- 19 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
00:13my 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.
00:27She 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
02:00rescue 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.
02:17It was Daddy. He was still wearing his expensive suit. It was dusted with concrete powder, making him look a
02:25little 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 sweet, overpowering perfume. It was the smell Mommy hated most in the world. She always said it
02:48was the smell 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
03:05my 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.
03:25She promised you'd come for us before it was all gone. All the color drained from Daddy's face. He stared
03:31at
03:32the dark, crusted blood around my mouth, gulping hard. A heavy silence fell over the medics around us. One of
03:39the
03:40nurses clamped a hand over her mouth, tears spilling down her cheeks. But Daddy just looked away. He couldn't meet
03:47my eyes. What was he so scared of? Was it because of the broken phone? The one that played his
03:53voice
03:53earlier, growling like a monster? The voice that said Mommy was tough as nails and that leaving her
04:00behind wouldn't kill her. Daddy, why did you tell them to leave Mommy behind?
04:06I leaned close to his ear and whispered, Daddy recoiled, shoving me back like I had just burned him.
04:14There was no relief in his eyes anymore. Only pure, naked terror. The ambulance siren wailed as we sped
04:21down the road. I sat in the back, still clutching the torn scrap of Mommy's shirt. Daddy sat across from
04:28me, wringing his hands nervously. His hands were perfectly clean, his nails neatly manicured. They
04:34looked nothing like Mommy's hands, which were caked in mud and dried blood. Lucy, while you were down
04:39there, did you hear anything? Daddy asked tentatively, unable to meet my eyes. I licked my lips. That rusty
04:47taste was still in my mouth. I did. A visible shudder ran through Daddy. What did you hear? I heard
04:54you
04:54tell them to save Stella first. The air inside the ambulance instantly froze. The paramedic who had
05:00been wiping dust off my face stopped, her hand hovering in midair. She shot Daddy a piercing, icy
05:07glare. Daddy forced an awkward smile that looked more like a grimace. You misheard, sweetie. The signal
05:14was bad. Daddy was just panicking. Really? I tilted my head, studying him. But who is Stella?
05:21Why is she more important than Mommy? Daddy opened his mouth, but no words came out. He quickly turned
05:27to look out the window, pretending to wipe away a tear. When we arrived at the hospital, a massive crowd
05:33swarmed us. Camera flashes went off nonstop, so bright I couldn't open my eyes. Suddenly, Daddy acted like a
05:41completely different person. He scooped me into his arms and began sobbing hysterically for the cameras.
05:47Thank God. Thank God for bringing my daughter back to me. I'd trade anything in the world,
05:53as long as my Lucy is safe. The reporters wiped their eyes and praised Daddy for being such a good
05:59father. I rested my chin on his shoulder, watching the side of his face. He was wailing loudly, but his
06:06cheeks were completely dry. He looked just like a clown on TV. Once we got to the VIP ward, I
06:13finally saw
06:13his Stella. She was staying in a massive private hospital suite. She was wearing a frilly pink lace
06:22dress and happily eating a slice of strawberry cake. There wasn't a single scratch on her. Even her
06:29hair was perfectly brushed and shiny. A woman in a flowing white dress sat by her bedside. She was very
06:35pretty, and she radiated the exact same, sickeningly sweet perfume 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
06:53immediately and hurried over to her, taking her hands in his. Camille, how is Stella? She must have been
07:00terrified. 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
07:22a low rumble. The woman, Camille, walked over and crouched down in front of me. You must be Lucy.
07:28Oh, you poor girl. Come let me give you a hug. She reached out to me. That's when I saw
07:35the gold
07:35bracelet gleaming on her wrist. It was the exact same bracelet Mommy had. Mommy told me Daddy had
07:41specially made it for her to celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary. So why was she wearing it?
07:46A sudden, blinding rage flared up in my chest. Like an enraged little animal, I lunged at her and bit
07:53down on her wrist. The bad woman shrieked, swinging her arm to violently shake me off. The sheer force
07:59sent me flying backward and my head slammed hard against the metal footboard of the hospital bed.
08:04A sharp, dizzying pain shot through me, but I didn't shed a single tear. I just sat on the floor,
08:11glaring at her with pure hatred. Lucy! Are you crazy? Daddy rushed over. He tenderly cradled the
08:17bad woman's injured arm. Camille, are you okay? Did she hurt you? He snapped his head back around,
08:24glaring at me with absolute fury. How could you behave like this? Apologize to her right now! I stayed slumped
08:32on the cold floor. A warm trickle of liquid began sliding down my forehead. It was red too, just like
08:39the
08:39brown sugar water mommy had fed me. Daddy, I'm bleeding too. Are you going to make me wait a
08:45little longer too? The room went dead silent. Daddy's face turned beet red with rage. The bad
08:52woman'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.
09:05She stroked my head, but her nails dug hard into my skin. Be good, Lucy. I don't mind. Let me
09:13buy you
09:13some candy later, alright? I slapped her hand away. I don't want candy! I have the brown sugar water mommy
09:20gave me. The bad woman's smile vanished. Daddy, kick this freak out! She stinks! Daddy took a deep
09:28breath and buzzed for a nurse. Take her next door and get her cleaned up and have someone examine
09:33her head. She'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.
09:46I promise to be gentle. I looked up at her. Miss, is my mommy really dead? Her hand trembled. She
09:54pulled me into a tight hug and finally broke down sobbing. Your mommy was a great mother. That evening,
10:02my 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
10:21her here for observation. But Daddy refused. But I knew the real reason. He was terrified I'd talk,
10:27terrified I'd spill that secret. Late that night, the door to my room clicked open. It was Uncle Oscar,
10:34Daddy's personal assistant. Normally, he just trailed behind Daddy like a shadow, keeping his head down
10:40and his mouth shut. But tonight, the look in his eyes was completely different. He walked over to
10:45my bed and pulled something from his pocket. A phone with a badly shattered screen. Mommy's phone.
10:52Lucy, they 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.
11:04Oscar gently stroked my hair. Lucy, do you want to help Mommy get revenge? In a few days,
11:09it will be Mommy's funeral. A 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
11:23button and nodded hard. Okay, this was a game. A game only Oscar and I knew about. I was going
11:30to
11:30make sure everyone heard exactly what Daddy said that day. It rained on the day of Mommy's funeral.
11:35The sky was gray. It looked like a dirty rag. I wore the black dress Grandma bought me. A tiny
11:43white flower was pinned to my chest. The memorial hall was huge. It was packed with white flowers.
11:53Mommy's portrait hung right in the middle. She was smiling in the picture. Her eyes crinkled like
12:00little crescent moons. Daddy stood at the very front. He wore a crisp black suit. He looked terrible.
12:10His eyes were sunken, his face unshaven. People said he was a deeply devoted man,
12:18that he had grown so thin just after losing his wife. The bad woman didn't show up, but Stella did.
12:28She wore a black lace dress. She mouthed the words,
12:34You don't have a mom anymore. She made mean faces at me. I just stared blankly at her.
12:40I slipped my hand into my pocket. My fingers brushed the cold, shattered phone. The ceremony
12:48began. The somber music made my chest feel tight. Daddy walked up to the podium. He clutched a few
12:57sheets of 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
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
13:41hold 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 Mama's back? I stood in the front row. Oscar was right
13:59beside
13:59me. He knelt down to fix my collar. He gave my hand a tight squeeze. His palm was slick with
14:07sweat. Are you 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 lifetime.
14:17I 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
14:34thought of Mommy's body growing cold. I remembered those cruel words. Waiting a little longer won't kill her.
14:42A massive wave of anger exploded inside me. I didn't fully understand hatred yet, but I knew I had to
14:52ruin his act. Clutching the shattered phone, I walked on stage. A hush fell over the crowd. They thought,
15:01I just wanted to comfort Daddy. Daddy saw me approaching. Panic flashed in his eyes, but he hit it. He
15:09dropped to
15:10one knee and opened his arms. Lucy, come here, sweetie. Daddy misses her too. He wanted to pull me into
15:18a
15:18hug. He wanted to end his show with fake love. I stopped right in front of him. I didn't hug
15:27him. I raised
15:29the shattered phone instead. It was still stained with Mommy's dried blood. Daddy's pupils shrank in pure terror.
15:39He recognized the phone immediately. He lunged forward to snatch it. Lucy, that's dirty! Give it to
15:47Daddy right now! Right as his fingertips grazed the screen, my thumb slammed down on the red triangle.
15:56The Bluetooth has already synced to the giant speakers. The audio kicked in instantly. A harsh burst of
16:03static pierced the silence. Then, that familiar cold voice boomed like thunder. Get Stella and the
16:11lightly injured first! The entire hall went dead silent. Every single eye locked onto Daddy. His hand
16:20froze in the air. The color completely drained from his face. The recording kept playing crystal clear.
16:29Leave Irene for later. She's tough as nails. Waiting a little longer won't kill her.
16:35Every word was a vicious slap across his face. Guests' jaws dropped in pure shock. They stared at this
16:44devoted husband. Furious whispers quickly filled the room. Is that Victor's voice? Oh my god,
16:51did he actually say that? Get Stella first? Who is Stella? Daddy collapsed to the floor like a rag doll.
16:59He
16:59scrambled up in a total panic. He tried to shut off the speakers. No! It's not real! It's a fake!
17:08It's just a sick prank! A heavy wooden cane slammed into Daddy's back. It was Grandpa. He beat Daddy over
17:18and
17:18over again. You bastard! You heartless bastard! Placed my daughter in your hands and this is how you
17:26treated her! She's tough! You made her wait! Do you know she bled to death down there! Tears streamed down
17:33Grandpa's face. Every strike was fueled by pure rage. Daddy cowered, shielding his head. Blood dripped
17:43from a nasty cut on his forehead. Nobody tried to stop it. They just watched with sheer disgust.
17:50The reporters finally snapped out of it. Camera flashes erupted like crazy. The tragic love story was
18:00dead. It was now a massive cheating scandal. Is Stella your legitimate daughter? Did you let your
18:06wife die for your mistress? Did you let your die for your mistress? Microphones were shoved right into
18:12his bloody face. He covered his face, refusing to look up. I stood in the dead center of the chaos.
18:21I still gripped the phone tightly. 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.
18:38He looked so small and pathetic. Like a rat crushed under a boot. Stella burst into tears from the noise.
18:47She screamed from behind the marble pillar. Daddy, help me! The reporters finally snapped out of it.
18:57Is 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. Let's go home, Lucy. He's dead to us now.
19:22I didn't cry or throw a tantrum. I just watched everything in dead silence. Before we left,
19:34I looked back. Daddy was kneeling before Mommy's portrait. He reached out to touch her picture. Grandpa kicked him away.
19:43Don't touch her with your filthy hands. Daddy collapsed onto the floor. He looked at me with pure desperation.
19:54Lucy, Daddy was wrong. I completely ignored him. I turned my head to Mommy's portrait. Did you hear
20:03that, Mommy? Everyone finally knows he's the bad guy. After that massive funeral scene, I got sick. The doctor
20:12said I had severe PTSD. I stopped talking entirely. I just hugged Mommy's old clothes. I wouldn't eat. I only
20:24drink brown sugar water. If I ate anything else, I threw up. Everything tasted like rusty iron to me. Grandma
20:36cooked different
20:37meals 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
20:58completely 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
21:24rain that night. Just like the day of Mommy's funeral. He was totally soaked to the bone. His wet hair
21:31plastered to
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,
22:08Lucy. 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
22:49about
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 was a
23:40completely 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 kept
23:57sipping my warm brown sugar water cup after cup. I drank until my stomach physically ached, until the rusty
24:07iron 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. She tried to take Stella
24:24out of the country, but Oscar was one step ahead of her. His police buddies caught her red-handed.
24:33Grandpa took me to the police station. I had to give a statement about my custody. I saw the bad
24:44woman in the hallway.
24:46She was wearing shiny silver handcuffs. Her hair was a complete rat's nest. Her makeup was totally smeared.
24:57Stella was crying so hard she couldn't breathe. Snot was running all down her face.
25:03Mommy, I want to go home! I don't want to be here!
25:05Shut up! Shut up! Stop your crying!
25:09When 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,
25:19Victor 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.
25:30Stay still!
25:31I 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
25:47victim.
25:48Seeing 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?
26:01That's enough!
26:01Did right by me?
26:04Give me a break. If you really cared about me, you would have divorced Irina a long time ago.
26:10And you wanted me to give you a son. And what did you end up with? No son.
26:16So, that was the real truth. They tore into each other like rabid dogs. The cops couldn't watch it anymore.
26:26They forcibly dragged them apart. I looked at daddy's pathetic face. It was covered in spit and blood.
26:34Camille looked completely ruined too. Suddenly, I felt something shift inside me.
26:41The heavy boulder in my chest lifted. I let go of grandpa's hand. I walked right up to the bad
26:49woman.
26:50You are so ugly! I finally spoke my first words in weeks.
26:56Even uglier than the rats in the ruins. Then, I turned around.
27:00Grandpa, I want to go home. I want my warm brown sugar water.
27:04Later, grandpa sorted through mommy's belongings. He found an old diary. It had a light pink cover.
27:16It was mommy's favorite notebook. Grandpa put on his reading glasses. He read it and cried hysterically.
27:25He cried until he almost passed out. I leaned in to look too. I couldn't read all those big words.
27:33But, I recognized mommy's drawings. Tucked inside the pages was a photo. It was a black and white ultrasound picture.
27:45It showed a blurry little shadow. He looked at me with tearful eyes.
27:51Lucy, this is your little brother.
27:55I was completely stunned. Or little sister.
28:00It turned out that on the day of the earthquake, mommy still had a baby in her belly.
28:04Grandpa read mom's diary out loud to me.
28:09Went in for a checkup today. The doctor said the baby looks perfect.
28:13I want to surprise Victor. I'll tell him on his birthday. I hope it's a boy.
28:19When he grows up, he can protect Lucy. Victor's been coming home later and later.
28:24He always smells like perfume. But I trust him. He promised he'd change. For my two children, I can endure
28:33anything.
28:34My tears came flooding out. I thought about the earthquake again.
28:38When that huge slab came crashing down, mom didn't lie flat. She curled herself into a bridge.
28:49She used her back to block the rocks. She shielded me and the baby underneath her.
28:56In the dark, she kept encouraging me. She fed me her blood. She never once said she was hurting.
29:05So that was the truth. She was protecting both of us. Me and the baby.
29:13But what did dad say? He said mom was tough. He said save Stella first. He killed his own wife.
29:22And his unborn child too. Somehow, dad found out. That night, he started wailing downstairs.
29:32He rolled around on the ground. He slammed his head into the wall. His forehead split open.
29:39God, just kill me! I'm guilty! I'm a bastard!
29:42He was confessing. But it was too late. Mom couldn't hear him anymore. The baby couldn't hear him either.
29:51And neither could I. I held the diary tight against my chest.
29:56Grandpa, 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.
30:07Dad 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.
30:28Grandpa 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.
30:44Dad was wearing the detention center vest. Handcuffs hung from his wrists. Only a few months had passed.
30:52But he looked 60. His back was bent too. When he saw me, his eyes lit up. He tried to
31:00reach for me.
31:01He wanted to hug me. He wanted to hug me. But I stepped back. His hand froze in mid-air.
31:07Then he pulled it back awkwardly.
31:10Lucy, you've gotten taller. His voice came out rough and broken.
31:17Dad's going somewhere far away. I may not back come for a long time.
31:23I said nothing. I just looked at him quietly. He was crying hard now.
31:28I failed you. I failed your mom. And I failed that unborn baby too. I'll never repay that debt.
31:36Tears 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.
31:58Dad looked at the candy. Then he broke down even harder. His shoulders shook violently.
32:05But for the rest of your life, all you'll know is bitterness.
32:09I looked him straight in the eye.
32:11Because you deserve it.
32:13Then I turned and walked away. Behind me, Dad screamed himself hoarse.
32:20Lucy! Lucy!
32:23I didn't turn around. The wind lifted the fallen leaves. They spun into the sky.
32:30Ten years passed. That's long enough for broken bones to heal. And long enough for a little girl to grow
32:37up.
32:37Grandma passed two years ago. She died peacefully in her sleep.
32:42Grandpa said she finally went to talk to Mom. Now it's just Grandpa and me. On my 15th birthday, I
32:49woke up early.
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.
33:01The return address looked familiar. Blackridge Prison. I carried it inside. Grandpa was coming out of the kitchen.
33:08He was holding a bowl of birthday noodles. Your noodles are ready. Who sent that?
33:15An 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 could save in 10 years behind bars. The letter was written on cheap paper. The handwriting was shaky and
33:36crooked. Several spots were smeared with ink.
33:39Lucy, by the time you read this, I'll be gone. I'm going to your mother to beg her figness. For
33:4310 years, every time I close my eyes, I see the rubbles. I see your mother covered in blood. I
33:49hear her asking me again and again, Victor, why didn't you save me? And I hear that unborn child crying
33:55too. I kept the candy you left for me. The money in the bank book is clean. Live well, Lucy.
34:01The letter was short. I read it word by word. Then I folded it neatly. I placed it beside the
34:11bank book on the table. Grandpa watched me quietly. He looked like he wanted to speak. But in the end,
34:19he 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 at
34:41543 this morning. The body, a family member needs to come handle the arrangements. He didn't leave much behind. Just
34:50one final message.
34:51What was it? What was it? He said, Save Irene first. Irene.
34:56My mother's name, he finally remembered to save mom first. Got it.
35:02I hung up. Then I kept eating. Grandpa's cooking hadn't changed in 10 years. It was still perfect.
35:10After I finished, I took the bowl and chopsticks away. I washed them clean in the kitchen.
35:16Then I boiled a kettle of water. From the top shelf, I took down the old metal candy tin. Inside
35:24was a single dark lump of brown sugar.
35:28I dropped it into mom's favorite glass. Then I poured in the boiling water, slowly melting away.
35:36A deep red drink. I carried the glass to the balcony. The autumn sunlight hit my skin. It warmed me
35:43all the way through.
35:44Mom, look. He said the brown sugar water was bitter. He couldn't drink it. But what did he know about
35:51bitterness? The pain you took for him? That was real bitter.
35:55I looked down and took a small sip. It was sweet. The clean scent of sugar cane spread across my
36:01tongue. That sickening taste of blood was gone.
36:04I took out the letter and a lighter from my pocket. The flame jumped up fast. It swallowed the thin
36:11paper hole. It swallowed 10 years of late remorse with it. The black ashes lifted in the wind.
36:18I drank the last sip of brown sugar water. So sweet. I looked into the distance. The sky was clear.
36:26Not a single cloud. So would my life.
36:30That was a gloom clearance, my shadow. So should it be.
36:30Man, there it is.
Comments