Chloe & Chleo

Chapter 8: Escape Route

ESCAPE ROUTE

Gouache on Canvas (24in x 36in)

  This painting depicts a man riding on a motorcycle and driving along a concrete road.

I was so sick and tired that I couldn’t get up from my bed. My whole body was covered under the blanket. It was morning but it was totally dark in my room, because all the curtains were close.

  All of a sudden, someone knocked at the door out of the blue. It couldn’t be Dad because he was at work. Just yesterday, he’d told me to start inquiring in medical schools today.

  Eventually, the door creaked open and I heard the intruder opened the curtains.

  “Chleo, It’s me. I found your college admission slip,” said Chloe. “Why did you throw it in the trash can?”

  I remained silent.

  I felt her weight on the bed, and her hand stroked my head. Through the weaves of the blanket, I could see her placing the admission slip on the bedside table.

  “I’ll talk to Dad tonight if you want me to,” she said.

  “If Dad didn’t listen to me, why would he listen to you?” I talked finally.

  “I’m just concerned about you. You’ve been locking up yourself in your room.”

  I didn’t respond, because I knew that this talk would go nowhere. I switched my head on the other side to face the windows and not her. She got up and I heard her heavy steps away from me. She must have gotten impatient with me now. However, it took her a couple of seconds before she opened the door.

  “I’m always here for you, Chleo. We’re twins. Remember?” she said before leaving.

  I flung the blanket off of me, but my sister wasn’t there anymore. I suddenly regretted my action. Chloe was the only person in the whole world who understood me. She was willing to be on my side during my predicaments.

  Why would I let her go when the only thing she wanted to do was to stay on my side?

  I went to Chloe’s room to say apologize, but I didn’t find her there. When I passed by the balcony, I saw her at the gate and she seemed talking to somebody. When I went out of the house, that’s when I found out with whom she was talking to – Isagani the caretaker in the Delapers’ residence. I didn’t know why, but up to now I still didn’t trust this man.

  I walked through the patio and came near to them. Chloe turned and her face was so sad, as if the man had told him some bad news… and I was right.

  “Chleo,” she said. “Isagani said that Clayton disappeared last night and they can’t contact him up to now.”

It was getting midnight, but I couldn’t find the urge to sleep. I was thinking about Clayton, not necessarily because I was worried about him. That man was a tough guy. I knew he was safe wherever he was.

  Poor guy, I thought, his parents are keeping him to chase his own dream. Wait! We’re in the same dilemma now.

  The only difference was that I’d already accepted my defeat and submit myself to my father’s rules, while Clayton chose to break away to show resistance to his parents. Compared to Clayton, I was nothing but a coward.

  His brave action registered deeply in my head. What if I would do the same thing? What if I also ran away? Can I live alone to support my own study? The idea actually frightened me, but I was weighing its possibility to happen. I shook my head, trying to whisk away the thoughts from my head, but they were like a virus engulfing every single cell of my brain.