Reminiscence

Chapter 2

" Bella!!"

" Bella!!"

I was immediately taken out of my trance. I awoke to come face to face with my father harshly shaking me, worry in his eyes.

 Dad, stop that! It hurts like hell,â I spat out, and in response instead of reprimanding me, he looked relieved.

  " Bella!  my sweetheart! Do you know how worried I was! I was calling out to you for quite some time!" He looked so disheveled, his hair was tousled and his eyes were bloodshot. He looked like those drug addicts with a Novocain face, and a bit of a hygiene problem as well.

"Honey," his eyes were flickering, "you are drenched with water! I looked for you all over the recption area, but you weren't present at the reception. I even brought an umbrella to search for you." In his left hand clutched a silver black huge umbrella.  

My father, on the other hand, seemed tired and fatigue was in his face. He seemed older than he was.

My next words were careless and thoughtless at the time.

"Why...why  would you worry for me.." My voice came out suddenly before I knew what I said. I covered my hands over my mouth quickly as my father's eyes widened.

Shit! I couldn't believe I just said that to my father.  

I looked to my father, who was staring at me with shocked eyes; eyes of the most beautiful shade of blue. It was the only feature I have in common with my father, that and my pride, my impulsiveness and stubbornness. 

The same father who was on the verge on either choosing strangling me or yell at me.

He chose the lather of the two.

" WHY!! WHY..... you ask! You don't think I wouldn't give a shit about My OWN DAUGHTER!!"

His voice rose high, I flinched under his words. He almost never used such a tone with unless I get in trouble.

 And not since the accident.. not since HER. Before today, he could barely communicate with me or with any of the incoming people offering their condolences.My father would lie in his room, and lock the door. I was the same. He threw his free hand in his hair, his other hand tightened on the grip of the umbrella.

I suddenly found the floor an interesting place to look at. I heard a deep sigh in front of me, I slowly looked up. My father's eyes were closed and he moved closer.

He opened his eyes and stared straight at me, unflinching and yet it was also gentle. Then he looked away, my heart was skipping so erratically I thought I was gonna have a heart attack.

I thought he mumbled a few words but the rain drowned out most of it. I could barely hear the shuttering noise of the reception continuing on with the bass loud and clear. 

Across from me, I heard a few rumblings of cars and a group of 'goodbyes' and 'see you next times', which signaled that a  few of the guests from the reception or from the other parties of other groups were departing, it was  getting pretty late. I can see a few people crying and hugging, a mother was bawling her eyes out, but her infant in her arms seemed like the most happiest person in the world. 

Ha!

"Bella, why do you make things so hard?" I jerked from my musings when I heard my father's deep baritone voice.

My father's voice, was something that drew people in. Well one of the reasons. My father was Andrew W. Christopher, a well- known person in the show business. He had everything, looks and charisma. He was once a model for magazines like vogue and well..... sappy romance novels.