City of Levels

1: A Bad Morning

I reached the door outside the bathroom when-- "Mahalia! Are you awake? You're late!"

My mom's thin loud voice slapped my body down the floor where my bottom directly met the tiles.

It hurt my butt. The wet tiles are also screeching that I got an itch, "Sh*t," I mumbled annoyingly while I scratched.

I tried to stand up, but the floor was ice. My hands had to lean over the floor to support my knees, and they were also slipping. Until I gained my figure back on, I decided to skate on the floor and proceed to my closet that was just three feet away from me. My body slightly swayed for I almost slipped again. I realized there was too much water on the floor and there was no carpet everywhere. I cuddled then giggled myself again like a dog and just literally continued to skate on the floor to reach the closet.

"Mahalia! Are you even ready?" My mom shouted at the moment I was in the finish line, but gladly, I did not fall.

"Mom! Don't worry! I am almost done!" I fired back, sounding in the rudest way. It was a usual way to do with my mom.

In the closet, I pulled a thick fluffy towel that was above my height. Reaching it was hard that I pulled too angry which made everything fall including me. My butt even hurts now.

"F*ck." I whispered and frowned.

This is a bad day. Honestly.

The towels surrounded me that got me exhausted, so I decided not to move from my position and just gaze upon the blue ceiling that was covered with stickers of illuminated stars. Suddenly, some little images sinks in my head.

It was a sweet memory.

I raised my hand and pretended that I was touching the stars, making the sweet memory even clear in my head.

I suddenly remembered my dad.

~♡~

My dad used to carry me around and threw me above like I was a superhero flying. I would put the stickers above the ceiling whenever my dad did that, where my mom would look at the distance from the open door of my room, and chuckle at us and cheer. The laugh that I had during that very moment was just priceless and happy. That's a usual family bonding that I so missed honestly. Sometimes I wish I can turn back time and bring back my childhood. But, I simply can't.

Well, my dad's gone because of a car accident. I even remembered the time when he had his last moments from me.

~~~

He had a call for an emergency meeting from work. He was a scientist assigned in Level B City.

It was during the night when the rain drummed loudly. As a child, I had a bad feeling that I even got up from bed to stop him, but instead of listening to me, he only said these bittersweet words to me, "I will be back, I promise. I'll even buy you a pizza. Love you, kiddo!"

After giving that painful promise, he left a kiss on my forehead and just went out as he gave a smile and winked. I almost cried from worriness because my feelings stayed unsettled, so I waited for him to the point where I fought my heavy eyes just for him to come back. My mom put me on bed and tucked me into the blanket that eventually made me lose from my sleepiness, and sadly, I didn't realize that he never came back.

My mom got a hard time to tell me that dad was gone, so a month passed when she had to tell me. The terrible thing was when I didn't know that I attended my dad's funeral. I got really mad at her to the point where I slapped and even punched her as I wept like an insolent little baby. And until now that I'm a teenager, I still have a grudge inside my heart. So, my relationship with her is terrible and I don't know when I will forgive her. I want to fix everything because she is the only person I have with me and it will be even more painful if it's too late. I don't blame her for my father's death, but I just wished I got to say my own speech during my dad's funeral and eventually gave a proper goodbye. But, my mom never listened to me. She ignores my feelings and always scolds me. Another terrible thing is she tells me this: "You're just my daughter, so don't be full of yourself because when I am gone... you're nothing! Don't be like your father!"