Bleed Me A Melody

Prologue

“Mom? Dad?”

Ivan slowly closed the door of their house as he tiptoed towards the end of the hall, the floorboards creaking as he steps. The house’s deafening silence was surreal and quite disturbing that made his heart beat faster. He had just arrived from his class in fourth grade and he was very excited to tell his dad that his teacher complimented him about his talent. A ten year old can’t play the popular ‘Sweet Child of Mine’ but he can.

It was raining that afternoon and he was wet from running all the way from school to his house and for the first time in years, he was proud of himself, proud of what he did, and he couldn’t wait to see the pleased faces of his parents when he tells them.

Suddenly, there were clanging noises somewhere at the back and a loud crash came from the kitchen that alarmed him then a muffled voice ensued, “In here, honey.” He dropped his backpack and scurried towards the dimly-lit kitchen and found his mother picking up shattered pieces of her favorite ceramic plate.

“Mom,” he whispered as he helped her picked the shards, “Is everything okay? Where’s dad?”

Then his mother looked up, her eyes were bloodshot and teary-eyed and her brown hair tied in a ponytail was now disarrayed. Her face was red from crying and it felt like the life from her dissipated. He never saw his mother in a devastated state before but now, there she was, in a bent up position like she was carrying the world in her hands.

“Please tell me. Mom? Can you please tell me what is going on?” he asked. He could feel his heart breaking and what he feared ever since finally became real.

His mother grabbed him by the shoulders and hugged him. Tears were already streaming down his shirt. She didn’t utter a single word and he didn’t have the heart to ask her. She laid there in his arms as he caressed her hair. He looked around the room and there he found his father’s picture on top of the counter, his mother’s mobile phone and a two-page letter that revealed everything.

When the thunder boomed and the lightning crashed, in that exact moment, he realized something.

His father had left them for good.

The same night after seven years, he went on top of his roof and laid there and gazed at the stars while reminiscing that horrible night that changed his life while he gazed at the beautiful night sky.

“At least we survived the worst. I didn’t need dad after all. I still have mom and I still have music. I persevered and kept on going,” he says reassuringly while counting every star he sees and wished to each one.

In truth, he still wanted to be with his dad.

He wanted to know Edward Wilson’s reason as to why he walked away.