Luke

February 21

February 21, 2018

I woke up at six in the morning. I can hear dad talking to someone downstairs.

I sit upright and looked at the curtains that is covering my window just right above my bed. I stared at it for a while. I got up later on and separated the curtains and opened the window sliding them apart. I can see the sun rising, suddenly a fresh air rushed in. I inhaled and took a deep breathed while closing my eyes.

Feel.

I feel so calm, so free and so new.

I opened my eyes and looked at our neighbor's house in front of us, I could hear children running and playing around. The door opened and man on his fifthies stepped outside as his wife and two little boys followed him. He's in his suit and is ready for work. He kissed his wife and pinch his two little boys on the cheek. He bade good bye to them. They're a happy family. Suddenly I looked down at our garden below. I remember mom and how she used to greet our neighbors with a warm "Good Morning".

I shook my head to stop those pictures forming on my head.

I closed the window but left the curtains on its position so the sun could stills shine through.

I look at the clock and it's six-o-five.

I took my towel and proceeded downstairs so I could take my shower. Dad is still talking to someone. As I stepped down the stairs, just then that I noticed that dad was talking through his phone, I thought there is a person paying a visit but that would be impossible since all the visitors back then were mom's friends. They would often visit mom, coffees and cookies on the table, smiles and laughter echoing the open room. It was all lively.
But just as mom got cancer, the atmosphere changed, laughter turned to comforting words, smile turned to hugs. It gradually changed.

I could see dad staring at me as I stepped down the stairs. I could see from my peripheral vision that he is staring at me intensely while he continued talking to his phone.

Just as I'm about to locked the shower room when I hear dad says to someone he is talking on the phone, "Yes, we'll go by next month right after the graduation."

- luke