Academia Soul (CTR series #3)

Calliope Gratia

This chapter contains about Calliope's past, about her mother's death, and her being abused. It's a warning and a reminder.⚠️

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One step. Two step. Three step.

I walked down the stairs when I heard two voices arguing in our living room. I confirmed it when I'm only 6 steps down.

It's my parents.

They are arguing over things I can't clearly understand. This is not the first time they argued, I can't count it anymore.

The moment we landed in Siargao, I already knew it from the beginning something is wrong, something is off. And I'm not wrong at all.

They are arguing while the raindrops are pouring on our roof. The lightning after lightning. The sound it's making.

I'm scared. It's so dark. The only light that serves here inside was the light from the moon. And seeing my father's mad face makes me want to run towards them and save my mother from him.

"Maawa ka naman sa anak mo, Theodore! Maawa kayo!" My mom begged.

I can't understand Filipino so I don't really have any idea what are they talking about.

At this very young age, 5 years old... I witnessed how my father hit my mother, how he cheated on my Mother...

So when he hit my mother, I didn't flinched, I just watch them. But tears started to fill in my eyes as I looked at my Mother's overwhelming reaction.

"Maawa? Bakit? Ginusto ko bang makasal sa'yo at buntisin ka?! No! I'm free to choose whom I want to fuck, love, and pleasure! And that's not you!" He yelled.

Yes. Their marriage was just forced. My mother told me that he had a boyfriend when my grandparents told her about their sudden marriage. My Mom really knew at the very beginning that my Father is not safe... yet she still married him for her parents happiness.

"Kahit 'wag mong gawin 'to para sa'kin, gawin mo lang para sa mga anak mo. Pakiusap!"

No matter how hard I want to escape his control with my Mother and my Brother, he's too powerful that no one can never fight him.

I heaved a deep sigh before going back to my room. I badly want to go between them and stop that fight, but I know my Mother don't like it, and my Father will probably mad once I do it.

I remember when my mother told me....

"Anak... if you see your father drunk or angry, just remind your self that he's just tired, okay? We both know he will apologize if he did something wrong when he will be back in his sense. So please, your father need us. Let's just understand him."

He never apologize. I'm always waiting for him to say sorry to my mother, to me, but he never did.

I slammed the door and locked it. I hugged my self as I'm hearing the sound of the raindrops and lightning. I didn't cry, I just bow my head.

There's a storm.

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"Gratia!"

I immediately run as fast as I can to my Father's office when he called my name.

It's releasing of our card today in school. My Mom went there, and I stay here in our house– that people called a castle because of its old fashioned style.

The moment I opened the door, I saw his mad face. My mom is standing on his side, she looked so scared.

"This is all you can do? With high honor? Can't you achieve that highest honor award?"