Let Me Open Your Eyes

Chapter 5- Knowledge Is A Dangerous Weapon

{"Perhaps I don't deserve nice things 

                                                     because I am paying for sins I don't remember"}

The suitcase was by the door the next morning, sitting there in clear vision, letting me know that my parents never fixed their problems that caused one of those many arguments. My mother is sitting at the table, sipping her hot coffee in short and quick gulps. It must have been burning her throat but I saw no trace of pain in her blank eyes.

She sent me a smile and it was like I was young again, before the arguments and before the problems. Before my father got the job that took his time away from his wife and away from his daughter. Before they helped me learn that love doesn't last forever.

When I was around seven years old, I remember that we went to the park to feed the ducks. I had begged them to take me for weeks but it had been raining for weeks, flooding everywhere. They finally took me one day before school and I swung the loaf of white bread excitedly in my small hands, my parents laughing behind me as they tried to catch up. I had such a good time. But when I got to the last slice of bread, I was about to give it to the small frail duck in the corner of the pond that had been pushed away by all the other hungry ducks. But my father got a phone call from work and had to go in urgently. I begged him just to let me feed the last duck but he just started walking off, telling me that his work was too important. I dropped the last slice onto the pavement, forgetting about the ducks and felt my face drop. My mother tried to console me, promise me that we could go back the next morning. But I never wanted to feed the ducks again.

"Morning sweetie" she said softly and it was like she snapped out of her daze, wincing as she swallowed and took slower sips, blowing on the scalding hot liquid. It was almost as if she only just realized that it had been burning her throat.

"Paisley?" a low voice called and I turned around to see my father with two day stubble turning into a dark scruff around his jaw. He was dressed as sharp as usual in a navy blue smart suit but his tie was looser than normal and his shirt was slightly creased. Normally he would never go out of the house until he looked impeccable for the job that he seemed so proud of.

I stood up slowly and walked towards him with every step feeling like the next would make me fall off the edge of a cliff.

"Sweetheart, I'm going now..to s-sleep at the office hotel like your mother said" he said softly and glanced at my mother. She wouldn't look back at him. "But I'll be back..soon. When this extra work is dealt with."

He opened his arms for a hug and I fell into them and nodded against his chest, almost as if I believed what he was saying. Maybe I just wanted it to be true. I held him tighter when I felt his hands shake slightly around me.

He left that morning. And not just to go to catch up on extra work.

...

"Paisley honey, you're coming to the party tonight, right?" Aria, a friend, asked as she grabbed her bag from the desk at the end of the day. I shot her a confused look, about to shake my head when a hand clamps onto my bicep, fingernails denting my skin.

"Of course she is! Right, Paise?" Megan smiles at me and I nodded eagerly.

"Perfect! I'll pick you both up at eight! I just can't wait to get into my new car!" Aria squealed and I sent her a tight smile as she squeezed onto my wrist in excitement.

"See you then" Megan grinned and as I turned to walk away, she called my name once more. "Oh and Paisley? Don't be late. Don't worry, I'll be there every step of the way, I know what you can be like, remember?"