Holding On to Silence Until; You Came Along

6 | Holding On to Silence

"Great, I'll check with it."

"What's it that you're gonna check with?" I asked while enter her room.

"I was gonna go looking for you, brother. An interstate badminton tournament is happening in our town, the tickets are out for the ones who'd booked and ours..." She scrolled down her mail inbox. "...is also...got 'em, here. Be ready by 4."

"Today?" She nodded. "You know it's no use trying to convince me, Emma. You go have fun, don't expect me," Her face fell sad.

After our high school graduation, I got to college and was into Business Administration while Emily was determined to become a fashion designer. She moved back home and did the course there while I did mine online.

I was doing my master's for the same degree in the same way I did my bachelor's and am in the first year. Emily was in her final year of the course, but still made time to visit me in the last days of February and September for one, or two weeks, depending on her schedule.

"Brother, please. I'll be flying home tonight, please come."

"No Emma, not today. You know I don't leave the house on this day, please don't compel me." She looked at me for a few seconds then snapped like never before.

"You know what? Uncle and aunt would be so happy of what you're doing, Johann!" She taunted. "You graduated from school, started publishing stories on internet, have millions of followers, but no one knows what 'the Johann Yeoman' looks like, wow."

"Emma!" I raised my voice.

That year when dad passed away, I started publishing stories on internet. I was glad that so many people read them even though my grief so reflected on my stories. I maintained my social media account and posted only my story updates on it, not my own pics. Once Emily had posted 3 of my pics, thankfully from my phone and so I got to see and delete them after a few seconds.

"Yeah, they'd be so proud that their son is shutting the world out and remembering their day in a way they never did! They always celebrated the day. Despite having to live without aunt, even uncle didn't do what you're doing."

"Stop with this, Emma."

"Why? Truth hurts? It's 26th February, today. Their wedding anniversary, not that of their deaths! Lock yourself in and do what you please. Cry, slam items on the wall, break them and make your parents more proud. It was my mistake to think and try changing things to make you not lose out on your life. Best of luck on how you've planned life for yourself, Johann, bye."

She walked out of her room and probably into the driveway, I don't know. I didn't follow her and went to my room instead. Sitting on the couch there, I was trying to make sense. Not what Emma had said about, but of my life. What am I doing with my life?

I took the frame of their wedding photo and brushed my fingers over it.

She was right, I had taken this day to grieve and mourn while they celebrated it. I remember how happy dad used to be on the day, as if mom was beside him and just said 'I do' when she was asked if she'd take him as her husband. And what was I doing on such a day? Making them think that their absence in my life was making me wonder of why they'd to come together in the first place?

I looked up at the clock, it said 3 pm. Solid one hour in hand. I'd do this, start over again and remember them happily.

"I won't shut the world out anymore. Mom, dad, from now on I'll try and remember this day in a happy way and won't lock myself in," I placed the frame back in its place and got up.

I put on an olive green coloured T-shirt and jeans, took the keys to my Pick up and was off. The tournament must surely be happening on the multipurpose stadium if it was an interstate thing as Emily had said. So I pressed the accelerator after turning the engine on.