For those who hide their tears with a smile.
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Behind the Smile
written by Moonlightfairy
"Nobody knows that she's a lonely girl and it's a lonely world." – Alicia Keys
It's the usual morning alone. She gets up on her bed and straight into the bathroom. She didn't bother to take a breakfast. Her dad is out early in the morning to, uhm, meet a girl he'd been texting for a week. Another flavour of the month, I guess.
She looked at the calendar and realizes something. Suddenly, she feels excited.
"I wonder how many of them would greet me," she said while smiling.
She went to the living room and was shocked to see that her dad's there, busy reading a newspaper. Her smile widens.
"Hmm, seems like he remembers and would be the first one to greet me."
She walks towards her father and greet him a good morning.
"Good morning too," he responded without even bothering to look at her, still busy scanning the newspaper.
"Uhm, dad?" she called.
"Hmm?"
"Aren't you..." she doesn't know how to say it. "Aren't you uhm..."
"Taking my breakfast?" he continued.
"No dad, uhm..." she just wants to ask if her dad is remembering "something".
"Then what?" her father asked irritably.
By that, her tongue seems to pull back more.
"Nevermind dad, I gotta go to school. Bye dad," she fakes a smile pretending she's not hurt.
And slowly, she turns her back and walks away from the man she thought would remember her most special day, the day she first breathe in the world. A tear fell from her eye, but she wiped it immediately. Instead, she smiles as if nothing had just happened.
"Uhm, Alison?"
She suddenly stops when she heard her dad called. She composed herself and plastered a smile on her face before she faces him again.
"Yes dad?" she asked, hoping that he finally remembers it.
"My daughter, can I ask you a favour?"
She felt happy on what she'd heard, though she didn't hear the one she's expecting to hear... this was the first time her dad asked her for a favour, "Sure dad, what's that?"
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"Can you not go home tonight? My girl wants to sleep here, and you know, our house is not that big and she wants to be alone with me. Can you grant her wish and go somewhere else until tomorrow morning?"
Her shoulders fell down; feeling disappointed and thinking what the hell is this? First, he didn't even remember and greet her on her birthday. Then, he wants her to be out of the house the whole night knowing she has no other relatives she can stay in the city.
Again, she fakes a smile and nodded, "Sure dad."
"Thanks, and oh by the way, this is your additional allowance. I'm sure you would need this," he said handing her some bills of money.
"No dad, I'm good with my allowance here. Thanks by the way. Goodbye, dad," for the second time, she turned her back on him. And this moment, tears came running down her cheeks. She didn't bother to wipe them now, knowing that they would come and come every time.
