Brute

Part 2

Nine

The hair at the back of my head pricked again. This few weeks, I had a reason to be cautious. Somehow, I felt liked I was being followed. But, this was not some drama in a tv, nor I was important enough to be followed. I lived my life good, not making any enemy, not being wild, nor hurt anybody; well, maybe...only one, years ago. After five years of living my life in this rural area, teaching elementary English and mathematic, I was already used to having a stagnant life, work, home, work and back to home. This was the village that my grandparents had lived. The old house still stood right, though they had passed away long ago. Before, I just came back during holiday to clean the surrounding land and paid merit in their memories. Now, this was my home. My parents worked in the city, and I went back to the city every school holidays.

I turned around to see if anyone was following me, all I saw was row of trees, the dusty pathway and wind slowly blowing the tree leaves to the side. I shook my head and walk again, the school and my home was about a half an hour walk, so I chose not to drive, instead enjoying the scenery around. Rural area was in comparison, safer to walk alone. Maybe, the most danger you could encounter, was stray dogs or angry cow, which till date, I have not been attacked even once.

After a shower and a light lunch, I rested on my bed and watched random things on my phone. The entertainment segment, again, was delightfully reporting about a lady of a certain rich family that was caught making a scene at a shopping mall, causing a ruckus that end up with the security throwing her out from the premise. My eyes dimmed looking at the viral video, my heart felt pain. How must he felt, dealing with this kind of a mother his whole life? Who would comfort him in time liked this? But, I just took a resign breath and put my phone away. He was an adult now. He must found a way to cope and control that temper. I shouldn't have to care anymore, it was none of my business.

I wanted to take a nap before helping my old neighbor to tend to their farm in the evening. The weed must have grown high in this wet season. They wanted to pay me up, but I refused, so they kept giving me vegetables that they grew instead. It's good for me, anyway. I needed to eat well to keep my health. I couldn't be weak. My protector was no more by my side.

Joong

"Here, Sir, everything is inside there, things that you asked me to find out", a small drive was handed to me on the table. I nodded to my assistant, and he went out from my room. I was hesitating, to look at the file or just keep it for now. But, I won't be able to sit still anyway. I shrugged my hesitation away and opened the file.

That same serene face had not changed. I raised my fingers to trace the line of his face on the screen. A little thin, jawlines more prominent, the soft cheeks that I used to pinch was no more. But that eyes or that smile, retained the same sweetness. It seemed, he looked happy, surrounded by children that looked at him with the same adoration. A teacher? He must be  passionate and patient, just as he was with life and with me. A deep longing was eating my heart. He had shown nothing but heart, in all the years of our friendship, almost impossible to suddenly turn to hate, yet, I reminded myself immediately, that he was the one who left. He didn't even say goodbye. Just a last hug and gone. He was no different than my mother. Cruel.

I was about to look into his profile, when my door was opened without a warning. My mom with all her grandiosity, walked in and stood in front of my desk. "How dare you blocked all my cards!", she screamed, throwing a tantrum liked a child. 

I remained calm, lacing my fingers together, raising my eyebrows, "In three months, you'd already spent more than a million mother, when someone else had to work their whole life to earn as much".  

"Your father never did this to me! Give me back my money!".

"Because you blackmailed him with exposing this thing and that, father was chained to you. I agreed, he was also no angel, heck both of you are a mess. But, father is no more here, accept that. I am the one in control now. I just gave you a few months, to ah, even pretend to love him so the world could see a grieving wife, indeed, you couldn't even wait that long, for the customary period to mourn to end, to enjoy your free life, again". 

"I would make you regret this, you ungrateful child! You are born drowning in stain from a tainted family. Your reputation is not as an angel too, do you think I don't know? Maybe, one of this day, I would put a spy on you child, to see how high you could rise, just to throw you down to the deepest bottom", my mother spoke with malice, turned and walked out. I took a deep breath and leaned my head back to the seat. At time liked this, I really wanted to be surrounded by my warm blanket, the one whose face was still on my computer screen; yet, at the same time, wished for him to not ever know the me that he'd never seen.