Vivid

Chapter 3

I told myself that the next morning that I wake up will be the day that my curiousity would finally be gone, I was planning to open the box that I found underneath my bed.

If this is a story, I consider that the author would alter the plot, to ease the things for me just a little bit. But for sure, I am just a side character, and the author wouldn't even bother himself.

Presuming that the next day would change my life by what's inside the box.

But I knew I was wrong when I woke up because of a loud knock on the door, at 6:30 AM. Who would come banging on my door at this hour? I barely have any friends at this neighborhood, or maybe I just buried them at the back of my mind, completely gone from my memories. Or they're the one who completely forgotten me, just pretending that I don't exist.

With half closed eyes, I managed to bring myself together at this early hour, I got up then slowly walks through the dusty and moldy stairs of this place, somewhat called home.

Surprisingly, the sound of someone knocking stopped. Maybe they realized that they're disturbing the current episode of the nightmare that my mind created while I was sleeping.

After stumbling half awake through the stairs, I steadily bring myself closer to the door, to see or maybe sense who is the person outside that's abruptly carking the home of a 23 year old Dutch man. "Laura, I don't wanna see you today." I said, confidently. Expecting a woman who looks just like my deceased mother who's standing at my front door.

Silence.

Moments later, "Je peux le faire." I knew it. After hearing a french woman's voice, my mind constantly recognizes who's in front of my door right now. Her voice is new, yet it sounds so familiar, and irritating at the same time.

This is the newsie from yesterday who broke my glass window because of her unawareness in her own job.

I opened the door, then saw her standing, obviously nervous, while carrying a paper bag with her left hand then a newspaper with the other. Still a weirdo, wearing sunglasses even when the sun hasn't awaken yet, and a beanie with her hair tucked in.

"Bonjour, monsieur! I apologize for what I have done yesterday." She smiled, then quickly handed me the paper bag and newspaper that she was carrying.

She swiftly ran to her bicycle, then drove off without looking back at me.

I peeked inside the paper bag to see what it contains, then saw a loaf of bread and five eggs. Is this a gift?

Her idea was indeed thoughtful. She gave me these, while I have a broken glass window that I cannot fix because of a certain circumstance, and that might caused me to get some type of illness or whatknot.

I threw the paper bag and newspaper into the trash bin, not guilty, conscienceless.

I closed the door in front of me that made me remember what I had planned to do for today, but unexpectedly brushed of my mind. But I know that it was something important, but somehow bizzare.

How strange.

.....

I was sitting on the sofa for almost 10 hours, doing nothing, staring into nothing, feeling nothing. Obviously, I became the whole definition of being nothing.

It kinda amazed me for how many hours that I spent just by sitting.

Completely useless.

Suddenly, I heard my stomach growled. I guess the monster inside was full of hunger, I haven't ate since Aunt Laura cooked me breakfast.

My mind wasn't hungry for it was filled with sorrowful memories that made me regret for the things that I have done, but my body was. And it was mad at me, for some reason.

I stood up, then my vision suddenly went black, but I was conscious. My body dropped on the floor, while I feel the heavy sensation in my chest again.

I tried to close my eyes to see if it would ease the pain. A few seconds have passed, I slowly open them, my vision came back.

Slowly, I forced myself to stand up, for I was planning to get a beer from the fridge. If I was going to replenish my body anyways, it would be nice to have a beer as a source of strength.. I guess.

***

Its been five minutes, and I am still hearing a knock on my door. The same time when the newsie came just to ruin my morning.

Eight bottles of beer went through my body yesterday. Honestly, it felt good, it tasted good, but the agonizing hang over in the morning was the worst. It's slowly tearing off my head, or maybe it felt like someone's hammering my head and chest at the same time.

I covered my ears with my pillow as I hear the continous knocks of the French newsie.

.....

After thirty minutes of continous knocks and bonjour, she finally got tired and left.

I removed the pillow that I used for covering my ears, and my eyes landed on the box, again. Contemplating if I should open it, I decided to open it on my mom's birthday, which is on November 8.

"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you. Happy birthday, dear Mama. Happy birthday to you!"

After singing a happy birthday song for Mom, she blew the candles on her cake, which we made together yesterday.

Mom and I were the only ones who celebrated her birthday. We invited them, her friends and Aunt Laura. We don't have to worry about Dad anymore, he had a new family, and they were better than us, he said.

I made sure that Mom's friends and Aunt Laura would come, so I knocked at their homes, inviting them to join us to celebrate Mom's birthday. But each one of them had their own annoying reasons.

It was pretty obvious, making up excuses. Saying that the month of November is rainy, and cloudy, and not sunny.

"Yay! Let's eat the cake." Mom said, full of happiness and excitement, while wearing a birthday hat that children like me used to wear on our birthdays.

As a 7 year old kid, I got curious of what she wished for because I'm sure that's the reason why we blow candles on cakes every year on our birthday, right? To tell the Heaven above about what our hearts truly desire.

"Mom, what did you wish for?" I smiled. Hoping that she would tell me her wish.

"I would love to tell you, Basti. But it won't come true if I did."

I frowned at the answer she gave me.

....

I helped Mom to clean the place. She's washing the dishes, while I put back all the plates that we prepared for the expected visitors.

After cleaning, we sat together at the sofa. Happy because the cake tastes good, and sad for the reason that Mom didn't tell me her wishes. I honestly don't care about her friends and Aunt Laura, they always disappoint me.

"Why the long face?" She asked me.

I didn't answer.

Mom looked at me suspiciously, as if she were investigating on me. "Oh I see." She said while holding her chin.

The next thing I knew, Mom was tickling me in the tummy. She knows my weakness. "Come on, tell me!" Continuing to tickle me on my tummy, neck, and my feet.

A minute of tickles and laughs, Mom finally gave up, while I was running out of breath.

"Okay, I'll tell you why." I said. Then she faced me, and lifted her eyebrows. "You never told me your wish. Don't you trust me, Mom?"

She stared at me for a few moments, and finally sighed.

"I wished for a long life, so I could stay by your side as you chase your dreams, as you slowly became successful in life. I want to be there, Basti." She said, then smiled.