Set Free

Chapter 19: You Will Remember Us

"We're all going have to work together to get rid of Jamal. After we escape this tie he has on us all, you can decide if you want to stay or go after it's done."

*

"Aydin?"

"Aydin?!"

"Mr.Olande, are you okay?"

*

"We're going to kill my dad?"

"You mean our dad?"

*

"I need you to say something please Aydin I'm begging you!"

*

"Alex- Reggy, we can't do this!"

"You're going to stand by and protect that asshole who has ruined our lives for years?" Nolan jumped in. 

"Hanna, what choice do we have? Either it's him or all of us."

*

"Please snap out of it, one word anything-"

*

"I'm not ready to go to jail-"

*

"Wake up-"

*

"Stop!"

*

"Stop it!"

***

I slammed my fist on the table indicating a moment of silence. In my whole life, never did I intend to be planning my own father's death. Jamal had raised my siblings and me mostly alone since we were little. While he did his best, he messed up bringing us into the world of drugs to the point where my nickname became my real name, I moved around so much Aydin was the only person who really knew me, and I did a lot of unforgettable or forgettable acts to other people just to live. Maybe because I was also just a shitty person. 

We all like to think there's the main source. One main person or event where everything went wrong and our personal lives became a mess. But the truth is, there are a bunch of small problems that we can't solve all of, or even see all of and maybe are a part of our own troubles. Everything works as well as it can trying to sort itself out piece by piece until we end up where we think we're supposed to be. 

At this point, I either to continue living. Working non-stop as a truck loader to try and forget my life without being high or to remain high and grovel back to selling drugs. I knew myself, and would rather be lifting dressers and boxes of clothing into a truck for the rest of my life knowing I tried to escape rather than sell to a group of teenagers ever again. Or I could become alive. Kill the person who destroyed me, move and start all over. 

The decision was clearer to me. 

*

I was awake, for the first time, truly. I could feel it as I held onto her hands, squeezing so tightly  I could feel her rapid pulse against my own. As doctors talked a mile a minute about what has happened to me I couldn't help but tune them out as I realised no one else but Yuza was around me. From the looks of her damaged hair, tear-stained cheeks, and shrivelled figure she had been awake most of this time, taking care of me when I assumed she wanted nothing to do with me.