It was the 21st of September. The night was dark and the rain was hard. The lightning flashed with a great roar of thunder.
Along with the thunder was a voice of a woman, crying in pain inside the labor room of the town hospital. “Okey, breathe… then try again.” – the doctor said to the woman, while trying to pull the baby out, carefully.
Outside the room was a man, wearing a black polo. He looks upset and undoubtedly sad. “What have I done?” – he whispered as he took a silent deep breath once again, but the air just won’t seep through his nerves. The agony of the soul is overwhelming.
It was 12:22 pass midnight when a tiny voice of a crying baby echoed inside the room. The baby was healthy and undoubtedly cute; his thin long eyelashes made him look like a new born angel. At his nape was a star-like birth mark.
Along with the baby’s tiny noise was another sound, a sound of a deep mourning, crying in silence, breathing the poignant truth. The man in black polo ran outside the building and stayed at the parking lot nearby. As the rain continued to pour with all its might, he felt the tongue of droplets sliding along his body. His face is now wet, but it’s a question whether it is the rain or is it the saline of his anguish.
Morning came. The woman saw the man, still wearing that black polo since last night. The woman said – “Hold me dear… am too weak, let me feel your life. How’s our baby? Did you see him?”
The man nodded as he touched her forehead.
A month passed. The horrifying truth can no longer be kept.
“I can’t marry you, I can’t… I’m already married.” – the man said in a weary voice.
The woman did not reply. She is too weak and too numb to utter anymore words. Suddenly, flashes of yonder dreams crashed in front of her. She gave her everything to him for that hopes of someday. But where’s hope?… where’s someday?... gone forever!
Months turned into a year, then two, and then three. Years spent with a half-man and poignancy. The woman now had enough courage to speak once and for all. She said – “Go now… I can live the baby alone; go back to your family.”
The man was shock, but he’s been waiting for this moment, this moment of riddance. So he packed up his things. The little boy watched him from behind and said – “Daddy, where’ya going?”
He turned around, hugged his kid and said – “Somewhere, son.”
“Don’t leave me daddy!” – the little boy is now crying.
“It won’t be long son.”
“Mr. Reb Jahrig, Congratulations! You’re now the new manager of this software firm. The youngest, so far! Haha! Keep up the good work, kid!” – the fat man wearing a black tuxedo in his mid-40’s said.
Reb smiled and realize – “It was only 5 months ago since I graduated from college, and now, I’m a manager! Lucky strike!”
Its already 7 in the evening. The fat man in black tuxedo is driving his Ford Expedition. He saw Reb along the way, then he asked – “Where’s your car?”
Reb smiled and said – “Uh-oh! Coding sir!”
“Come on in, I’ll give you a hitch!”
“I’m fine sir, I can commute.”
“You sure?”
“Count on it!”
The tinted-glass window slowly moved up and the Ford Expedition got lost in the crowd full of cabs and shuttles.
A taxi stopped and he hurriedly went in. “North Boulevard” – Reb said.
The traffic lights shine along the winding road. Traffic jam is always a part of the evening show. The taxi driver killed the silence – “What’s the time, though?”
Reb replied – “7:22”
“Nice watch! Luxurious at that young age.” – the driver said, teasing.
“I bought it as a consolation… from my very first salary.” – Reb replied cordially.
The driver smiled and said – “Fate is always cruel to me, see me?, am old and still poor. Look at you, young and full of hopes. I wish my son will be like you… soon!”
“He will, you’re a hard-working man. You’re a good father.”
“Oh no! You don’t know me. I’m not really a good father.” – the driver faked a hollow smile.
“You work so hard for your family, you are a good father.” – Reb replied with an uncomfortable tone.
“Your father work hard too?” – the driver asked.
“My father?... I don’t want to talk about him.”
“Why?” – the driver asked again.
“Because I don’t want to hate him. Its much better not to talk about him.”
“Hmmm! I can sense a kid who never knew his father.” – the driver said in teasing tone.
“True.” – Reb replied.
“No plans to find your father?”
“I told you, its much better for me not to see him again, atleast I don’t hate him. I’m not so sure if ever we encounter each other… ya’know man! Hatred and angst might spur up in me. I don’t want that thing to happen. So better not to see him for eternity.” – Reb said in irritable tone.
The driver replied – “Good kid! Hatred won’t take you anywhere but in pain.”
The taxi turned right across the North Boulevard. Reb gave the driver his due. As the driver took the money, Reb noticed the red serpent-and-rose tattoo on the driver’s forefinger. Reb looked at the driver and smiled. As he turn his way out of the taxi, the driver saw Reb’s nape. The driver wanted to follow Reb outside but Reb’s voice echoed inside his head – “Its much better for me not to see him again, atleast I don’t hate him… Hatred and angst might spur up in me. I don’t want that to happen. So better not see him for eternity.”
Tears suddenly rolled on the driver’s old and hardened cheeks as he whispered – “My son… forgive me.”
Reb opened the door and found his mother still cooking their dinner. “How’s work son?” – the woman wearing an apron asked Reb.
Reb seemed to be pre-occupied, so his mother asked him again – “What’s bothering you?”
Reb said – “I can’t remember… I mean… that red serpent-and-rose tattoo on forefinger… I can’t…”
“I told you, never talk about your father again Reb, we should avoid things that will lead us to hatred!” – the woman said in intrepid voice.
Suddenly, Reb was back 18 years ago inside their old house. He saw his father packing up his things. Reb asked – “Daddy, where 'ya going?”
“Somewhere, son” – his father replied.
“Don’t leave me daddy!” – Reb started crying.
“It won’t be long son.” Then his father hugged him.
Reb was crying as he hugged his daddy tightly, too. But his mom came in and pulled Reb into her arms. Reb held tight to his father’s hands, but little by little, their hands slipped off each other’s. Reb saw the red serpent-and-rose tattoo.
Reb suddenly broke the silence of the evening – “Mom, I just saw dad. Actually, I was his last passenger.”
FIN.
“In a fiction lies a fact.”
Along with the thunder was a voice of a woman, crying in pain inside the labor room of the town hospital. “Okey, breathe… then try again.” – the doctor said to the woman, while trying to pull the baby out, carefully.
Outside the room was a man, wearing a black polo. He looks upset and undoubtedly sad. “What have I done?” – he whispered as he took a silent deep breath once again, but the air just won’t seep through his nerves. The agony of the soul is overwhelming.
It was 12:22 pass midnight when a tiny voice of a crying baby echoed inside the room. The baby was healthy and undoubtedly cute; his thin long eyelashes made him look like a new born angel. At his nape was a star-like birth mark.
Along with the baby’s tiny noise was another sound, a sound of a deep mourning, crying in silence, breathing the poignant truth. The man in black polo ran outside the building and stayed at the parking lot nearby. As the rain continued to pour with all its might, he felt the tongue of droplets sliding along his body. His face is now wet, but it’s a question whether it is the rain or is it the saline of his anguish.
Morning came. The woman saw the man, still wearing that black polo since last night. The woman said – “Hold me dear… am too weak, let me feel your life. How’s our baby? Did you see him?”
The man nodded as he touched her forehead.
A month passed. The horrifying truth can no longer be kept.
“I can’t marry you, I can’t… I’m already married.” – the man said in a weary voice.
The woman did not reply. She is too weak and too numb to utter anymore words. Suddenly, flashes of yonder dreams crashed in front of her. She gave her everything to him for that hopes of someday. But where’s hope?… where’s someday?... gone forever!
Months turned into a year, then two, and then three. Years spent with a half-man and poignancy. The woman now had enough courage to speak once and for all. She said – “Go now… I can live the baby alone; go back to your family.”
The man was shock, but he’s been waiting for this moment, this moment of riddance. So he packed up his things. The little boy watched him from behind and said – “Daddy, where’ya going?”
He turned around, hugged his kid and said – “Somewhere, son.”
“Don’t leave me daddy!” – the little boy is now crying.
“It won’t be long son.”
“Mr. Reb Jahrig, Congratulations! You’re now the new manager of this software firm. The youngest, so far! Haha! Keep up the good work, kid!” – the fat man wearing a black tuxedo in his mid-40’s said.
Reb smiled and realize – “It was only 5 months ago since I graduated from college, and now, I’m a manager! Lucky strike!”
Its already 7 in the evening. The fat man in black tuxedo is driving his Ford Expedition. He saw Reb along the way, then he asked – “Where’s your car?”
Reb smiled and said – “Uh-oh! Coding sir!”
“Come on in, I’ll give you a hitch!”
“I’m fine sir, I can commute.”
“You sure?”
“Count on it!”
The tinted-glass window slowly moved up and the Ford Expedition got lost in the crowd full of cabs and shuttles.
A taxi stopped and he hurriedly went in. “North Boulevard” – Reb said.
The traffic lights shine along the winding road. Traffic jam is always a part of the evening show. The taxi driver killed the silence – “What’s the time, though?”
Reb replied – “7:22”
“Nice watch! Luxurious at that young age.” – the driver said, teasing.
“I bought it as a consolation… from my very first salary.” – Reb replied cordially.
The driver smiled and said – “Fate is always cruel to me, see me?, am old and still poor. Look at you, young and full of hopes. I wish my son will be like you… soon!”
“He will, you’re a hard-working man. You’re a good father.”
“Oh no! You don’t know me. I’m not really a good father.” – the driver faked a hollow smile.
“You work so hard for your family, you are a good father.” – Reb replied with an uncomfortable tone.
“Your father work hard too?” – the driver asked.
“My father?... I don’t want to talk about him.”
“Why?” – the driver asked again.
“Because I don’t want to hate him. Its much better not to talk about him.”
“Hmmm! I can sense a kid who never knew his father.” – the driver said in teasing tone.
“True.” – Reb replied.
“No plans to find your father?”
“I told you, its much better for me not to see him again, atleast I don’t hate him. I’m not so sure if ever we encounter each other… ya’know man! Hatred and angst might spur up in me. I don’t want that thing to happen. So better not to see him for eternity.” – Reb said in irritable tone.
The driver replied – “Good kid! Hatred won’t take you anywhere but in pain.”
The taxi turned right across the North Boulevard. Reb gave the driver his due. As the driver took the money, Reb noticed the red serpent-and-rose tattoo on the driver’s forefinger. Reb looked at the driver and smiled. As he turn his way out of the taxi, the driver saw Reb’s nape. The driver wanted to follow Reb outside but Reb’s voice echoed inside his head – “Its much better for me not to see him again, atleast I don’t hate him… Hatred and angst might spur up in me. I don’t want that to happen. So better not see him for eternity.”
Tears suddenly rolled on the driver’s old and hardened cheeks as he whispered – “My son… forgive me.”
Reb opened the door and found his mother still cooking their dinner. “How’s work son?” – the woman wearing an apron asked Reb.
Reb seemed to be pre-occupied, so his mother asked him again – “What’s bothering you?”
Reb said – “I can’t remember… I mean… that red serpent-and-rose tattoo on forefinger… I can’t…”
“I told you, never talk about your father again Reb, we should avoid things that will lead us to hatred!” – the woman said in intrepid voice.
Suddenly, Reb was back 18 years ago inside their old house. He saw his father packing up his things. Reb asked – “Daddy, where 'ya going?”
“Somewhere, son” – his father replied.
“Don’t leave me daddy!” – Reb started crying.
“It won’t be long son.” Then his father hugged him.
Reb was crying as he hugged his daddy tightly, too. But his mom came in and pulled Reb into her arms. Reb held tight to his father’s hands, but little by little, their hands slipped off each other’s. Reb saw the red serpent-and-rose tattoo.
Reb suddenly broke the silence of the evening – “Mom, I just saw dad. Actually, I was his last passenger.”
FIN.
“In a fiction lies a fact.”