falling in time

PART 10: THE nIGHT THE STORM HIT

It was probably around 7 in the evening when I got home. The rain was so strong that I couldn't clearly see our window. I knocked on the door as the water soaked into my whole body. Mom opened the door and she looked distressed.

"Aron, what happened to you? Youre so wet now. And the band-aid, what happened?"
"It's nothing mom I just tripped. By the way, dad did not pick me up mom. I don't know why."
"I don't know where your dad is right now."

Mom panicked frantically.

"Mom, please calm down for a while. I'm sure dad will be home by any minute now."

She went to the drawer and took some medicine pills. For a few minutes, she was able to calm herself. We sat at the sofa to wait for dad.

"Tell me mom, do you know something about dad?"
"What do you mean by something?"
"Okay, never mind. How about you? Having trouble at work right now?"
"Trouble? I've never been happier in my work now, Aron."
"Wait I thought"

I remembered that dad said mom was actually having troubles with her work this very night, which is why I tried to bring up that conversation to her. I was about to ask her more but
Mom and I saw someone in front of our doorsteps. It was dark outside so we werent able to see who it was. It was a dark figure wearing a hat and raincoat. The figure dropped an envelope outside. Then the figure ran towards his/her car. I tried to open the door but mom stopped me. We gazed at the car as it drove off away to our home.

"Who was that mom?"
"I dont know. But she dropped something."

Mom opened the door and grabbed the envelope. She opened it and saw a letter. Upon reading the contents of it, mom sobbed. I looked confusedly to her.

Then outside, a car came in front of our yard. It was dad. But as soon as she saw dad, mom held my arm tightly and carried me to my room. As soon as she put me in my room, she locked my door. I was stunned by the events that I wasnt able to think clearly.

Downstairs, the only things I heard were loud noises that I'm sure came from dad and mom. I heard their voices clashed. Meanwhile, I noticed a key in my room. I tried to open the door by using it but it failed. I have to find a way of not letting mom go, so I dug deep into my thoughts and thought of something that can help me, then enter the baseball bat. I picked it up quickly and tried to smash the door knob. That was a dumb move though. I was on my 11 year old body so clearly, I have no enough force to destroy it. I tried to think of something else. Then I saw my window. The window was a little bit higher than me, so I came up with a plan. I stood up in front of my bed and decided to use it as my slingshot while I held the baseball bat. With the right timing, I catapulted and smashed the bat to my window. The window broke and I was about to jump off, but someone called my phone, it was Ricky.

"Hello Ricky?"
"Hey Aron, how are you doing now? Did you come home safe?"
" Yeah Ricky, thanks by the way for everything you did today, I have something important to do now. See you tomorrow."
"I see. I just thought maybe you can join me and my family because were going to eat somewhere right."

I turned off the call and I wasnt able to reply to him. I jumped off and landed my back on our backyard. The plants and the rain helped in preventing a lot of pain to me. I stood up quickly and tried to stop mom but it was too late. She left our house already. I saw dad on the doorsteps, crying. I had no idea on what to do next.
Shit, I whispered to myself.