moving away from us. They were giving us a space to walk through. But they did not do that because they wanted to help. Instead, they moved away out of disgust. I felt Adwin's weight as I helped him walk. I don't know where I got the strength to help him walk; I was just so desperate to get out of this place. My vision was blurry, but I only focused on the venue's exit. It felt suffocating, and my ears kept ringing.
"A-amore," Adwin cried.
"Shh, please hang on," I said. "Walk, honey. I'll take you to the hospital and you'll get treated. Breathe? Okay? Breathe," I tried comforting him while we're walking towards the exit.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Alba. I..." he was sobbing.
I inhaled a huge amount of air as we reached the doorway. I stopped walking and glanced at our backs. Most of them started minding their own business as if they had not seen a brutal scene. Then some were watching us while grinning and laughing.
"What's the use of having talent when you have no compassion?! Everyone can be a painter, regardless of wealth! Regardless of power! Art exists to let the world know how greedy, heartless, and inhumane people like you are. You are all fucking disgusting!" I said on the top of my lungs.
There was another gunshot, but it hit the ceiling. The man who shot my husband walked through the crowd and stared at me with his bloodshot eyes and a tight grip on his gun. I slowly hid my husband behind me.
"Who gave an idiot like you the right to speak?" he asked.
"Freedom of speech is something that everyone has. Having more power and wealth does not make you superior and definitely does not give you the right to shut me up! I think you're more of an idiot than me," I gritted my teeth.
"Amore, let's get out of here," Adwin whispered.
"It looks like someone wants to get shot in the head. I'm giving you an opportunity to run as fast as you can. Or if you want, I'll shoot your husband's right hand."
I gripped my hand and glared at him. And when people speak up for themselves, they will use their power to silence them. What's worse is using someone's weakness to make them walk away. That's how cruel people here are.
"That's right, run. I'll make you feel what it's like to live in hell," I heard the man say, but I never looked back again.
I immediately called the taxi that I rode and helped Adwin get inside. I felt relief that he didn't leave the venue and waited for me.
"Where should I go? For heaven's sake! What happened to you? Are you alright?" the taxi driver exclaimed.
"To the nearest hospital, please! Drive faster!"
Adwin was rushed to the emergency room, and I was left standing behind a door. I saw his left hand as they went inside. It kills me that he had to experience that horrible... shot. It was so quiet at the moment, but my mind was so loud that it made me pass out.
When the man said he'd make us experience hell, he really proved it was true. Days after the traumatic event, Adwin was discharged. During those days, I stayed by his side, and this was my first time seeing him hopeless. It was also my first time being silent around him because I was still in shock.
It did not end there.
"What the hell! Where are our things?"
We opened the apartment, only to find out that all of our things were gone. It was completely empty.
"Amore, our money." Adwin checked the cabinet where we would always hide our cash. I felt cold as we tried to find anything. But we were left with nothing. "Who did this? Fuck!" He hit the wall with his hand.
I was panting while looking at Adwin's small gallery in our bedroom. His paintings are not here. "Your artworks are gone." I covered my mouth and cried. I couldn't understand why they had to do this.
"This is all my fault. This is all because I painted!" Adwin started cursing, shouting, and hitting the wall. That's all I could hear inside the apartment.
"It's their fault. The artists. Let's report them!" I said angrily.
"We can't report them, Alba!"
I frowned when he raised his voice at me. "That's not true! They hurt you, and now they stole our possessions. We have proof! They are the only people who could do such thing. Let's go to the police."
He held my arm tightly, making me stop leaving the house.
"They are wealthy and powerful, Alba. We can't fight them, and most of all, we can't report them. We're just commoners. Even if we have so much proof, they can just do anything to manipulate the truth," he said, looking down on the floor, and then his eyes met mine. "Let's just start from scratch again, Alba. I'll find a new job and quit painting. I won't paint again and get us in trouble. Okay?" He tried to smile at me.
"You're giving up that easily?" I scowled.
There was silence until we heard footsteps coming from the living room. The bedroom door was forced to open, revealing men in uniform holding their guns. Everything went so fast; Adwin got arrested, and I was silenced. It all happened in a glimpse.
"Where are you taking him?" I asked, crying. They dragged Adwin outside the apartment. "You're hurting him!" I screamed when I saw how they held his hand. He just got out of the hospital, and now the police are arresting him.
"He is now banned here in the North. We are bringing him to the East," a police officer said. He was saying more, but I couldn't hear him anymore. My eyes were fixated on Adwin. He's about to go inside the car, and I ran towards him.
"Adwin!" I cried.
He looked at me apologetically. "Amore, listen to me. Go to the person who I bought the house from. Ask for a refund, and use the money to go back to Italy. Thank you for coming with me here; I had a great time. It's your turn to reach your dreams now, amore." He kissed my forehead and went inside the car.
I was left standing on the street, watching them all leave. Adwin never did anything wrong, but they took him. This started me questioning what kind of island this was. A person's island of dreams turned out to be like this.
It was devastating, but I had to move. I can't stay here. I can no longer feel safe in this place! On the same day, I did what Adwin told me to do, and I was able to get a refund. I had nothing with me but this money that I got. I walked towards a ticket office.
I need to get out of this place.
"One ticket to the East, please."