Bubble Gum Kisses

Kapittel 2

Kapittel 2

Vanessa

It was raining heavily that day. The clouds were thick and grey, attacking the quiet, wet, and smelly road with little raindrops while the wind howled and swished profoundly back and forth. I couldn't be any more annoyed that I was not helping dad with our financial problems that caused him to sell our car and buy a cheap motorcycle. With a helmet on his head, he held on to the clutches tightly, trying to remain his balance with the tires slipping smoothly on the road, while I, on the other hand, was only hugging his huge stomach tightly. It was a silent, cold trip when I noticed dad accelerating the motorcycle's speed.

"Dad, slow down," I told him, fear laced in my voice through my clattering teeth. If he kept on doing this, he might lose control of the brakes, and God knows what would happen. Thinking of horrific repercussions was already enough to make my spine shiver in fear.

"Can't, sweetheart," he told me, causing my fear to crawl up to my chest. "I'm enjoying the fast pace," he added with his warm peal of a cackle, but I did not miss a slight tinge of something that I could not name. I embraced him tighter when he increased the speed. Jesus!

"Dad!" I interjected, finally getting afraid more than ever. "Slow down, please!" I begged while mentally praying for him to slow down literally. I knew I shouldn't have turned down his request and drove this damned thing instead.

"Okay, okay, princess," he laughed heartily. I know that I was supposed to feel relieved because he was finally going slow down, but I timorously wriggled when I realized that his laugh wasn't mirthful at all but nervous and shaky. I knew it. Something terrible was about to happen, "But first, take this helmet off. It's kinda tight, makes me feel uncomfortable," he told me and began tilting his head to the right side a little, acting as if he was incredibly uncomfortable.

I gave the back of his head a bewildered look before removing my arms from his large tummy and reaching out to the straps of his helmet, unfastening them with my shaky, cold fingers until I've finally released them. I shrieked when I felt the vehicle suddenly hop as if it went over a rock, scaring me. Despite being afraid, I earned the courage to ask Dad, "O... okay, now?"

He nodded and then told me, "Now, wear it." His words rendered me confused. I tilted my head perfectly in the rearview mirror to show him my bewildered loo. "Seriously, dad. What's going o—"

"Just wear it, Vanessa," he cut me off, his voice firm and his eyes straight on the road. I nervously gulped as I felt the hair-raising arms of fear embrace me from behind. I stared at the helmet for five good seconds before raising it over my shoulder and slowly sliding it over my head. Dad's fresh-scented cologne wafted its way into my nose, making me inhale and exhale dreamily. I always liked dad's cologne. It was a good musky scent. His cologne wasn't too strong that could make someone's nose hurt, and it was not too plain that it couldn't be smelled at all.

"Good," I heard him mumble and swerved his head a little, showing me a good angle of a side of his face that has a wide smile etched on it, "Now, I want you to remember that I love you, Vanessa, sweetheart," my heart skipped a beat when he told me those words, "Please tell your mom and your brother that I love them so much. Always keep in mind that the three of you are my life."

My eyes widened, "Wait. Dad, what d—"

"Dad!" I cried, opening my eyes, revealing the fuzzy grey clouds to my sight. I looked around, my heart racing fast, shaking and breathing at an unsteady pace— panicking. Where am I? What happened? The rain. The motorcycle. Dad—