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Welcome to Focal.Point. This is a Dailymotion channel dedicated to sharing Boy Love drama episodes and romantic short films. We focus on emotional storytelling, meaningful relationships, and beautifully crafted moments that explore love, connection, and youth. Whether you are a fan of BL series or romance stories, Focal.Point aims to be a place where heartfelt stories come into focus.
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Short filmTranscript
00:00I pushed my father off the cliff. His body was impaled on a dead tree. I didn't leave
00:06until I made sure he was dead. I will never forget the earthquake. Years ago, he abandoned
00:12my mother and me to save his love. After the earthquake, Mommy fell asleep. I curled up in
00:19her arms. She was getting so cold. We were hiding under a giant rock. I sucked on Mommy's finger.
00:26She fed me warm brown sugar water. Daddy's voice came through the broken phone. Get Stella
00:34and the lightly injured first. Leave Irene for later. She's tough as nails. Waiting a little
00:38longer won't kill her. It was really Daddy. Mommy said he would rescue us soon. But why did
00:45he make Mommy wait? I whispered to the phone. Daddy, Mommy went to sleep. She gave me lots
00:54of brown sugar water. It tastes like iron. But I'm not scared. Mommy said you'll come
01:02and save me before it all runs out. The phone went totally silent. I kept drinking the warm
01:10brown sugar water. Then Daddy started screaming through the speaker. He ordered everyone to
01:16find me. Daddy was coming to me. Found her. Over here. There's a kid still alive. Mommy, it's morning.
01:31Can we go home now? I pushed against her chest. It wasn't soft like it used to be. A whole
01:37section of it
01:38was crushed inward, covered in something warm and sticky. Hurry! Grab the kid first! Huge, rough
01:46hands reached in and tore me away from her. No! Mommy's still sleeping! I want to wait for her!
01:53My fingers locked in a death grip on the hem of her shirt. Re... The fabric gave way. A man
01:59in an orange
01:59rescue vest hauled me against his chest. My mouth was crusted with dried flaky red patches. It was the
02:07brown sugar water Mommy had been feeding me. Lucy! Oh God, Lucy! A figure came stumbling through the debris.
02:16It was Daddy. He was still wearing his expensive suit. It was dusted with concrete powder, making him look a
02:24little disheveled. He grabbed me from the rescue worker and crushed me against his chest. Thank God,
02:31you're alive. I thought I'd lost you. He was sobbing, his whole body trembling. Then a scent hit me. A
02:39sickeningly
02:40sweet, overpowering perfume. It was the smell Mommy hated most in the world. She always said it was the
02:48smell of a bad woman. I squirmed against him. Daddy, Mommy's still down there. She's asleep.
02:57Daddy froze. He didn't even glance at the rubble. Instead, he forced my face into his shoulder to block
03:04my view. Shh, sweetheart. Mommy. Mommy's gone to a better place. No, she didn't! She's right down there!
03:17I cried frantically, pointing at the pitch black gap in the concrete. Mommy gave me so much brown sugar
03:23water. She promised you'd come for us before it was all gone. All the color drained from Daddy's face.
03:30He stared at the dark, crusted blood around my mouth, gulping hard. A heavy silence fell over the
03:37medics around us. One of the nurses clamped a hand over her mouth, tears spilling down her cheeks.
03:44But Daddy just looked away. He couldn't meet my eyes. What was he so scared of? Was it because of
03:50the
03:50broken phone? The one that played his voice earlier, growling like a monster? The voice that said Mommy was
03:57tough as nails and that leaving her behind wouldn't kill her. Daddy, why did you tell them to leave Mommy
04:04behind? I leaned close to his ear and whispered, Daddy recoiled, shoving me back like I had just burned
04:13him. There was no relief in his eyes anymore. Only pure, naked terror. The ambulance siren wailed as we
04:21sped down the road. I sat in the back, still clutching the torn scrap of Mommy's shirt. Daddy sat
04:27across from me, wringing his hands nervously. His hands were perfectly clean, his nails neatly manicured.
04:34They looked nothing like Mommy's hands, which were caked in mud and dried blood. Lucy, while you were
04:39down there, did you hear anything? Daddy asked tentatively, unable to meet my eyes. I licked my
04:45lips. That rusty taste was still in my mouth. I did. A visible shudder ran through Daddy. What,
04:52what did you hear? I heard you tell them to save Stella first. The air inside the ambulance instantly
04:58froze. The paramedic who had been wiping dust off my face stopped, her hand hovering in midair.
05:04She shot Daddy a piercing, icy glare. Daddy forced an awkward smile that looked more like a grimace.
05:11You misheard, sweetie. The signal was bad. Daddy was just panicking.
05:15Really? I tilted my head, studying him. But who is Stella? Why is she more important than Mommy?
05:23Daddy opened his mouth, but no words came out. He quickly turned to look out the window, pretending
05:28to wipe away a tear. When we arrived at the hospital, a massive crowd swarmed us. Camera flashes went off
05:35nonstop, so bright I couldn't open my eyes. Suddenly, Daddy acted like a completely different person.
05:42He scooped me into his arms and began sobbing hysterically for the cameras. Thank God! Thank
05:49God for bringing my daughter back to me! I'd trade anything in the world, as long as my Lucy is
05:54safe.
05:55The reporters wiped their eyes and praised Daddy for being such a good father. I rested my chin on his
06:00shoulder, watching the side of his face. He was wailing loudly, but his cheeks were completely dry.
06:07He looked just like a clown on TV. Once we got to the VIP ward, I finally saw his Stella.
06:14She was staying
06:15in a massive private hospital suite. She was wearing a frilly pink lace dress and happily eating a slice of
06:24strawberry cake. There wasn't a single scratch on her. Even her hair was perfectly brushed and shiny. A woman in
06:32a
06:32flowing white dress sat by her bedside. She was very pretty, and she radiated the exact same sickeningly sweet
06:40perfume I had smelled on Daddy. The woman stood up.
06:45Victor, you're here. Her eyes were rimmed with red, making her look incredibly fragile and pitiful. Daddy set me down
06:52immediately and hurried over to her, taking her hands in his. Camille, how is Stella? She must have been
06:59terrified. I stood in the doorway, feeling like a piece of discarded trash. Stella noticed me. She
07:07wrinkled her nose and pointed right at me. Mommy, is she the feral girl who drinks blood? She's so gross.
07:15Drinking blood. Feral girl. I stared at the smear of whipped cream on her lip. My empty stomach gave a
07:22low
07:22rumble. The woman, Camille, walked over and crouched down in front of me. You must be Lucy. Oh, you poor
07:29girl. Come let me give you a hug. She reached out to me. That's when I saw the gold bracelet
07:35gleaming on
07:36her wrist. It was the exact same bracelet Mommy had. Mommy told me Daddy had specially made it for her
07:43to
07:43celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary. So why was she wearing it? A sudden, blinding rage flared up in my
07:49chest like an enraged little animal. I lunged at her and bit down on her wrist. The bad woman shrieked,
07:55swinging her arm to violently shake me off. The sheer force sent me flying backward and my head slammed
08:01hard against the metal footboard of the hospital bed. A sharp dizzying pain shot through me, but I didn't
08:08shed a single tear. I just sat on the floor glaring at her with pure hatred. Lucy, are you crazy?
08:15Daddy rushed over.
08:16He tenderly cradled the bad woman's injured arm. Camille, are you okay? Did she hurt you? He snapped his head
08:23back around, glaring at me with absolute fury. How could you behave like this? Apologize to her right now!
08:31I stayed slumped on the cold floor. A warm trickle of liquid began sliding down my forehead. It was red
08:38too,
08:38just like the brown sugar water mommy had fed me. Daddy, I'm bleeding too. Are you gonna make me wait
08:45a little longer too? The room went dead silent. Daddy's face turned beet red with rage. The bad
08:51woman's eyes darted around. Ignoring the bite marks on her wrist, she put on a sickeningly sweet face
08:58and tried to help me up. Victor, don't be mad at her. She just lost her mom. She can't handle
09:04the shock.
09:04She stroked my head, but her nails dug hard into my skin. Be good, Lucy. I don't mind.
09:12Let me buy you some candy later, all right? I slapped her hand away. I don't want candy!
09:18I have the brown sugar water mommy gave me. The bad woman's smile vanished. Daddy, kick this freak
09:25out! She stinks! Daddy took a deep breath and buzzed for a nurse. Take her next door and get her
09:30cleaned
09:31up and have someone examine her head. She's clearly lost her mind. Examine my head? Daddy thought I was
09:37crazy. A young nurse led me away. As she cleaned my wound, she quietly wiped away her tears. Sweetie,
09:45it won't hurt. I promise to be gentle. I looked up at her. Miss, is my mommy really dead? Her
09:53hand
09:53trembled. She pulled me into a tight hug and finally broke down sobbing. Your mommy was a great mother.
10:01That evening, my grandparents arrived. The moment grandma saw me, she broke down and passed out from
10:08the shock. Grandpa leaned heavily on his cane, his hands shaking violently. He demanded,
10:14take me home with him. Dad, Lucy's been through a massive shock. She's talking nonsense right now.
10:20It's safer to keep her here for observation. But Daddy refused. But I knew the real reason. He was
10:25terrified I'd talk. Terrified I'd spill that secret. Late that night, the door to my room clicked open.
10:32It was Uncle Oscar, Daddy's personal assistant. Normally, he just trailed behind Daddy like a shadow,
10:38keeping his head down and his mouth shut. But tonight, the look in his eyes was completely different.
10:44He walked over to my bed and pulled something from his pocket. A phone with a badly shattered screen.
10:51Mommy's phone. Lucy, they dug this out of the rubble. It still works. I snatched the phone and hugged it
10:58tight
10:59against my chest. It smelled like mommy and there were patches of dried blood on the casing. Oscar gently
11:05stroked my hair. Lucy, do you want to help mommy get revenge? In a few days, it will be mommy's
11:10funeral.
11:11A lot of people will be there. And that bad woman will be there too.
11:16That day, if Daddy speaks upstorn, press this triangle, okay? I stared at the little red play
11:22button and nodded hard. Okay, this was a game. A game only Oscar and I knew about. I was going
11:29to
11:30make sure everyone heard exactly what Daddy said that day. It rained on the day of mommy's funeral. The sky
11:36was gray. It looked like a dirty rag. I wore the black dress grandma bought me. A tiny white flower
11:44was pinned to my chest. The memorial hall was huge. It was packed with white flowers. Mommy's portrait
11:53hung right in the middle. She was smiling in the picture. Her eyes crinkled like little crescent moons.
12:01Daddy stood at the very front. He wore a crisp black suit. He looked terrible. His eyes were sunken.
12:12His face unshaven. People said he was a deeply devoted man. That he had grown so thin just after losing
12:22his wife.
12:23The bad woman didn't show up, but Stella did. She wore a black lace dress. She mouthed the words,
12:33You don't have a mom anymore. She made mean faces at me. I just stared blankly at her.
12:41I slipped my hand into my pocket. My fingers brushed the cold shattered phone. The ceremony began.
12:49The somber music made my chest feel tight. Daddy walked up to the podium. He clutched a few sheets
12:57of paper. He started reading his eulogy. Irene, my beloved wife. He choked up on the very first line.
13:06The crowd wiped away their tears. They were moved by his heartbreaking true love.
13:12We've known each other for ten years and loved each other for ten years. You knew me better than anyone,
13:18and you were the person I loved most. The moment the earthquake struck, I wished I could have died in
13:24your place. If time could turn back, I would be by your side, holding your hand, and I would never
13:32let
13:32you face the darkness alone. He swayed, looking like he might collapse. A few relatives rushed up to
13:41hold him. They whispered words of comfort. Irene, how could you be so cruel? How could you leave Lucy and
13:50leave me behind? He beat his chest, wailing at mom's back. I stood in the front row. Oscar was right
13:59beside me. He
14:00knelt down to fix my collar. He gave my hand a tight squeeze. His palm was slick with sweat. Are
14:07you ready, Lucy?
14:08He whispered. Only I could hear him. I looked up at Daddy on stage. He was giving the performance of
14:16a
14:16lifetime. I watched his fake tears and trembling shoulders. I remembered her slicing open her own
14:26fingers. She fed me her blood, smiling through the pain. I thought about the dark cold rubble. I thought of
14:34Mommy's body growing cold. I remembered those cruel words. Waiting a little longer won't kill her. A massive
14:42wave of anger exploded inside me. I didn't fully understand hatred yet, but I knew I had to ruin his
14:52life. Clutching the shattered phone, I walked on stage. A hush fell over the crowd. They thought,
15:01that I just wanted to comfort Daddy. Daddy saw me approaching. Panic flashed in his eyes, but he hid it.
15:09He dropped to one knee and opened his arms. Lucy, come here, sweetie. Daddy misses her too. He wanted to
15:17pull me
15:17into a hug. He wanted to end his show with fake love. I stopped right in front of him. I
15:26didn't hug him.
15:27I raised the shattered phone instead. It was still stained with Mommy's dried blood.
15:35Daddy's pupils shrank in pure terror. He recognized the phone immediately. He lunged forward to snatch it.
15:45Lucy, that's dirty! Give it to Daddy right now!
15:48Right as his fingertips grazed the screen, my thumb slammed down on the red triangle.
15:55The Bluetooth is already synced to the giant speakers. The audio kicked in instantly.
16:01A harsh burst of static pierced the silence. Then that familiar cold voice boomed like thunder.
16:09Get Stella and the lightly injured first! The entire hall went dead silent. Every single eye locked
16:17onto Daddy. His hand froze in the air. The color completely drained from his face. The recording
16:26kept playing crystal clear. Leave Irene for later. She's tough as nails. Waiting a little longer
16:34won't kill her. Every word was a vicious slap across his face. Guests' jaws dropped in pure shock.
16:41They stared at this devoted husband. Furious whispers quickly filled the room.
16:49Is that Victor's voice? Oh my god, did he actually say that? Get Stella first? Who is Stella?
16:54Daddy collapsed to the floor like a rag doll. He scrambled up in a total panic. He tried to shut
17:03off the speakers. No! It's not real! It's a fake! It's just a sick prank! A heavy wooden cane slammed
17:12into
17:13Daddy's back. It was Grandpa. He beat Daddy over and over again. You bastard! You heartless bastard!
17:23Placed my daughter in your hands and this is how you treated her! She's tough! You made her wait! Do
17:30you
17:30know she bled to death down there! Tears streamed down Grandpa's face. Every strike was fueled by pure rage.
17:39Daddy cowered, shielding his head. Blood dripped from a nasty cut on his forehead. Nobody tried to stop it.
17:47They just watched with sheer disgust. The reporters finally snapped out of it. Camera flashes erupted like
17:55crazy. The tragic love story was dead. It was now a massive cheating scandal.
18:04Is Stella your illegitimate daughter? Did you let your wife die for your mistress? Did you let your
18:08die for your mistress? Microphones were shoved right into his bloody face. He covered his face,
18:15eyes, refusing to look up. I stood in the dead center of the chaos. I still gripped the phone
18:22tightly. Oscar rushed up and scooped me up. He shielded me and backed away.
18:29Good job, Lucy. He whispered softly. I looked over Oscar's shoulder. I stared at Daddy on the floor. He
18:38looked so small and pathetic, like a rat crushed under a boot. Stella burst into tears from the noise.
18:46She screamed from behind the marble pillar. Daddy, help me! The reporters finally snapped out of it.
18:56Is that Stella? She actually looks a bit like Victor. What? He let his wife die for a bastard!
19:04They threw them right at Stella. The scene completely spiraled out of control. The police showed up
19:12after someone called 911. Grandma pulled me close, sobbing uncontrollably.
19:19Let's go home, Lucy. He's dead to us now. I didn't cry or throw a tantrum. I just watched everything
19:30in dead silence. Before we left, I looked back. Daddy was kneeling before Mommy's portrait. He reached out
19:39to touch her picture. Grandpa kicked him away. Don't touch her with your filthy hands!
19:46Daddy collapsed onto the floor. He looked at me with pure desperation. Lucy, Daddy was wrong. I
19:58completely ignored him. I turned my head to Mommy's portrait. Did you hear that, Mommy? Everyone finally
20:05knows he's the bad guy. After that massive funeral scene, I got sick. The doctor said I had severe PTSD.
20:15I stopped talking entirely. I just hugged Mommy's old clothes. I wouldn't eat. I only drank brown sugar
20:26water. If I ate anything else, I threw up. Everything tasted like rusty iron to me. Grandma cooked different
20:36meals every single day, but I couldn't take a single bite. I lost so much weight. I looked like a
20:47terrifying
20:48little skeleton. Daddy came by our house a few times. He was suspended from his company. His reputation was
20:57completely destroyed. People threw rotten eggs at his door daily. He wanted to see me. He begged my
21:06grandparents for forgiveness. Grandpa chased him off with a heavy broom. He kneeled outside our front door.
21:14I watched him through a crack in the curtains. He stayed on his knees all night long. It was pouring
21:23rain
21:24that night. Just like the day of Mommy's funeral. He was totally soaked to the bone. His wet hair plastered
21:32to
21:32his face. He looked like a pathetic drowned rat. Lucy, I know I messed up. Please just look at me.
21:40You're all I have left.
21:41He screamed through the pouring rain. His voice was totally hoarse. I thought it was hilarious.
21:49I'm all he has left? What about Stella? What about the bad woman? Did they abandon him already?
21:58Grandma walked into my bedroom. She held a warm cup of brown sugar water. Grandma asked me so carefully,
22:07Lucy. Lucy, he's still out there. Do you want to see him? I took the cup from her hands. I
22:16took a tiny
22:18little sip. It was warm and sweet, but I still tasted a hint of blood. I shook my head at
22:26Grandma. I walked
22:28right up to the window. I pulled the curtains tightly shut in his face. I remembered being trapped under the
22:39rubble. I had screamed for him just like that. I screamed until my voice went hoarse, but he only cared
22:48about
22:49other people. Now it was his turn to scream. I was going to let him wait too. He could wait
22:57until he died.
22:59I sat in my room drawing pictures. I only used black and red crayons. I drew a pitch black box.
23:10A monster was
23:12trapped inside it. The monster was crying endlessly, but nobody paid any attention to it. Grandpa said
23:22daddy's company was going bankrupt. Everyone was boycotting his business. Nobody wanted to work with
23:30a murderer. Oscar dug up his fake accounting books. Turns out he wasn't just a terrible dad. He
23:38was a completely corrupt boss too. He embezzled tons of company money. He bought the bad woman a house
23:48and a car. I listened to my grandparents talking about it. I felt absolutely nothing inside. I just
23:56kept sipping my warm brown sugar water cup after cup. I drank until my stomach physically ached,
24:05until the rusty iron taste finally faded. The bad woman got arrested. She was caught at the airport
24:14trying to flee. Dad's company was completely ruined. She drained his remaining bank accounts.
24:22She tried to take Stella out of the country, but Oscar was one step ahead of her. His police
24:31buddies caught her red-handed. Grandpa took me to the police station. I had to give a statement about my
24:42custody. I saw the bad woman in the hallway. She was wearing shiny silver handcuffs. Her hair was a complete
24:52rat's nest. Her makeup was totally smeared. Stella was crying so hard she couldn't breathe. Snot was
25:01running all down her face. Mommy, I want to go home! I don't want to be here! Shut up! Shut
25:06up!
25:07Stop your crying! When she saw me, her eyes went bloodshot. She lunged at me like a total mad woman.
25:15It's all your fault, you little bastard! If it wasn't for your bitch mother,
25:18Victor wouldn't be completely bankrupt. I wouldn't be in this total mess!
25:23A police officer grabbed her instantly. He pinned her hard against the wall.
25:29Stay still! I hid behind grandpa and peeked out. Her face was completely twisted with rage.
25:38She looked like an ugly old witch. Daddy was there too. He was there as a witness and as a
25:47victim.
25:48Adam, seeing her, daddy charged forward. He tried to punch her right there.
25:55Camille, you vicious bitch! After everything I did for you, you cleaned out my accounts and ran?
26:00That's enough! Did right by me? Give me a break. If you really cared about me,
26:07you would have divorced Irina a long time ago. And you wanted me to give you a son. And what
26:13did you
26:14end up with? No son. So, that was the real truth. They tore into each other like rabid dogs. The
26:24cops
26:24couldn't watch it anymore. They forcibly dragged them apart. I looked at daddy's pathetic face. It was
26:31covered in spit and blood. Camille looked completely ruined too. Suddenly, I felt something shift inside
26:40me. The heavy boulder in my chest lifted. I let go of grandpa's hand. I walked right up to the
26:48bad
26:48woman. You are so ugly! I finally spoke my first words in weeks. Even uglier than the rats in the
26:57ruins.
26:58Then, I turned around. Grandpa, I want to go home. I want my warm brown sugar water. Later,
27:06grandpa sorted through mommy's belongings. He found an old diary. It had a light pink cover. It was mommy's
27:17favorite notebook. Grandpa put on his reading glasses. He read it and cried hysterically. He cried until he
27:26almost passed out. I leaned in to look too. I couldn't read all those big words. But I recognized mommy's
27:36drawings. Tucked inside the pages was a photo. It was a black and white ultrasound picture. It showed a
27:46blurry little shadow. He looked at me with tearful eyes. Lucy, this is your little brother. I was
27:56completely stunned. Or little sister. It turned out that on the day of the earthquake, mommy still had a
28:03baby in her belly. Grandpa read mom's diary out loud to me. Went in for a checkup today. The doctor
28:11said the baby looks perfect. I want to surprise Victor. I'll tell him on his birthday. I hope it's a
28:18boy. When he grows up, he can protect Lucy. Victor's been coming home later and later. He always smells
28:25like perfume. But I trust him. He promised he'd change. For my two children, I can endure anything.
28:33My tears came flooding out. I thought about the earthquake again. When that huge slab came crashing
28:41down. Mom didn't lie flat. She curled herself into a bridge. She used her back to block the rocks. She
28:53shielded me and the baby underneath her. In the dark, she kept encouraging me. She fed me her blood.
29:01She never once said she was hurting. So that was the truth. She was protecting both of us. Me
29:10and the baby. But what did dad say? He said mom was tough. He said save Stella first. He killed
29:21his own
29:21wife and his unborn child too. Somehow dad found out. That night he started wailing downstairs.
29:31He rolled around on the ground. He slammed his head into the wall. His forehead split open.
29:38God just kill me. I'm guilty. I'm a bastard. He was confessing. But it was too late. Mom couldn't hear
29:47him
29:47anymore. The baby couldn't hear him either. And neither could I. I held the diary tight against my chest.
29:55Grandpa. Grandpa, I don't hate him anymore. Grandpa stared at me in shock. Hating someone takes strength.
30:03Because he's not worth it. He deserved to rot like garbage. Dad was going to prison. For financial crimes
30:12and embezzlement. The amount was massive. Before sentencing, he begged grandpa countless times.
30:23He wanted to see me once more. Grandpa didn't want to agree. But I nodded.
30:32We met on a park bench. It was autumn. The leaves had all turned yellow. The wind felt sharp and
30:42cold. Dad was
30:44wearing the detention center vest. Handcuffs hung from his wrists. Only a few months had passed. But he
30:53looked 60. His back was bent too. When he saw me, his eyes lit up. He tried to reach for
31:00me. He wanted to
31:02hug me. But I stepped back. His hand froze in midair. Then he pulled it back awkwardly.
31:09Lucy. You've gotten taller. His voice came out rough and broken. Dad's going somewhere far away.
31:20I may not back home for a long time. I said nothing. I just looked at him quietly. He was
31:26crying hard now.
31:28I failed you. I failed your mom. And I failed that unborn baby too. I'll never repay that debt.
31:35Tears and snot covered his face. I watched him sob uncontrollably. And strangely, I felt calm.
31:45It was strawberry hard candy. Mom used to give me those with medicine.
31:53Mom used to say, candy makes the bitterness go away. Dad looked at the candy. Then he broke down even
32:01harder. His shoulders shook violently. But for the rest of your life, all you'll know is bitterness.
32:08I looked him straight in the eye. Because you deserve it. Then I turned and walked away. Behind me,
32:18Dad screamed himself hoarse. Lucy! Lucy! I didn't turn around. The wind lifted the fallen leaves.
32:27They spun into the sky. Ten years passed. That's long enough for broken bones to heal. And long enough for
32:35a
32:35little girl to grow up. Grandma passed two years ago. She died peacefully in her sleep. Grandpa said
32:42she finally went to talk to Mom. Now it's just Grandpa and me. On my 15th birthday, I woke up
32:50early.
32:50It was also Mom's death anniversary. Just like every year. But at the door, I kicked something hard. It was
33:00a package. The return address looked familiar. Black Ridge Prison. I carried it inside. Grandpa was
33:07coming out of the kitchen. He was holding a bowl of birthday noodles. Your noodles are ready.
33:13Who sent that? An old friend.
33:19A bank book and a letter. The bank book had a few thousand dollars. It was exactly the most a
33:28prisoner
33:28could save in ten years behind bars. The letter was written on cheap paper. The handwriting was shaky
33:35and crooked. Several spots were smeared with ink. Lucy, by the time you read this, I'll be gone. I'm
33:41going to your mother to beg her figness. For ten years, every time I close my eyes, I see the
33:46rubbles.
33:47I see your mother covered in blood. I hear her asking me again and again, Victor, why didn't you save
33:52me?
33:52And I hear that unborn child crying too. I kept the candy you left for me. The money in the
33:59bank book is
33:59clean. Live well, Lucy. The letter was short. I read it word by word. Then I folded it neatly. I
34:08placed it
34:10beside the bank book on the table. Grandpa watched me quietly. He looked like he wanted to speak,
34:17but in the end, he only sighed. Then he shoved the chopsticks into my hand.
34:24Eat before the noodles get sogry. Unknown number. The area code was from the prison. I answered,
34:33Is this Lucy Cole? Yes. This is Black Ridge Prison. Your father, Victor Cole, died by suicide in prison
34:40at 543 this morning. The body, a family member needs to come handle the arrangements. He didn't
34:48leave much behind. Just one final message. What was it? He said, save Irene first. Irene. My mother's
34:56name, he finally remembered to save mom first. Got it. I hung up. Then I kept eating. Grandpa's cooking
35:05hadn't changed in 10 years. It was still perfect. After I finished, I took the bowl and chopsticks away.
35:13I washed them clean in the kitchen. Then I boiled a kettle of water. From the top shelf, I took
35:21down the
35:22old metal candy tin. Inside was a single dark lump of brown sugar. I dropped it into mom's favorite glass.
35:30Then I poured in the boiling water, slowly melting away. A deep red drink. I carried the glass to the
35:39balcony. The autumn sunlight hit my skin. It warmed me all the way through. Mom, look. He said the
35:48brown sugar water was bitter. He couldn't drink it. But what did he know about bitterness? The pain you
35:53took for him? That was real bitter. I looked down and took a small sip. It was sweet. The clean
35:59scent of
35:59sugar cane spread across my tongue. That sickening taste of blood was gone. I took out the letter
36:05and a lighter from my pocket. The flame jumped up fast. It swallowed the thin paper hole. It swallowed
36:1310 years of late remorse with it. The black ashes lifted in the wind. I drank the last sip of
36:20brown
36:20sugar water and sugar water. So sweet. I looked into the distance. The sky was clear. Not a single cloud.
36:28So would my life.
36:29So would my life.
36:29So would my life.
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