Through the Fire | j.jk

33

   THIRTY-THREE

   Would she ever thought that there would come one day when she would be climbing to her room window? The answer is no.

    She tried to steady herself before pulling herself inside. Her feet hit the floor with a loud thud.

   "Shoot!" she whispered, her mother and sister were probably sleeping, assuming that it's 12 am.

Just as she was closing her window quietly, the door screeched open.

"You came back." The broken voice of her mother destroyed her.

She took in a sharp breath, "Yeah," she turned around to her mother, "I just needed some time to think."

   No, she just needed to see her one more time.

    One more time before she left with bangtan to search for Zik.

   One last time.

"About what?" Her mother asked.

Nari turned to her, "Just stuff."

     Her mother walked closer to her, "You know that you can tell me anything," she placed a strand of Nari's hair on behind her ear, "right?"

     She nodded.

     "I will never judge you," she cleared her throat, "in fact, I will guide you instead."

     Nari smiled, "I know mom, thank you."

     She kissed her mom's forehead as she sat next to her.

    "I tried to guide Jay, your father, for so many years. I tried to get him out of that so called job he had." her mother began explaining.

    "It never worked, he just wanted to help those boys," she just continued.

    "So he left us." Nari reasoned.

     He left, and that's the hard, cruel truth.

    "Exactly. I just hope he's on a good path, the boys too." Her mother responded.

Little does she know, they are still on the wrong sides of life.

They are still going strong; still causing mayhem, spreading chaos.

Those boys are now changing into grown men, who know the dark side of life and are still in it.

     Should she tell her about the calls?

     "Mom," she held her hands in hers, "I have to tell you something."

     It's now or never.

     "What?" Her mother's eyes widened.

      Before talking, she sighed, "I've been talking with dad this past month–"

     "You what?" she asked, shocked.

      "He called me, and we've been talking for a while now," she grasped her mother's hand, "I wanted to tell you sooner, I just didn't know when."

    Her mother placed a hand on her forehead, looked around, and stood up abruptly.

   She began hyperventilating while pacing around the room.

    This definitely wasn't the right moment to let her know.

     "Mom." Nari stood up and placed her hands on her shoulders as she calmed down.

    "What did he tell you?" she mumbled.

     Gulping, she began speaking, "He wanted me to know that he left for our own good."

    She smiled, "Did he say anything else?"

     He did.

     He saved her from her inevitable death one time.

     He, sort of, threatened the life of her friends once.

     And lastly, he warned her about leaving with bangtan and the dragons to kill Zik.

    "No," she shook her head, "that's all that he's told me."

    Her mother nodded, "Will you tell him something for me the next time he calls you?" she asked her beautiful daughter.

"Yes, anything." she responds.

"Tell him that I still miss him," her mother let out one small tear, "and that I love him, that's he's forever in my heart, forever."

A small sob was let out. She instantly hugged her mother tightly. Both women were now crying, as they somehow tightened the strong bond they shared.

Nari's conscience told her to let her mother know about her real job; what she really did for a living. But she couldn't, her heart told her to keep it to herself, for her family's safety.

    She was sorry for what she was about to do tomorrow. She will leave them tomorrow, just like her father and for similar reasons.

   She hated herself at that moment.

    The old Nari would've stayed with them and let the boys go by themselves. But the new Nari wants to help her friends, to find the boy who almost killed her, who put her in danger.

   She wanted to find justice for Mel, to find her father, to be there for her friends.

She wanted to make Yong Zik learn a valuable lesson: never mess with her or Bangtan.

    Never.