That's how my three years passed in the blink of an eye. I became six. Looking outside the window the wind hitting my face with full power in the car—feeling refreshed!
I laughed and held on the window frame, lurking out; pointing at the building and stalls like crazy.
"It's so amazing. So big and tall. There are so many colours too and the amazing food. What is all this? It's so good. There are so many colours and it's glowing, it's beautiful." My eyes glowing and reflecting the lights outside, I grin and glance at the person beside me with curiosity to ask what is this.
I lived on the third floor, where I live isn't even plastering properly, half-paster half-brick. I also see some red fluid on the ground and walls too. But why is this building not like mine? weird?
The person beside him noticed the stare and looked at me with a stiff expression and suddenly grabbed my shoulders—dragging me back to my seat. Moving the hand from the shoulder to thigh and insert pressure on it.
It started throbbing on my thigh because of the grip. I helplessly looked up with a dry smile, the brightness of my eyes fading away as I said with a soft but shattered voice, "Mo..mmy—?? What are you doing?"
"Can't you just sit still and don't be too loud." My mommy replied while massaging her temple.
I smile, turning my face to the window again with a sadder look. Eyebrows frowning with a happy but cold smile, I sigh; As I mumbled to myself, "I am fine—" in the middle mommy interpreted and said with a low voice full of rage, "Stop smiling. It's pissing me off."
"En?" I act like I don't hear, looking at my mommy with dull eyes with a smile again. "YOU BRAT!!" My mommy suddenly lift her hand and glared at me then,
SLAP~
"Why are you acting like you don't hear me? You don't have manners at all." Mommy shouted and slapped me twice again.
I grab my aching and swallow cheeks which were red and burning with pain, my fake smile also gone and destroying my little bit of happiness in trash. Tears in my eyes, I look at the mommy's palm on the right in the air, closing my eyes waiting for the beating. Man—ers! What is it even? Mommy saying weird words and beating me. Such a strange reason.
Ten seconds later.
Nothing happened.
I slowly opened my eyes a bit and saw. I saw someone was grabbing mommy's wrist and stopping her from slapping me and that person was none other than my daddy… He hmph'd sitting beside my mommy.
My daddy was grabbing my mommy's wrist, stopping her! Wow! What a surprise. Daddy's protecting me… right?
I look at the daddy so called calm and creepy smile passing on me, conforming to my mommy while stroking her palm onto his—caresing her.
"Why are you wasting your precious effort on him? It's filthy and it is going to affect your flower-like skin."
"But…. but you see how that brat was acting like a f*cking toddler."
"Come-on honey. I tell you to stop." My daddy looked at my mommy, widening his red eyes and tightened the grip on her wrist. "Means stop. I don't like when you act like a kid. You know fully well right? Honey?"
My mommy is coughing and sweating, "Hm…" Nodding. "I quite didn't hear you. Say it loud." My mommy didn't waste time and said with a shattered, "Yeah… Why are you getting angry… honey."
"Then don't make me do that again." My daddy came back to his usual self.
Then daddy's gaze landed on me, trembling on the seat's corner. Rubbing my bruised cheeks and my gaze met his; my eyes filled with fear again, feeling goosebumps.
My daddy spread his arms toward me—I backed up instantly but he grabbed me anyway. Wrapping his palms around my waist and lifting me up.
I glanced up at the daddy face which was right in front of me—I quickly lowered my head and squeezed my eyes tight.
My daddy flipped me and placed me on his thigh, making me comfortable to sit and fixing my weight.
My eyes widened and didn't have the courage to see behind me so I just settled on it. Leaning on the car's window, half laying and closing my eyes—sleepy.
I take a long yawn; touching the corners of the opened window and sensing the wing hitting on my face—calming.
"We are now in a city. These are buildings where we can live. And you see the small shops down, you can eat anything there if it is there at a low price."
I glanced up in surprise, it's daddy's voice why he's explaining to me. When I saw his face, my body flinched in goosebumps, making me tremble. My daddy was smiling and looking down at me with a soft and concerned look in his eyes.
I passed the smile to my daddy and lowered my face, a little smile playing on my face—my daddy talked to me for the first time, a gentle one.
Dreaming… I pinched on my cheeks with my full strength. It hurts. I touched it and said, "It's real?" Then I hear another voice, "Yeah it's real." My daddy says with a smile.
"Why is it so shiny on the bull-ding? It's so nice to look at."
"Bull-ding? What is it?"
"Huh—bull-ding." I point at the bull-ding while my smile widens. "Oh! It's a building."
"Bull-ding. Yep, I was talking about it. Why it's so nice and its struuuture is so different from ours."
"Sigh… they have money and they made it how they want." My daddy rubbed his temple a bit and shook his head in disappointment.
"Hm… I get it. Money. Do they need money? How much?"
"How would I know that? It depends on their mind what they want to make and how much money it would take."
"It all depends on money and mind only."
"I suppose."
Then silence engulfed us and I just stared outside not in the mood to talk anymore recklessly and if my daddy mood swings it would be dangerous.
My daddy's mood swings like one seconds ago laughing and playing with my mommy and in the next seconds starts shouting but strangely enough for me he never lifts his hand for mommy and me.
"You know, ask me anything."
"Why is mommy always angry at me and doesn't play with me?"
"She's so tired. You can see." He pointed at the person beside him, who was already in deep sleep while laying on the daddy's shoulder like a sleepy beauty.
My daddy blushes, "She's beautiful right?"
"Yeah ha ha." I awkwardly chuckled, she is but why is mommy always rude to me and I know fully well that she hates me. Why even try to hide which is too obvious. I am not foolish.
It hurts. I wipe my tears, staring outside.
"Where are we going?" I asked.
"Hm… it's a surprise."
"Really? Is it a great one or…"
"Great one?" my daddy said with a low voice, "I guess."
"Okay."
Night is young, the thousand of lights glowing all over where my sight can reach and so many noises—no silence like mine's area. The beep-beep sound and I can also hear a woman singing on? But weirdly I don't know.
The rain is pouring, the breeze becoming fast and cold. Daddy hugged me tightly to radiate the heat on me to make me feel warmth.
"Go to sleep."
He flipped me again and wrapped his arms around, stroking my back up-and-down motion. His movement is soft and gentle which I haven't experienced for a long time now. He wrapped his scarf around mommy and me—but surprisely, including me too. Cutting the cold wind—but why don't he just close the window? I don't get it but who cares.
I hugged him back, rubbing my dry face on him and glancing up with a wide smile, my eyes opened filled with happiness, glowing and I said, "Good night, daddy."
Daddy stroked my back and looked at me with a smile, his ears red and he said with a shyness, "Good night brat. Now sleep."
After that conversion I say nothing and fall into deep sleep. And getting excited. Daddy's gonna give me something in the morning. A surprise!!
TO BE CONTINUED.