Charlie and the Travellers

Episode 7: The Mother

The Mother

Everything is not fine. Everything is a blur. Are these for real?

Charlie did not gave Agatha anything. She got the lamest excuse he could ever give. He would want to but things have changed. He grew afraid, very afraid. He's afraid to just lay these shit all over Agatha, to his friend Anya and to his mother most of all. He actually wanted to ask her mother about the things that is happening to him. He thinks Belinda seems to be 'in-the-know' of what's going on. He needs more answers, and her mother is the person that is of his great interest.

Charlie and Agatha opened the front door of their mother's house. Their mother is waiting for them in the kitchen, sitting on a stool. Earlier, there were exchanges of worried and hysterical words over the phone between Belinda and her daughter, but now there were only silence.

"My god, Mom he says it was only a prank. A prank!" Clearly, Agatha is upset while on the phone with her mother on their way home. She is angry, but not deliberately towards Charlie, and he wondered.

Nobody' is going to say a word.

"Um..." Belinda tried to say something as Charlie took a seat and dropped his things on the table.

Agatha went straight to the fridge and got herself a carafe of water and gulped every drop of it. "I'm going back to my apartment." She said in a breath, quickly after drinking.

Belinda turned to her after reading Charlie's sulking face. "Let's have dinner before you go."

Agatha said, "I'm good. Just not with all these silly stunts." Without waiting for any word from her mother she left. Belinda looked at the clock across the room, it says ten in the evening and said to herself, 'She's probably just too tired.'

The two remained silent while she prepared dinner. Charlie approached the dinner table and sat. On the table are two big sausages on a plate, a bowl of broccoli and another bowl of mashed potato. Belinda sat down. She looked over to his son, buried her eyes to him and said, "I'm so sorry son."

-----

It was drizzling. People rushed to take cover from the rain that suddenly fell over the city. A young woman in pale green dress ran across the street, passing by parked cars and stood beside a building and waited.

A man in a brown business suit took cover as well, beside the said building. With his briefcase over his head, he almost bumped the woman in the pale green dress.

The woman, in surprise, took her crimson leather bag as a shield. Then both met each other's eyes.

She was seduced by his clear blue eyes, flanked by beautiful eyelashes.

He savored her deep green eyes, accented by light eyeliner.

And before the man could say anything, the woman held out her hand and rushed towards the street. She took the passenger seat of the taxi she summoned, closed the door and said something to the driver. She didn't looked back, to the man whom her eyes met, and hid her slight interest.

Outside, the man briskly walked towards her taxi. He raised his right hand and acted as if he's going to to say something, but the taxi has already left.

The woman got off the taxi, in front of her apartment building and walked the familiar pavement towards the front door but was surprised by a familiar someone. That someone was the man who caught her attention earlier. Fear grew in her and asked herself, 'how did this man arrived here? How did he know where I live? Did he flew?'

The man spoke immediately as the woman gave him a cautious look and stance, "Don't be afraid! I'm sorry but i'm just so... I can't help myself. You are sight of beauty. I must know you. I'm Charlie... just Charlie." He stretched his hand towards her.

The woman gave hers, shyly, and said, "Belinda, just Belinda."

-----

"Mom, you've got nothing to be sorry about. I just need answers to the questions that I don't even know how... How do i even start?"

I thought everything's going to be okay. But I was wrong," Belinda told her son as tears roll down her cheeks.

Belinda added, "I don't have all the answers to your questions. I just know is I love you and I tried to protect you."

"Your father is different.," she added.

Charlie thought to himself, 'He's no different. He left us like the others i know.'

"I named you after your father." Belinda dropped a bomb.

Charlie was speechless.

He knew right away that Agatha's father is not his father. Though he wasn't really a father to them, they were just told that he was. But he were never ever there, ever.

None of his questions were answered, only more questions to as or think about.

Belinda, still crying, said, "I don't know what else to tell you. I had you then he left. That's all that he is. To me he's nobody now."

Charlie felt her slight anger.

"It's only us. You, me and your sister," sobbed Belinda. Then she felt a bit of longing.

-----

Wherever You Are

Wherever you are
I'm still hoping you'll come.

To end all my fears
To wipe all my tears
To help me bear this sorrow
To tell me "It's okay."

Wherever you are
Please don't go astray.

You're my only hope
You are my soldier
You're the only one who can free me
You're my sole key.

Wherever you are
I will be waiting.

Never in agony
Never again will I doubt you'll come
Never will my hope fail me
Never again, never ever.

Wherever you are
I'll still be here.

Hurry,
Free me.
Hurry,
Save me.

-2006

-----

She came back to her senses and continued, "But what's worst is I couldn't help you. Your father did this. I know he's all over this. I couldn't protect you because I don't know what this is. He had his power over me. All I could remember and feel is I submitted all of me, to him. I knew I was weak but i grew weaker, even from just a sight of him.

More tears fell from her mother.

Charlie wiped her mothers tears and told her, "It's not your fault mom. Don't worry too much."

'Don't worry too much?' Charlie can't believe it came out of him.

Belinda, with the most worried eyes, said, "But I'm afraid. I know we are all. I don't want to lose you again."