TW: Suicide
CHAPTER 35 - Burned Out Fire
"JUST GET TO the point, Ivan!" Kara chuckled as she tasted her cheese cake. Muli niyang inilapag ang tinidor sa platito at muling tumingin sa kausap.
Ivan rubbed his hand at the back of his neck, making a shy smile, showing his dimple. "Can you write a song for the rape victim? Just like what you did when you wrote a song about suicide prevention," he pleaded, he even put his hands together and made face like he was praying.
Ivan is one of her friends in New Jersey. She met him while finishing her degree in Psychology in Fairleigh Dickinson University. And now, Ivan was one of the faculty and he wanted to catch up with her.
Kara rolled her eyes to his friend. "How many times do I have to tell you that I'm not writing again?" she hissed and tried to fix her long, wavy hair into a bun.
Ivan rolled his eyes, too. "Duh! It's for the Sexual Assault Month! Just this one. We need you! Please, Kara!" Ivan looked desperate but still, Kara shook her head.
"I can't. I'm sorry." She did a last sip on her tea before she stood up. "I'll email you some of my contacts. Maybe they can help you. I need to go, Van," she said and made her exit as fast as she could.
She hopped in her car parked near the coffee shop. She heaved a deep sigh and lifted her shoulder in a half shrug when she entered. "It's okay to say no, Kara."
She knew Ivan will understand her reasons. He always does. Kara doesn't have too many friends when she moved in, maybe because she had built a wall for herself. She already learned her lesson. Not everyone will listen, not everyone will like your story and not everyone will understand you. That's why she was thankful that Ivan was always there for her.
Kara drove to her small apartment downtown. It's been six years since she moved in to New Jersey. She didn't plan anything, but right after her dad came home from Dubai, everything changed. That was a week after what happened on Empty's album launch.
Pagkababa niya sa kitchen ay natigilan siya nang makita sa hapag ang daddy niya. Matagal siya nitong tinitigan kaya siya na ang umiwas ng tingin saka dumiretso sa hapag. Rinig na rinig niya ang bawat kaluskos ng kutsara at ang lakas ng pintig ng dibdib niya. Marahil alam na nito ang lahat, imposible naman kasing hindi iyon malaman ng daddy niya. She almost choked when her father broke the silence.
"Fix your mess," malumanay na sinabi nito. His faced hardened and faced her. He looked serious but there was something in his eyes.
Dalawang beses siyang napakurap dahil doon. "You're not mad, Dad?" she asked.
"Did you do it?" Tumigil ito sa pagkain para uminom ng orange juice. "Did you plagiarize?"
Umiling siya. "That was my composition," nakayuko niyang sinabi.
"That's what I needed to hear." Nagpunas ito ng bibig saka tumayo. Naguguluhan pa rin siya sa ikinikilos nito kaya sinundan niya ito ng tingin nang maglakad ito. Akala niya ay tuluyan na itong aalis nang muli itong magsalita.
"Your recognition present was in my study room. You should get it. I need to go," huling sinabi nito saka tuluyan nang lumabas ng bahay nila. Narinig na lang niya ang sasakyan nito na umalis ngunit hindi pa rin nagsi-sink in sa kaniya ang lahat.
Her dad was not mad at her? Is she dreaming?
Dali-dali siyang umakyat sa second floor at tinungo ang study room ng ama. Hindi na niya kinailangan pang hiramin ang susi noon kay Manang Lourdes dahil hindi iyon naka-lock.
BINABASA MO ANG
When The Sun Goes Down (✔️)
Teen Fiction[CARPE DIEM #1] Kara made a pledge to herself after getting a slap from her disgruntled father that she would one day make him proud by pursuing her passion-writing songs. Eager to get his attention, she hires someone to sing her own song in an int...
