Cocktails of Emotion

EIGHTEEN

"Aye sweetie, those balloons are a part of the decoration! They are not supposed to be burst! Not yet, at least!" My Mum rushes out of the kitchen when she hears the kids having fun bursting the balloons scattered all around the living room. She hushes the kids and distracts them with their any time favorite ice creams.

My Mum is a home-maker and she takes all the pride in flaunting of having chosen the most difficult job in the world. She is the best person I know and the most beautiful woman walking on earth.

My father is a lawyer and has gained a very respectable position in the city. He has been serving in his profession for fourteen years now and has acquired the skill and experience that comes with life. I look up to him as an inspiration and love him a lot.

Coming back, the men are seated on the sofa in the living room, having light snacks and the ladies are sipping at their glasses of fruit juices. I can see my friends all around the place. Some helping my Mum, some just giggling and chattering around.

Everyone seems to be waiting for someone, expecting someone to show up any time now.

ME?

Yeah!

So, where am I?

Well, apparently, it's my eighteenth birthday and my parents have sent me at my best friends' saying that they will be out that evening and they pretended to have forgotten my birthday.

But, I appear at the doorway, as I received a call from my Mum telling me that she needed me home urgently. My best friend suggested that she drove me as I was in super hurry.

And here I unlocked the door of my house with the keys I keep with me and..

"SURPRISE"

The entire living room emerges out with people and their roars of laughter and loud cheering.

I am so overwhelmed that my eyes are watery and I scream out of happiness and rush towards my parents and pull them into a bone crushing hug.

"Oh my god! Oh my god! Oh my god! I can't believe this! I mean, I do believe it now that I am here! But, wow, I don't believe it! You guys pretended like you forgot and I was so ready to believe it. I mean. It's my eighteenth birthday! How could you forget! But look, you didn't! Yay! Oh my god! I believe it! I believe it! I love you guys so much!! Crap! Why am I blabbering so much?!"

"Hush, honey, stop over reacting now! You are such a girl! Let's celebrate," she stroked my cheek gently and the next line she said came out slowly stressing each word, "and here .. is .. your .. CAKE!!" and she turned towards the table.

My eyes popped out at its sight and I squealed with excitement and hugged my Mum kissing her cheek.

"Leave me! It's your father's choice" she said unfolding my arms that were around her.

I looked at my father as he gave me a full mouthed grin and his perfect white teeth glistened in the extreme bright lights of the room. I giggled back at him.

"Let's cut the cake sweetie!" my father spoke. I nodded and turned towards my cake. I stopped, just staring at it, admiring it, not wanting a bit to cut it and spoil it's design.

It had printed on it a girl wearing a checked tank top with a polka dotted scarf on her neck. She had a handbag in one had that I fell in love with instantly and made a mental note to ask my Mum to buy me one of the kind later. Her other hand she ran through her brown hair and she had her aviators on.

She had her head held high as if she wore that pride in her pockets!

Arrogance. So my type!

Perfect.

What? I love shopping and I am a big fashionista!

"Cut it already, birthday girl!" My friends hollered like hungry wolves from behind me.

I bent down to blow the candles before which I closed my eyes to make a wish:

"Dear God, I thank you for the wonderful life you have gifted me with. You gave me all I asked for. So today, I ask you to be with all those people out there who are in need of you. Be with all in times of joy and in times of sadness and give them the strength to stand firm on their ground and never lose hope and teach them to have faith in you."

I opened my eyes and made an attempt to blow all the candles at once by sucking in a mouthful of air and letting it out fiercely over them, but, sadly, this only made a two or three candles die out and left the other ones' flames dancing merrily at me. I blew again, softly this time.

"Happy Birthday to you!

Happy Birthday to you!

Happy Birthday! Happy Birth--- "

BAM! BAM!

Two gun shots silenced everyone in the room. I turned to see my parents lying on the sofa and blood oozing out of their stomach. I looked to the other side to see where it came from and caught the glance of the window straight ahead of me by the dining room.

The TV went black and I came back to my lonely world noticing the tears rolling down my cheeks. I didn't bother to wipe them for there was no one I had to show myself to, no place to be to, no work to be done.

It has been six years since I lost my parents and this has become my everyday routine. When I am back from work, I watch the tape over and over again and cry myself to sleep.

At first, I had all sorts of visitors. Relatives, friends, neighbours trying to comfort me, sooth me, console me, assure me that it's going to be okay. But they all gave up on me when they saw that their efforts took them nowhere.

The guilty of my parents' murder had been found and punished. He turned out to be someone who lost a case against my father and killing him was the man's idea of revenge.

I always thought myself of being blesses that I didn't have any siblings, thinking I didn't have to share the love my parents showered on me. But now I badly wish I had one for I need one.

The days pass by with me lonely living in the same house, sulking up in misery, wishing my eighteenth birthday never had taken place.