ETERNAL TIES

CHAPTER 3

Back in the States, Cerel was drowning in grief. The loss of his father had shattered him, and every day felt like a battle he was too tired to fight. His father had been his rock, his mentor, and above all, his best
friend. They had shared everything—thoughts, laughter, even the quiet moments in between. He never imagined that one day he'd have to face the reality of losing him.
His father’s death left a massive void in Cerel’s heart. It was as though everything that had once given his life meaning was suddenly gone. The pain was unbearable, and Cerel found himself in a numb daze,
stumbling through life as though on autopilot.
The inheritance was substantial, but it meant nothing to him. His father had willed everything to him and
his mother, but Cerel couldn’t find the will to care about the property or the businesses his father had left behind. The life he once knew seemed to have no purpose anymore. He had no interest in taking over the family businesses, no desire to follow the path his father had so carefully paved for him.
Instead, Cerel turned to drinking. At first, it was just to numb the pain, but soon it became a habit he couldn’t break. He would drink at all hours of the day, drowning his sorrows in bottles of whiskey and rum. He began spending his nights in parties and clubs, where the loud music and flashing lights offered him a temporary escape from his grief. Each night, he’d wake up with a new girl beside him, someone to momentarily fill the emptiness inside, but it never worked. He’d quickly forget their names, just like everything else in his life.
His mother pleaded with him, begged him to stop. She told him that he needed help, that he couldn’t continue down this destructive path. She suggested therapy, but Cerel refused every time. The thought of facing his pain, of confronting the reality that his father was never coming back, terrified him more than anything else. So, he drowned it in alcohol.
His life, once filled with ambition and a bright future, had now become a blur of drunken nights and
aimless days. Cerel couldn’t even remember the last time he had felt truly alive, or the last time he had
been happy. He had forgotten about Sika—forgotten about everything that had once mattered. The
person he had been before his father’s death seemed like a distant memory, someone he could no longer
recognize.
Each day blended into the next, and Cerel sank deeper into his depression. He refused to face the reality
of his situation and closed himself off from everyone, including his mother. The pain was too much to
bear, and he didn’t know how to cope with it anymore. He had lost the most important person in his life,
and now, all he could do was exist in a haze of alcohol and fleeting distractions.
For Cerel, the world had stopped making sense. Nothing could fill the emptiness that his father’s absence
had left behind. The future no longer seemed important, and the connections he had once valued, like the
one with Sika, were forgotten in the darkness of his grief.

Sika had poured all her energy into her work after Cerel’s silence. Every day, she focused on her tasks,
her heart still heavy but resolute. She couldn’t afford to wallow in sadness anymore, especially when she
had her future to think about. She had been accepted into the university with another scholarship, a
victory she cherished, but it couldn’t completely erase the ache Cerel had left behind. She stayed strong,
determined to make her life her own, despite the lingering hope she carried in her heart that someday,
somehow, she and Cerel might find their way back to each other.
Her boss, Mr. Amoako, had noticed her dedication and was impressed by her growth at work.
One evening, after a particularly long day, he offered to drop her off at home. She hesitated but agreed, tired
from the day’s work and not wanting to walk back alone.
The ride was silent at first, but Sika couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. When they reached
her gate, she turned to thank him, but Mr. Amoako suddenly stopped her. He reached out, gently holding
her hand, his eyes intense with something she hadn’t expected.
"Sika, I really love you. Give me a chance," Mr. Amoako said, his voice sincere yet heavy with emotion.