Hurt

HOME SWEET PARADISE

Doctor told her that she had acute anemia and she needed a long and peaceful rest. Bette was sent back to Sunny Side to have the much needed rest. She started to get better there and it was around the time when Carrie went back home to announced that she was getting married. It was a shock and poor old Elda was very upset about it but nevertheless the wedding was carried on and off Carrie back to the city with her husband to start her own married life. And that left Elda and Bette in the big house, caring for each other.

By the time Bette was healthy enough to gone back to college, Elda had a stroke. It was pretty bad and Bette didn't dare to leave her aunt all by herself instead she stayed and cared for her and never again dreaming about going back to college. She took over all the domestic and the financial affair of Sunny Side.

Once again life moved on around her but she was still stuck in time, taking care of others more than she took care of herself. She never had any courting, she has never knew any man, and she didn't go out much. Her time was spent to take care her old aunt and all the estates that the woman have.

This breakfast would be the first time she ever broke her habit and went on to a mysterious adventure with a charming man. This moment made her feel refresh, like when you wash your face with cold water in a hot day, so, refreshing and eye opening.

Bette found herself catching up with life once more and realized how much she had missed out on the outside world. She realized now how lonely her life had been all this time. She longed to be loved, to be touched and most of all to be kissed.

Was she dare hoped to have all those new dreams of love with George?

"Sweet Bette," the touched of George's warm hand on hers woke her up from her own thoughts.

Bette had finished her story and went on gazing on the horizon, forming up a new, daring dream of love.

"Sorry," said Bette, "I got carried away in my thoughts."

"Tell you what," George smiled at her, "why don't we go to Beer to visit your old house?"

"What? Beer is quite far from here and anyway I don't think the house would still be there. I sold the house years ago."

"You said it yourself that you wished to see the house yourself. Why don't we go and check it out." Said George and took Bette by the hand, led her gently back to the car for a journey back to the past. "We got all day, Bette."

The trip took about 5 hours' drive but they thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. They would stopped at a stunning cliff or meadow and took a picture from George's Polaroid then went back to the car and continued their journey. Bette couldn't believe that this day just turned out to be the best day she ever had in all her life.

They arrived at lunch time in Bette's old neighborhood and decided to have lunch before they proceeded to Bette's old house.

After all these years, to came back and to saw the cafe she used to work after school brought back all the memories, there was this pang of sadness inside of her, reminding her how bad life was before but at the same time it was a joy as well because she got her mother with her. How she missed her mother terribly.

The cafe itself didn't change a bit, only several degradation of colors but all and all still the same. Bette learn that Mr. Edwards who owned the cafe had passed away years ago and now his son took over the diner. The food though tasted just the same as Bette always remembered it.

After a quick but satisfying lunch they proceeded to drive. First, the road was fine but then it got rocky and muddy. Finally, the car stopped in front of the small passage way covered with ivy, tall grass and wild flowers. The trees grew dense that the end of the passage wasn't visible, it was only darkness.

Bette felt tears rolling down her eyes. This was the small passage way that she had always knew all her life, this was the way to her home. She could see herself in her patchy dress, little Bette walked down this passage way and picked wild flowers for her mother because last night her mother had been beaten up.

George gently held Bette's hand, "I got you."

They went through the bushes and as they walked hand in hand, a small, crooked, dilapidated house appeared -- it was Bette's old house -- just the way she left it years ago.

The sound of the waves in the background reminded her of her mother.

"My house!" exclaimed her with awe. "It's still here, George!"

They were both excited and rushed towards the house that looked very much abandoned. Bette carefully approached the veranda, the chair that her mother died in was still there, she touched it and warm tears escaped her green eyes. She moved towards the front door and noticed that the door was withered away. One big push and it broke.

The inside of the house was still the same as Bette had remembered it; the drawing on the wall, the dry flowers on the vas, it were all still there, untouched. Nobody ever lived here after Bette sold it and she somewhat felt grateful about it because now as she roamed the house she felt like she was transported back to the past.

Bette showed George around the house; the small veggie garden now infested with tall grass, the kitchen with a hole on top of the dining table, the small backyard flower bed now was more like wild, entangled flowers. Then they went to the small boardwalk in front of the house and noticed that Simon's boat was still there, swayed as the waves caressed it. They walked carefully in the boardwalk, hoping that the woods that made the boardwalk weren't rot and could withstand their weight. They saw the boat had rot, they didn't dare to got on it. But still they enjoy the view of the boat, it was the view of the past.

"Thank you for this trip, George." Said Bette.

They were sitting in the boardwalk with their feet drown in warm, sea water below.

"You have making me happy, the happiest than I ever been all my life. You have swept me away, out of my daily life and showed me the magic and bring me back in the past, the place that I longed to see one last time."

George cupped her face with his hand and slowly moving closer to her, closer that he could feel her warm breath, he closed his eyes and kissed her.

It felt magical.