Bab 25: Why Do We Suffer?

She held her hands up in the air. "I did not think that but now that you mention it, it is a possibility. You know my home too. It is totally possible for you to stalk me until here."

"What will you do if I 'am' stalking you?" Ilyan crossed his hands to his chest, curiously waiting for her answer.

Irene was pretending to think when Effie returned. She did hear Ilyan's question from the bit of distance that she was at.

"Who is stalking whom?" Effie asked.

"Nobody. He is just kidding," Irene spoke, her eyes involuntarily went to Ilyan who was standing there with his eyes crinkled and a sweet smile playing on his lips.

Telling Effie that they should get going, Irene mumbled a couple of more words in gratitude to Ilyan for helping her out yet again. He reciprocated with his usual smile. Just when they were about to leave, Irene recollected about the pastries that she was supposed to make for him as the token of gratitude.

She could not comprehend the way his eyes twinkled upon her question - why he did not message her - as if they held a secret in them but did they really? She was not sure but all of a sudden, for reasons unknown to her, she had a fleeting feeling that behind the semblance of innocence, Ilyan was someone different. Different in a good way. Different in a way that intrigued her, unconsciously wanting to explore more about him.

He had forgotten to message her, he told her and she found herself readily accepting though a part of her wondered if he really forgot about it or did not want to share his number with her which did sound fair to her.

Giving in to that thought, she apprised him not to call or message her. Pointing at the cafe that he had told he was at, she let him know that she would meet him there. "I don't have any classes tomorrow. Would you be free enough to show up?"

"Why not? I can be anywhere at any time for pastries."

His childlike enthusiasm instantly left her face brightened.

"How is your friend, Angel?" Irene went up to Melissa to give her a hug and sat with her, listening to Melissa about her friend.

"She is better but it is bad. She told me that she fell off the stairs but I am not convinced. Neither is the doctor. The doctor found her wrist broken, scars on her back... bites on her neck... that are… erm… awful -"

"And you suspect it to be domestic violence and sexual abuse." Irene completed what Melissa was finding trouble to voice out but as Irene did that for her, she only nodded positively at her.

Melissa's head fell back on the couch, heaving an exasperated sigh. "It doesn't matter how progressive the society gets, it doesn't matter if we are in the 21st century or 31st... doesn't matter that a whole lot of people believe that women have as equal rights as men… women still suffer as awfully as they did earlier. Sure, the number may have reduced but there are still a lot, like a lot of women who are everyday abused, raped, and killed. Abuses, rapes, and murders… we are familiar with these words but the suffering goes beyond these words. Dominance is never-ending."

Melissa's eyes were numb. She could neither close them to take a moment of relief because if she did, she would recall her friend's horrific injuries nor keep them open to the harsh nightmarish reality of women regardless of what time they were from.

Irene shifted on her place to get closer to Melissa. She wrapped her arms around her stiffened body.

"Why do we suffer? Doesn't matter if you are 5 or 50, you get raped. You get into a relationship, and your boyfriend backs out when you are pregnant… he gets away easily with it but you are left to deal with the constant shaming and taunts from society. Someone wants you but you do not want them… and you are attacked by acid. Say no to someone and you get kidnapped, tortured, and killed. Them. Them. Them. It's always about them. What do we say? Women should learn self-defense. Why do we not say that men should learn that women are not objects and toys to play with? I mean, really. Assume Irene, that you know the self-defense and you are even brilliant at it… but still, can you fight them if there are 10-20 of them together? What can you really do if they use something to drug and sedate you without your realization? Nothing."

Irene felt her skin crawl as Melissa's words painted the exact scene in her mind. Her throat went dry by the mere imagination. When she was not able to bear the mere thought, she did not know what the victims went through and continue to go through. Her hug tightened and Melissa patted her cheek.

"People live in this bubble where they think that things have been changed for women when they do not see any instances around them." Melissa let out a bitter chuckle, as she poured her heart out in front of Irene that day.

She had been through it as well. She had fallen for her classmate when she was nineteen. He had beautifully reciprocated her feelings. In fact, he had been the first one to take the initiative. Melissa had been on cloud nine when he had proposed to her. Her naive heart had dreamed forever with him but her dreams had shattered when one day, he disappeared, abandoning her by leaving just a note for her that said even though he loved her, he could not be with her.

What an easy escape he had chosen! It had taken Melissa years to come in terms with the fact that he was gone to never come back. She had been single ever since.

It was not that she did not try. She did try very hard but she just could not look at any man the way she looked at him. She didn't even know why he left. The least he could have done was to tell her what it was. Years. She had been living for years with no clarity of why the man she loved more than her life could not be with her. And living the way she was living… sucked.

PERTIMBANGAN PENCIPTA
LostInFictions

Writing this chapter has left me with a heavy feeling in the heart. I don't have anything to say today.

We are facing a power outage here. I would not be able to write three more if power did not return because my laptop doesn't have enough battery. In that case, they will be updated tomorrow.

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