Bab 8: 7. ONE WRONG STEP- THE PAST
It was her tenth birthday. Her mansion was decorated with pink ribbons. Even her cake is strawberry-flavored. Everyone wore pink-colored outfits for the celebrations.
"Why pink?" Jela asked her mom. "Why not blue or black? Last year, you decorated our whole house with blue and black balloons for Hunter's birthday. Why didn't he get pink outfits? Why me?" She questioned her.
"Because he is a boy and you are a girl. Now shut up and wear this."
"But I want the dress uncle Sean bought."
"No, you look fat in that gown. Wear this," Her mom ordered, handing her a light pink colored dress.
"Is it a crime to look fat?" Jela questioned again.
Her mom sighed in frustration, "Leo, will you please explain to her why she has to wear this?" She called out for her husband.
Leo simply nodded his head and threw the dress to Jela, "Wear it," he said, and she obeyed it.
She always thought her father was a little mean and distant to her. She tried her best to impress him. She would listen to whatever he said, and still, Leo never acknowledged her efforts. But she would do what it takes if it makes him as close as he was to her other siblings. So she put on the dress she didn't like because her father said so.
Hayden, her eldest brother, was her best friend, then uncle Sean. They always supported her. They made life easy. She waited for her uncle while mom attended to the guests.
Hunter is her other brother. He is two years younger than Hayden and three years elder than her.
"Aren't you happy?" He asked her when she saw her pouting.
Jela shook her head, "She won't let me wear my favorite dress. But she gave it to Violet. She always does that. Do you think she hates me? I do. Because you all have such wonderful names, but then named me Jela. Dad always listens to you all. But he never listens to me at all."
She thought of the day before yesterday when she tried to tell him what happened at school, but her father dismissed her, saying that he was busy. At the dining table, he asked Violet about her school and if she had any troubles but never glanced at Jela.
"It's because father suffered a lot when you were born. That's why you were named Jela." Hunter replied casually while eating his ice cream.
Her eyes became teary at his words. "That's not true." She whispered.
"It is. Do you know what your name meant? It meant Father Suffered During Birth." He explained.
"Enough, Hunter. Don't let me hit you, now. Leave." Hayden who had just arrived ordered him.
Once Hunter left them, he walked to her sister, taking her face in his hands. He wiped her tears with his thumb, "He is just joking." He assured. For a boy of fifteen years old, Hayden was more mature and gentle.
"But he is telling the truth. Father told me that he suffered a lot because of me."
"He told that when he was drunk. Don't mind him. Do you know what happens when people get drunk?" He asked her.
Jela shook her head innocently.
"They become weak, and they get possessed by a ghost. Don't go near him when he was drunk, okay?"
"Why do they get drunk if ghosts possess them?" She questioned him.
"Because.." Hayden searched for words for a brief moment before he thought of what he had to say. "Because it makes you numb. When dad feels hurt, then he drinks, then he gets possessed by ghosts to feel numb."
"But, he named me Jela. You all have such a nice name."
"Dad named you because he loved the way it sounds. J E L A. Isn't that sound wonderful?"
"But.."
"Jela, it's high time. It's your birthday, let's go to the party." He cut her off politely.
"Do you think there will be people who are possessed by ghosts out there?" She questioned him again.
"Of course not." He replied with a smile, and they both went to cut the cake.
*
That birthday was a disaster. She accidentally crashed into a man making him spill his beer on his very expensive suit.
"You are possessed," She said when she saw the drink in his hand and ran back to her parents.
Everyone looked at her strangely. His father tried his best to reduce the awkwardness.
"Don't go towards him. He is possessed, dad." She told her dad when he was trying to clean the stains of the man's suit. He is the person whom his dad is trying to get into business with.
"Stupid girl," People thought to themselves.
Somehow, the party resumed when Hayden was involved and cleared the mess. But her father became very angry at her. She knows that he will lash out once it's all over. She was afraid to death of what he could do. Mostly, she felt ashamed for not living up to her father's standards. So she threw a tantrum to leave with her uncle. It's the safest option she had. Uncle Sean was very happy to take her.
"She is so afraid," He said to her dad. "You have been doing nothing but body shaming. God, she doesn't deserve this. She has been doing well in everything just to impress you and look what you were doing. You act like she doesn't exist at all. It's not her fault she crashed into your valuable client. It's not her fault that you lost everything you had when she was born. Jesus, Leo. Wake up. I am taking her with me for a while." Sean snapped at her father without a pause and held her little hand.
No one objected to him when he took her to his car and made her sit in.
Whenever she looked back on that day, she wished that her father had stopped her from taking that one wrong step. He could have realized that she didn't talk a lot because she is a troubled kid, it's just because she was curious about everything. He should have realized that she followed him everywhere not because she wanted to disturb him, it's just because she wanted to spend time with her dad. He should have known. He shouldn't have scared her to the point where she needed the urge to escape from her own father because she did something stupid at the age of ten.
*
Everyone stared at the boy when his mom took him out for a walk.
"Aww," A woman said, "He has such lovely eyes."
Her mom smiled at the boy, "I know."
"What's his name?" The woman asked, looking at the boy intently.
"Sebastian," His mom replied.
"How old is he?" The woman questioned her again.
"He is four."
"I think I should cover you, Sebastian. People won't stop staring at you."
The boy giggled at her words. He held his mom's fingers and looked at everything curiously.
His mom looked different today. She dyed her black hair. It's now grey in color. After being locked in the house for months, she took him out for a walk. He was enjoying it.
"Will dad come to pick us up?" He questioned.
His mom shook her head. "He won't, sweety. We will go to him."
He nodded his head. She bought him, his favorite ice cream. She gave him cookies. She bought many chocolates. He loved that day. He wished every day was like that. Sitting in a house surrounded by men with toy guns is really boring.
When they were walking, one of his shoelaces got untied. His mom made him sit on a roadside bench and tied his lace. She cupped his face, "Sit here." She told him. "I will just come in a minute."
Even though he was terrified to be alone, he nodded his head. Her mom smiled at him. It was not her usual broad smile. It was different. It was autumn. As the maple leaves fall down, he tried to catch them with his little hands.
He finished the ice cream his mom bought. Then he started to eat the chocolates. People stared at him strangely when they passed him. Minute has become an hour. He felt uneasy to be left alone like that.
"Mom," He called towards the way she was gone.
"Mom,"
He kept calling her and went down the street to search for her. It became dark soon and he cried for hours, sitting under a tree. His mom never came back. He wished he could go back to his house. He wished for his dad to miraculously find him. He dreamt of his room, his bed, and his maids. He wished he had never come out.
After so many hours of crying, he fell into a slumber, wrapping his hands around himself. It was a honk of a van that woke him up.
A man in a shabby suit stepped out of the van, "Who are you?" He asked the little boy.
The boy blinked nervously, "Sebastian." He answered.
"Where are your parents?" The man asked.
"Mom.." He stuttered. "She said she would come back in a minute." He tried to say. But he didn't come out as he expected.
He could't speak clearly yet. He had a lot to learn. But the man tried his best to understand the boy.
"Ah..," The man said as if it wasn't the first time he saw a kid like that, "I get it."
"You, hungry, lad?" He questioned him.
The boy nodded his head. He remembered his mom's words- Don't take anything from strangers. But he is too hungry to mind them then.
The man gave him a loaf of bread, "This should be enough for now. There are cruel men out here. You shouldn't be alone."
That man seemed good. The little boy chewed on the bread quickly.
He heard a siren, coming their way.
"They came again." The man sighed.
"Who?" The boy questioned.
"The cruel men. I am leaving. You should leave too." The man replied.
"But my mom.."
The man sat on his knees and held the boy's shoulders, "Your mom left you, Sebastian. And there are dangerous men roaming around the city. Do you want to stay here or do you want to come with me?"
And the little boy took the decision that changed his life forever. If he hadn't taken that wrong step, the police could have taken him to his father. But it was too late to realize it.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone