She Is Beautiful

Twelve

Twelve
Motivation

Charles waited. But it was already past twelve, even a strand of Alona's hair he did not see. He was disappointed. Alona did not come. To watch him. To listen to what he had to say. He could always tell her this morning at school, but he had lost his confidence now.

He walked his way to the bus terminal to see his Dad off. He would be moving in with him after school ends, five days before Christmas. He had been living with him in an apartment for three years, after his parents separated. It was alright. But when his Mom left the city, his Dad somehow wanted to leave too. He told him that the new place would be better, he had even gotten a flat. But Charles did not like the move. Scarlet had been a city close to his heart. He was born here. Grew up here. His love for punk rock was founded here. As much as he wanted to live independently one day, maybe go back to Scarlet when he turned eighteen, he could not.

"Stop calling me every night now. You should enjoy your own life." Mr. Felix patted his son on his back as he took his two luggage from his hands. "Trust me, son. I will be fine."

Charles could not discern whether or not his Dad meant it this time. Thrice he heard him say those words, but he would harm himself every time. He left their house because of it. Said he could not take care of his mother for he could not even take care of himself. He overdosed on sleeping pills twice, once he tried drowning himself. After his Dad's first attempt to say goodbye to life, Charles started checking on him every chance he could get. He would call him every night when he was out, to tell him how his day went. Even if it was a dull, boring day, he would make up stories, sound like he was excited and happy, all in hopes that he would be enough reason for his Dad to continue living.

"Mom wanted us three together for this Christmas," Charles lied. His Mom never told him anything. It had been three years since they never celebrated Christmas as a family. "It's our Christmas gift for her if we grant her wish."

"All three of us, huh?" Mr. Felix half-smiled at his son. He knew that he was trying hard to give him motivation to not give up on his therapy sessions and medications. But he had tried enough for the past three years.

"Should I not attend school today? I can just travel back tomorrow."

"Up to you." Mr. Felix understood that his son was only worrying for him. He could see the agitation in his eyes. "School's not that great to begin with. Not a nice place."

Charles grinned. He hastened to buy a ticket. Getting on the bus with his Dad's other luggage in his hand, he felt sheltered.

He noticed someone who looked like Alona the moment he was about to sit down. She was settled in the back seats. He was going to drag his feet to the back, to confirm his eyes weren't deceiving him, but he shrugged the idea off.

The morning their bus arrived at the Currant terminal though, and he dismounted right after his Dad, and then waited for him when he went to the lavatory, he thought he saw Alona again. Maybe it was the weather. It was freezing last night. It was the opposite that morning. He watched as the girl who looked like Alona pulled the glass doors of the station. But she looked way too much like her, so he shouted her name. The way the girl turned to her sides made it definite that she was the Alona he thought she was.

***

Alona blinked away her sleepiness. She shrunk back closer to the window, praying that the bus would depart soon. She was half-scared, half-thrilled. It was her first time travelling alone. What if she got robbed? Don't that usually happen? Never mind, she only had thirteen bucks in her pocket anyway. And her phone's LG K7, a very old one. No one would want to have it even if it was given as a gift.

She had fallen asleep before she knew it. By the time she woke up, the sun was already quite high in the sky although dark clouds concealed it every now and then. Taking off her coat, Alona checked the time on her phone. 10:08. She remembered she took the one a.m. night bus. The trip was ten hours. She felt proud of herself. She traveled for ten hours. Alone.

"Chocolate?"

Alona shook her head and said no politely to the old woman's offer of Hershey's. She was hungry, and the woman looked like she was a good person, but all sorts of scenarios played in her head. What if the chocolate had gone bad? Do chocolates even go bad? What if it was drugged? What if it was poisoned?

"It was an honour to sit with a beautiful lady like you," The woman told her after some time of silence and the bus finally pulled over.

"T-Thank you?" Alona was not sure if the woman was making fun of her or not, so she thanked her in a way like she was asking a question. That one praise still made her feel good though. She helped the woman drag her suitcase and once outside, the woman hugged her in gratefulness. Alona watched as she got in a cab and set off. How could one positive compliment, false or not, boost her morale so effortlessly? She looked about her, admiring the station, the city foreign to her. It was pretty. It reminded her of the romantic England she saw in the glossy papers of geography books.

The muggy morning greeted her well. Alona removed her scarf, ready to head off. But she was not confident now where to go next. Should she just laze around inside the station and wait till afternoon or till night so that once she called her Mom, she wouldn't have a choice but to tell her to go to his Dad's place? Her Mom, a worrywart, would want that rather than let her wander in the streets.

She walked to the station's entrance. But before she could enter, she heard someone call her. She looked to her left and right, was she mistaken? Maybe it was just some other Alona whom she shared the same name with. She walked in, and right after she found a seat where she could take a nap, somebody grabbed her wrist. Lightly. Gently.