Their Treasure

7. The Beginning of Disaster

Just joking? his plea didn't sound like joking at all.

"What's wrong with you? please tell me. You've always been a good listener and helped me many times with my problems. This time I want to return the favor." He always hide all his problems in front of me and Mel. Even though we could see clearly when he's hiding something. And this happened a lot. We were eager to help him, but he never opened up. He always masked everything.

Could he ever stop pretending to be strong? he always advised me not to hoard all the problems I experienced alone, to always shed all the negative emotions I felt so that they didn't pile up in my mind.

Why can't he adhere to his own advice?

He smiled faintly, "I'm totally fine. Sorry to make you worried." He ruffled my hair. He may say he is fine, but the way he acted earlier is really the opposite of 'totally fine'.

"Are you sure? come on, just once. Just once, let me help you," I begged him.

"I'm fine really. Lately I played too many games and didn't get enough sleep. It started to mess up my mind and affected the way I acted. I'm sorry I made such a fuss."

"Are you sure that's all? Nothing really happened?" I tried to get him to let out an inch of his pent-up lumps of problems or made him at least felt relieved. But it was extremely difficult to take off his shield.

"A hundred percent. All I need is to sleep better. And so do you, stop staying up all night to watch animes. Tomorrow is new academic year. Your first day to be a senior. You've got to keep your spirits up, okay?" he was trying to convince me.

I can't force him to open up if he doesn't want to. We have known each other and trained together for years, yet he still doesn't want to open up with me. Even though he knows all about me. 

What am I to him?

Sadness and disappointment began to fill my heart. We're this close, yet he still refuse to open up to me.

At this rate, at least I can still cheer him up with one thing.

"Okay, see you tomorrow. I will show you a series that I just finished binge watching. I will go to your place immediately after school ends, okay?"

He smiled then nodded. "Okay."

Oh how wrong I was.

What I said the day before never happened. When I went to his house the following day, it was already empty and all the residents had moved somewhere. I and Mel tried to contact him in various ways, but nothing worked.

We tried to dig some information by visiting his closest neighbors, but they didn't know anything. No one knew about his departure, as if he's just gone without a trace. Even Mel had asked her father for help, but it didn't work out. There wasn't a single trace left by Cal that we can delve to find out.

Did it have something to do with yesterday event? Was I the cause of his leaving?

Enough with the nostalgia! Or I will cry again. I got tired of crying over him since he left months ago.

If I told Melisha, what would be her reaction? would she be mad at me? Would she leave me too knowing I caused the person she has huge crush on to leave without saying goodbye?

[Ma... I'm staying at Melisha's home while you're not home.]

Delivered 20:25

[I put the key in the usual place]

Delivered 20:25

After we are done watching, I intended to stay at Mel's house until Mom comes home. I walked home to get clothes. But somehow, my sense is tingling.

Sure enough, when I got to the front of the house, the door was wide open. This is unusual because mama always locked all house holes. She's really such a vigilant woman, it was impossible to leave the door open that wide. That's if, she had come home.

"Ma?" No answer.

"Ma?!" still no answer.

Is she home yet? if she hasn't come home, then who opened the door? the wind blew hard sending shivers all over my body.

I entered the house, and checked the door that I locked earlier thoroughly. There was a hole the size of a thumb beneath the door handle that pierced the door frame. I can peek inside the house through that hole.

I immediately entered the house, are there thieves? but all the furnitures were still in their respective places. Not a single thing was missing.

I looked around. There was nothing fell or scattered on the floor, everything was still in its original place. This meant that no one came to attack mama. If, she has come home. I feel a little relieved.

Then who opened the door?

"Mama?" I called her again. Please answer, or do anything. Anything that indicates that you are home.

I kept walking so fast until my leg accidentally kicked something on the floor. It's quite heavy and it hurt my thumb. I squinted to see in minimal lighting because I only turned on one lamp in the living room. It had sparkling silver colour reflected off a little light of its surface, my eyes widened after able to see clearly what it was. A gun.

There's no way it belongs to mama. And it is even more impossible for me to own it. Then who? My heart was beating wildly, I got goose bumps. Cold sweat started to wet my forehead and neck.

I saw Mom's room which was open, strange. I remember I closed the door before I went to Mel's house. My heart felt like it was about to jump out of my chest, I took my steps slowly until I arrived at her room. Has anyone tried to steal something in Mom's room? is she okay?

I was completely shocked by the sight that was presented to my eyes.  I regretted that I got home at night. I wish I was still in Mel's room right now, laughing at the comedy series we watched on television. It never crossed my mind that this day would happen. I blinked many times to make sure that what I saw was not my hallucination.

I saw her.

Finally she came home. But far beyond my expectations, her return was different from usual.

I was completely unprepared to see what was in front of me. I hoped it was just a dream. My whole body was shaking, suddenly my head was dizzy, my stomach was churning. I felt like throwing up. I shut my mouth to contain the nausea that was getting worse. My cheeks were wet with tears that can't be held back. But I can't jump to conclusions. Not yet.

Calm yourself Alessandra! this is not necessarily reality, right? right. I still have to make sure I am currently dreaming or not, because who knows all this is just my hallucination. I approached my mom, got on the bed and tried to tap her back with my index finger. But there was no response.

"Ma?" my lips trembled even more. My breath is getting choked up because I started sobbing.

When denial took full control of logic, I felt like an idiot. I should have realized that whatever I did, how hard I tried, how loud I screamed, she wouldn't hug me, or stroke my shoulders and my back while apologizing for leaving me alone—things she used to do when she didn't come home for more than a day.

I looked down, her floating legs which were covered by the edge of the bed couldn't be seen from the doorway. Then I looked over her head.

Realization hit me like a bus. What I was terrified of came true. My small cries turned into a hysterical one, and the sound of my sobbing filled throughout the house. I saw a man who lived next to my house already stood in the doorway of Mom's room. He covered his mouth with his hand as he saw the scene that was happening right before his eyes:

I, who was burying my face on Mama's shoulders while hugging her body that was hanging in her room.

A/N: Please let me know if there's any grammar mistake, thank you!💕

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