The Misadventures of Karina and Daemon

O b s cu r r e d (D)

I bring my eyes back to Karina. All the while Sam's talking, I intermittently look Karina to gauge her reaction. She flinch a lot. And she gave me a sympathetic look.

"That's not true." Mum said seething.

"Claudia you are demented. Who are you to say what's true and what's not true?" Samantha snorts.

"Ethan, I mean, Daemon, is not force to take this vocation. This is his calling." Mum said in a weird tone while grinning. A shiver run down my spine.

"No mum. You only inculcated that in his brain. You can't get over Ethan's death. You still considered him alive through Daemon's. And you keep pulling him back to Ethan's death so he'll blame himself over and over again!" the fire in Samantha's eyes is back.

My blood pressure is rising. The rapid rise and fall of Karina's chest makes me squirm inside. Mark holds her hand because he's trying to pull him back from this scenario. She's throwing a dagger look to my mum. "Samantha stop this please." I beg.

She shot me a contrite look. "No Dee.. You need to know this."

"No woman. Eth--', mum shakes her head, 'Daemon, Daemon is old enough if what you're saying is true? Don't you think? When will you accept that? Are you saying he's stupid?"

Samantha walks towards my suitcases and haul one on the bed. She opens it and rummage through it. Then she stops and retrieve something. I try to catch my breath. She's holding my Lego box.

"This! What about this mum?"

"That's Daemon's. They bought it."

"No. You destroyed the one they bought that night. You destroyed it to pieces in your anguish and resentment." I bite the inside of my cheeks. I move my legs toward her.

"Sam.." my voice is hoarse.

"But you bought him again. To remind him, every fucking day of his life that because of that goddamn Lego, Ethan died!"

"Samantha!" Linda wailed.

Linda walks past Karina and Mark and run to Sam. "Sam let's go."

"No Linda. This has to end."

I face Sam with a distorted face. "Sam, I know." My voice is quivering. "I know Sam. Everything."

"What?" she shot me a confuse look.

"I--I know what mum did when I'm in coma', I swallow hard before continuing, 'I have read Linda's journal in your room 3 years ago.

Linda gasps.

"But I didn't know about the Lego." I look at my mum.

"Ethan, I mean Daemon, I bought it as a present. Not what this girl is saying." My heart breaks for how my mum address my sister. But Sam seems used to it. She just snorted. Then face me.

"You hypocrite, what present? You don't love him. And you're using the love she longed from you to pin him in a place where you want Ethan would be."

"That's not true. Daemon, I love you. And you know that." mum look contrite. I nod. I feel like my heart is caressed.

"Yes mum. I know." I said smiling

"Dee.." Sam whispers desperately.

"Baby, come with me. We're going back to AA." mum cajoled.

"Yes mum."

"Dee.." I hear Samantha says between sobs

"Woman, it's all right. And please stop setting my son up to any woman." she finish looking at Karina derisively. Karina slowly back away looking at Sam in disbelief.

Oh God.

"Karina.. I don't--' Sam tries to reach for her but she had swiftly disappear from the door. I hear her running away and crying. I slump in the bed and bury my face in my palm. This is excruciating. My chest is being squeeze again.

"Dee.." Samantha walks toward me

"I need to be alone Sam." She heave a deep breath, back away and slowly walk to the door. Mark held her. Linda hold mum's arm and bring her outside. The door close. The room is quiet. I break down into a silent cry as my heart completely bring itself into shards. 1 month and 9 days ago, my life is absolutely nonchalant and composed. I was relaxing in the recliner under the coconut shade when I saw her. Out of all the woman lying in the sand face down, my gaze stop at her. I just gaze at her flipping her phone and looking blankly in a distant. I should have known that my second encounter with her would put me in this gauntlet. I must admit, I felt a sense of unexplained gladness when I saw her once again. And when I saw her traversing my entire built, I got uneasy and offer a conversation.

All the while I thought it was just certain gladness for a friendly companion. She seems alone in this beautiful island, and maybe I just got little, no, maybe over sympathetic, then I stumbled in the trap of fate.

And Samantha saw it before I even felt it. Then she started the ball rolling.

Why do I feel like we are being played upon? I haven't braced myself for the influx of unwelcome emotions. I wish God would just give us a sign when to repel ourselves the first time. Because it's too dangerous. 'Cause why He made us fall in love with each other when He knows it's impossible! I hate to say this. Or even feel this. But I resent this particular act of Him.

I don't understand. I just don't understand.

NY5