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