Chapter 2

Soon as I enter the house, I found dad slumped heavily on the couch. Watching at the flickering television, while swirling a can of beer on one of his hand,

"You're not allowed to visit your grandma, next morning," he said,

as I came closer to him.

"But dad" I said

Then he made a short sharp clicking quick clicking noises of tst tst tst tst…

Of course, as an obvious sign of disapproval.

"You know," he said as he fixed his slumping, almost lying to position into a straight back.

"Aren't you afraid that might just happen on you, too?" His voice rising in exasperation.

"I'm just concerned, you know. Staying at home would be the safest place for you" he continued.

"But... Dad!" I insisted,

"Just follow me! my instructions, I'm your father, and you should follow in my order. Understood?" He boomed,

And that completely made me silent.

And before I'd entered my room, I heard him say, "take your meal first. Before I drop you to school" and with that, I've packed up my bag and took my breakfast.

***************

A big fat women, with an eye glasses, and holding a book entered the room. Our teacher in Subject of Moral. She'll then let us, one by one stood in the front and then talk about our family, which made me a little nervous.

I'd take a sit behind, at the last row, and discussion had started at the front, in which it took a little while before its my turn. I watched each by one as they stood there in front , had a brief discussion about themselves and their beloved families, a single person last for five minutes, and I wonder how much confidence do these kids have in order to say all of that without even stammering. And then a girl in a glass, with a braided long hair that reached near her waist, stood up from her seat from the row just before my row came next. She wore a complete white dress, she went shyly at the front, stood awkwardly, at the center of the isle.

The first thing I'd noticed was her freckles on her cheeks that went up to the bridge of her nose. She hardly face toward us. Shed kept her eyes down on the floor, had her head a little bent downward.

"So tell us about your family. Who are they… what they do," some sort of things like that, Ms. Mccrel said. The girl with freckles seemed hesitant to start the talk, so she took a long few shots of looks on us, then bending down again her head, and then looking at ms. Mccarel that stood beside her and that would gave her an encouraging wide smile and nod at her. And then she finally had enough courage to face us, though her eyelids flicker nervously, she starts speaking.

"Uhmm… my mom, Isabelle. She's working as a…. Department's manager assistant. But she's weren't here anymore. Be-because shed just passed away last month…" the girl started getting emotional. Her pale cheeks glow red. "Continue," ms. Mccarel said.

"Ihmm…. I guess I just missed her so much, all the things she has done. I was thankful for that" She seems like bursting out at any moment, but consciously controlling herself, only letting out a few drops of tears which shed wipe away with her finger,

" I'm just missing her so much, it felt a little different without her…" before she even finish her sentence, a boy from the front row interrupt her,

"Did you miss your mom, because you didn't know how to change your diaper, or… or because no one is going to make milk for you?"

Children began to laugh. And then the freckle girl casted him a death stare, disrespecting her mother was something she could hardly let pass in. But the boy just laugh along with the others.

"Mr. Simon!" Mrs. Mccarel boomed."is that the right thing to say?' Her face crumpled. But still the young boy, even had stopped from laughing, still paid no attention. Then a girl behind her said: "Aren't you afraid that her ghost will haunt you at your dreams" the boy spun around to face her and just shrugged off. The girl rolled her eyes and shook her head.

And when the braided freckled face girl finish her speech, it'll took three more students before its my turn. And when they all got finish, it was finally my turn.

I got to my feet and walked down the aisle that parted the classroom chairs into two columns, in a short distance, I came at the front. Facing the crowd, flash my sweetest smile and pried off my red hood from my head.

"I like your jacket " ms. mcarrel said, "its my favorite color. Red"

"Thank you…. " I said,

trying to be calm as possible. I thought for a few seconds that saying those few words in the first few minutes of standing here was a huge accomplishment, keeping up my smile, even though I felt them becoming awkward, but stay still. My goal for this moment is, no stuttering. My speech, my life… even though they weren't. I don't want to look weak just like the girl, that wiping some more tears in her eyes, sat inches at the front. Perhaps I'll just fake it. Everything, just like what I'm doing here at the front, this smiling.

"So please, tell us about your father & mother" the teacher said.

"Well my dad, he's a retired soldier and now he's managing his own store guns at the town" and just as I said that, I could see some faces arrested at awe, tickling their interest, And then I continue " And him, being as a father, he was my hero just like what he always did in his job", But when I began at that part I start to sound a little bit off, pauses for a few seconds, then went back on speaking again, "yeah… uh-- he's really a good father to me

And as I said all of those, I felt a little bad for myself, I began to frown. Lying to make sure people believe your okay, I paused. Then thought for a few seconds how has my life been. I pound on my mind, the questions of why? Why do I have to do these, like this- here at the front. Then ms. mcarrel, in her concern for me, being a lifeless mannequin, staring at the floor, for more than a few seconds, she then pressed flat her fat hand at my right shoulder, which made me shrunk away and hurt awfully, not because he'd hit it with his huge hand, but because behind this vibrant red cloak is a fresh wound hidden right at my shoulder. I stumbled back away from ms. Mccarel.

" are you okay?"

" y-e-ye-yes, I'm okay I could feel the pulsing twinge of the fresh wound on my shoulder, hurting so bad, that I could hardly kept away the face of someone who's aching. And I know her it triggered more of her curiosity, that her eyes, when I turned to see them, can't take off of my left hand from gently caressing my right shoulder. I thought, I should have done that away without making it too obvious, but it's too painful to be unregarded.

" what is that?" She said concerning "can I see"

I'd lost my composure and attention in the meantime, that I'd didn't do anything before shed even took a few steps towards me and peeled off half of the cloak revealing a violet uneven patch on my right, lower shoulder. Almost the size of a fist. She gasped at the sight.

"What is that? Who did that to you?" She said.

I was caught, but as fast as I could, I think of something that is going to answer all of these.

"Uh… its—its, I got it from a restless… I was racing down the stairs. I wasn't careful, that's why I tripped over the last few steps, and smashed landed on my right part, on my shoulder" I quietly answered.

Contemplatively as she may looked on me, as if thinking if I might lying or not. But her motherly- liked concern was most at the top " okay, I'll send you to the clinic right away, so they can see your wound. They'll surely give your first aid, so that there's no any further infections " she said.

"Okay" I said as I nodded.

And with that, I picked up my bag at the last seat and we walked out together the classroom.

We passed the hallway with wall less, expose at first, the small garden that laid outside battling in the sunlight, yellow- white butterflies fluttering at the beds of colorful flowers, then cut to a wall now that travel to a short distance, only after exposing again the outdoor garden. And then we passed three more classrooms, took around a corner and then we were already at the front of the clinic.

"Don't worry, your wound will heal" she said looking concerned at me, and then she grabbed hold the doorknob, circled open it.

The room was large enough only to admit few persons at once, the entirety of the facility; two desk ahead, leaned against the wall, forming an inverted 'L', on top of the first tables was two sheets of blank paper, pinned down by a black ball pen, on the other was a blue Log book. On my right, were three wooden leg- high chairs- nearly aligned below a small glass window, And on the top right corner was a table bristling with some medical tools, that I couldn't so much recognized, one upper drawer was left, half- open, beside it: a foldable white comfy bed.

But there is no person in the room, except us, So I & miss mccarel occupied the first two seats beside us, waiting patiently for the nurse to come, and weren't sitting that for too long, when we heard a flush of toilet in the near the top left corner of the room, a tall woman in her late 20's came out of the toilet room. She's wearing a blue polo shirt, with larger collars— that has darker hue trailing along the edge, paired with darker blue trousers. She then, wears a friendly smile as she approached us.