How We Met

35

Lisa sits on the chair at the waiting hall. Her white shirt is stained with red, fierce blood. Her short hair is tousled and her eyes, normally cheeky with stars are now tired and bloodshot.

She is tired. For fuck's sake, she is tired. Bringing her bloody covered hands to her face, her whole body trembles again as a wave of emotion rushes through her again.

•••

"Lisa"

Her mother called. The kid refused to look at her even for a second. Knowing how mad the little kitten was, Clara Manoban, the nation's best attorney smiled before wrapping her arms around Lisa, sniffing her baby daughter's scent.

"I'm sorry I lied again" she swallowed her own saliva regretfully. "I'm sorry I'm leaving again" she pauses, scanning Lisa's hair. "But I promise you, next Christmas, I'm gonna be there with you. Okay?"

"You promised, mommy?"

"Of course" the attorney nodded.

Years passed and the kid grew up to never have any Christmas spent with her family. Her dad had remarried; choosing to spend the day with his new family while her mom, who was clearly still stuck in the process of healing chose to focus on her career that paying attention on her little daughter.

But the girl never blamed her mom. It was understandable, for her to act that way. After all, her father left her mom on a Christmas morning, having said he had enough of her and was in love with someone else, someone he thought was way better than her.

And Christmas to Lisa ever since that moment is just another regular, stupid day she hated. Gifts are showered on her; all with the latest stuff in town. Money are deposited to her account, so that she would always have enough to throw some crazy ass parties with her friends and girls.

But if her mother ever asks her; if there's another thing she'd want; she guesses the little Lisa in herself would speak again. That she wants her mommy only.

•••

"What the fuck happened?"

The Thai hissed as she ran through the ER of Busan Medical Center. Her face was disturbed, there was fear in her eyes and her lips were trembling that it was hard at first to articulate her thoughts to the staring nurse before her.

"My mom" she managed to blurt out as she looked down. "Clara Manoban"

"Oh" the nurse held Lisa by her arm, leading her to a table inside the ER where her mother was being catered by at least three doctors. Blood was everywhere. Fucking everywhere.

"Mom?" she called before launching herself forward, hugging the unconscious body. "Mom, no! Wake up! Wake up"

She yelled, the doctors had to convince the Thai to back away as they tried to resurrect the figure.

The nurse took Lisa's away. "She's gonna be fine, kiddo" she assured kindly, before leaving.

But Lisa knew.

She lied. Everyone lied.

•••

"Hey"

Clara says as she spots her daughter walks into the room, now freshly changed into a pair of grey sweatpants and blue sweatshirt. A thick scarf is wrapped around her pale neck and as she sits to face her mom, Clara weaves their fingers together.

"You're back"

"And you're awake"

Lisa clears her throat. Her voice is scratchy now, from all the crying she did a few hours ago when the doctors were surrounding her mom like moths attracted to light.