My boss let me go early that day. It was a really important day for me and my son Otis. He kept complaining that he felt really lonely after what had happened exactly one year ago. And I couldn't quit my job since it was our only source of income. But that day was different and we needed each other's support to stay strong. He needed me, his father, more than I needed him.
On my way home, I wondered, "What's the point in shedding more tears? It won't change anything. We should instead focus on improving." So I thought I'd surpirse Otis by getting his favorite food and spending the evening talking to him about the good times we spent together.
I parked my car at my cousin's place who lived just across the street, and walked the rest of the way. Pizza and coke in hand, I smiled to myself, "Tonight's going to be fun". I wanted this to be the best surprise, so I had to be as quiet as possible. Using my key, I opened the front door without making much noise and entered to find the living room empty. I put the pizza and coke down on the table. Just when I was about to call Otis, I heard a voice coming from upstairs.
My head jerked in the direction the voice came from. "This can't be happening. It sounded like....No! I must be imagining things" I shook my head. But, I heard the voice again. Something was wrong. I decided to go and check out. I climbed the stairs one by one trying to find out where the voice was coming from. I realized it was coming from the closed room; the one I always tried to avoid since last year. That room had a lot of memories caged inside it.
When I neared the room, I could hear the voice, but couldn't comprehend what it was saying. My palms were sweating as I reached out to the doorknob to slightly open the door.
What I saw next, was something that I would never have dreamt even in my wildest dreams. I stood still, as my brain slowly registered the scene unfolding in front of me. The voice was coming from my son Otis, who was dressed as his mother. That special day, was her first death anniversary.
