The sound of shouting felt like a thunderclap shattering the peace of the morning in Hana's house. This morning, like always, her parents were arguing, and Hana, sitting in the living room, knew that this argument wouldn't end peacefully. She was tired of hearing it, too used to witnessing this chaos.
"Why are you always like this, Dad? You never care about what I want!" Hana's mother, Diana, shouted, her voice filled with overflowing emotions. Hana recognized every tone, every word that left her mother's lips. Every sentence felt like it hid a veiled attack, words thrown in frustration from years of dissatisfaction.
"What did I do wrong? You always blame me, but you never see yourself!" her father, Arman, replied in a low, flat voice. He was always like that cold, indifferent, never making any effort to ease the situation. As usual, Hana found herself caught in the middle of the two. Her father, always distant and emotionless, and her mother, overly emotional and volatile. They never truly communicated, only fought and blamed each other.
Hana covered her ears with her hands, hoping to calm herself, but the noise the endless shouting still pierced through her mind. She was too familiar with this chaos. Every day, their arguments filled the house, a place that was supposed to be safe and comforting. Every day, Hana tried to mediate, to calm her parents, though it always ended in failure.
"Hana! Tell him! Tell your father I'm not wrong!" Diana shouted, approaching Hana with an angry expression. She grabbed Hana's hand firmly, forcing her to look her in the eyes.
"I don't know what to say, Mom. You both are always fighting. I'm tired," Hana replied quietly, trying to avoid her mother's intense gaze.
"Tired?" her mother sneered. "Tired? You're always looking for excuses not to get involved! Do you think we're not tired? Do you think we're not exhausted living like this?"
Hana stayed silent. Her mother's words only made her feel more unappreciated. She had tried her best to understand both her parents feelings, but no matter how much she tried, the arguments never stopped. Nothing ever changed. Hana felt like a ball tossed back and forth, never truly being cared for.
"I don't know what to do anymore, Hana! Nothing is ever enough for you. Nothing makes you happy!" Arman exclaimed, adding more fuel to the fire.
"Are you just going to keep accusing me?" Diana shot back, her voice filled with anxiety. "Don't you see how tired I am? Don't you care how I feel?"
Hana stood up, her steps heavy. Her mind felt like it was spinning. She had had enough of this. Every day felt like a burden weighing down on her soul. She couldn't stay here any longer, in this house filled with tension, where happiness seemed like an unreachable illusion.
"I can't live like this anymore," Hana whispered to herself, though her voice was almost inaudible.
Without waiting for a response from her parents, Hana walked toward the door the boundary between her chaotic home and the world outside. Every step she took felt heavy, but at the same time, a sense of relief began to grow in her heart.
"Hana, where are you going?" her father's voice called out, filled with concern.
"I… I need time alone, Dad. I need to get out of here," Hana replied in a voice she could barely hear herself.
"Are you just going to leave like this? After everything we've done for you?" Diana began to cry, but her tears no longer had the power to touch Hana's heart. There had been too many tears shed in this house, too much unspoken pain.
"I don't know, Mom," Hana replied, her voice trembling. "I just want to go… to find peace."
She walked out, closing the door behind her slowly. Yet, inside, she felt as if she was releasing a burden she had carried for too long. Hana knew she couldn't stay any longer in this house filled with noise and arguments. She decided to go far away, to a place where she could breathe freely, without the constant anxiety that haunted her.
Hana ran to her room, grabbed a small bag, and packed a few essentials. Without giving any further explanation, she left, though her heart felt empty, and confusion gnawed at her. She knew what she had to do, even though she didn't know what would happen next. She just wanted to go to Bali, a place she had long dreamed of, to escape all this chaos and find the peace she had never known at home.
With quick steps, Hana headed toward the airport, not knowing what awaited her there, but one thing was certain her life was about to change.