SAVE ME

Ch#44 Thank You, Parents

Ch#44 Thank You, Parents

"Morning", I mumbled as I sat for breakfast.

"Good Morning, child", Dad greeted back.

"When did you reach home?", Mum inquired as she dropped a plate of pancakes for me.

"Around midnight. Yohan dropped me", I replied as I devoured onto the pancakes. I noticed Aiden wasn't around.

"Where's Aiden?"

"Sleeping. He had few assignments to write and pulled an all nighter for it", Mum answered.

"How's Ellis, dear? We were thinking of visiting him and his Dad today", Mum asked as she sat down for breakfast.

"No progress", I shook my head in dejection. She patted my hand that was resting on the table trying to provide some comfort. I smiled at her in return.

"Let me tell Yohan to not come to pick me up. We can go to the hospital together", I stated.

After breakfast, I sent a text to Yohan and went to take a shower. Soon enough we left for the hospital. I gazed at the sky as we kept moving ahead. It was beautiful. I always find it amusing, the way the sky manages to look pretty amidst the hustle and bustle of the city. As Dad parked the car, I saw Yohan waiting for someone outside. I got out to greet him.

"Hey. What are you doing here?"

"My parents just called me. They asked which hospital I am in and stuff. I don't know who told them about Ellis, but they seem super worried. They don't even know Ellis", he sighed while I pretended to know nothing. After all, I was the one who informed them. I had asked Beth for Yohan's parents' numbers and called them earlier. They knew nothing about the mishap of Stoneridge.

"Ugh, why do they need to come here directly from the airport", he mumbled.

"Maybe 'cause they are worried for you."

"Yeah, like as if", he scoffed.

Soon enough a car pulled right before us. I suppose they are Yohan's parents. His mother got out of the car immediately and rushed towards Yohan worriedly while his Dad went to park the car.

"Son. Why didn't you tell us anything!? Are you alright? Are you hurt? Why are you at the hospital?", she threw her many questions at once while Yohan looked embarrassed as hell. I smiled looking at his mother's concerned self.

"Stop it, Mom! Don't act as if you care about me after dumping me in that bloody Academy!", he yelled.

"Son, what are you speaking about? Dumping you there? No, child, no. You have a misunderstanding", his mother tried to explain.

"Misunderstanding? When I wanted you guys the most, when I wanted you to ask me if I'm alright, y-you just got rid of me. You paid loads of money and abandoned me in Stoneridge", he responded. I guess he held in his feelings for too long. It was about time for him to let it all out.

"No, that's not true. I agree we weren't good enough parents, but we did not abandon you, son."

"Oh yeah? Then why did you yell at me when I used to come home drenched in spoilt milk", he hissed in anger. His father, who joined us a little earlier, replied to him, "That anger was not directed at you. We were angry at ourselves for not raising you to be a strong enough person who could fight for himself. Instead of taking out that anger on ourselves, we ended up raging at you. It wasn't because we thought that you are a weakling, son. Whenever you used to come home, after being bullied by those students, every night your mother and I used to cry while going to bed. I accept we were wrong then. But abandoning you? No, child. That's not true", his father cleared.

"When you first started cutting yourself, we felt like our world was crashing on us. We searched for many rehabilitation centers. But we knew you wouldn't agree to go. Finally, we found the Stoneridge Academy. It was the perfect place. A rehabilitation center in disguise of a boarding school. We decided right away that no matter how much we would have to pay, we will get you enrolled there. We wanted our son back. We wanted you to be happy again", his mother wept. Unknowingly, my eyes too welled up. But Yohan was not convinced. He did not believe his parents' words. Soon enough, his parents left realizing that their son was not going to believe them no matter what they tell. After they left, Yohan glared at me.

"Were you the one who told them about what happened in Stoneridge?"

Uh-oh.

"No. Why would I tell them? I don't even have their numbers", I lied.

"Beth asked me for my parents' numbers today. She said you wanted them", he retorted. I closed my eyes and mentally face palmed myself.

Stupid Bethany Hammington!

"I'm sorry if I'm being rude by interfering in your personal matter. But as a fellow mother, I can't stay quiet either." My mother walked up to him.

"A mother carries her child for nine long months and after going through so much pain, she brings her child out into this world. While giving birth, because of the pain a mother goes through, she thinks that she'll never become pregnant ever again. But as she hears her child's first cry, she forgets all the pain. That's how mothers are, child. Just to bring a smile on the face of their children, just to keep them happy, they are ready to face any pain. If a mother really wants to abandon her child, then she would when she gets to know that she is pregnant. No mother can turn her back on her children", she tried to explain.

"Mrs.Anderson, I don't mean to be rude, but you are telling this because you do not know my parents. You don't know what I have been through", he expressed his pain. This time, my dad walked up to him and grabbed his shoulders.

"Yes, we don't know your parents. We don't know what you have been through. But we did understand from the little commotion earlier that you were bullied and they did not support you. And that lead you to cut yourself", Dad said straightforwardly which received a puzzled expression from Yohan.

Ugh! Dad! Put some emotions into your words!

"But child, we are parents. And we have a daughter who has gone through trauma. Every night she woke up from her nightmares, shrieking in pain, I rushed to her room to embrace her and let her cry onto my t-shirt. As she wept on, I cried too, together with her. She was the one in pain, but we were the ones hurting. That's how parents are. They can't see their children suffering in pain. Few parents embrace the situation and cry with their children. While few do the opposite. That's not because they don't love their children. It's only because they don't know how to express their love. Not every person becomes a parent as soon as they come into this world. Few understand what parents are when they become a parent and few others take time. Your parents too are one of those kinds. They are parents, but they weren't one from the very beginning. It's been years now since they have become one, but they might need a few days more to understand how parents need to be. But trust me, child, there's no way they abandoned you. Stoneridge just isn't a place for abandoning their children. It is a place which was meant to heal your wounds", dad explained. I could see Yohan pondering over dad's words and I knew the job was done. He'll soon understand that his parents did not desert him.

But that aside, I was happy to have parents like mine. I made a note to remind myself to tell my parents how much I love them. After all they do for us, a little appreciation is what they need in return. It might be little, but it does wonders.

Therefore, to all the mothers and fathers out there, thank you for bringing us into this world. Thank you for raising us to be who we are today. Thank you for loving us more than yourself.

Thank you, Mum and Dad.

We love you.