- 1 day ago
After The Quake, I Avenged Mom 2026 Eng
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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 until I
00:07made sure he was dead. I will never forget the earthquake. Years ago, he abandoned my mother
00:13and me to save his love. After the earthquake, Mommy fell asleep. I curled up in her arms.
00:20She was getting so cold. We were hiding under a giant rock. I sucked on Mommy's finger. She
00:27fed me warm brown sugar water. Daddy's voice came through the broken phone. Get Stella and
00:34the lightly injured first. Leave Irene for later. She's tough as nails. Waiting a little longer
00:39won't kill her. It was really Daddy. Mommy said he would rescue us soon. But why did he make
00:45Mommy wait? I whispered to the phone. Daddy, Mommy went to sleep. She gave me lots of brown
00:55sugar water. It tastes like iron. But I'm not scared. Mommy said you'll come and save
01:03me before it all runs out. The phone went totally silent. I kept drinking the warm brown sugar
01:10water. Then Daddy started screaming through the speaker. He ordered everyone to find me. Daddy was
01:18coming to me. Found her! Over here! There's a kid still alive! Mommy, it's morning. Can we go home now?
01:32I pushed against her chest. It wasn't soft like it used to be. A whole section of it was crushed
01:39inward, covered in something warm and sticky. Hurry! Grab the kid first! Huge, rough hands reached in
01:47and tore me away from her. No! Mommy's still sleeping! I want to wait for her! My fingers locked in
01:54a death
01:54grip on the hem of her shirt. The fabric gave way. A man in an orange rescue vest hauled me
02:01against his
02:01chest. My mouth was crusted with dried flaky red patches. It was the brown sugar water Mommy had been
02:09feeding me. Lucy! Oh God, Lucy! A figure came stumbling through the debris. It was Daddy. He was still wearing
02:19his expensive suit. It was dusted with concrete powder, making him look a little disheveled. He grabbed
02:26me from the rescue worker and crushed me against his chest. Thank God you're alive. I thought I'd lost you.
02:34He was sobbing, his whole body trembling. Then a scent hit me. A sickeningly sweet, overpowering perfume.
02:42It was the smell Mommy hated most in the world. She always said it was the smell of a
02:49bad 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.
03:13No, she didn't. She's right down there. I cried frantically, pointing at the pitch black gap in the
03:20concrete. Mommy gave me so much brown sugar water. She promised you'd come for us before it was all gone.
03:28All the color drained from Daddy's face. He stared at the dark, crusted blood around my mouth,
03:34gulping hard. A heavy silence fell over the medics around us. One of the nurses clamped a hand over her
03:41mouth, tears spilling down her cheeks. But Daddy just looked away. He couldn't meet my eyes. What was
03:48he so scared of? Was it because of the broken phone? The one that played his voice earlier, growling like
03:55a
03:55monster. Voice that said Mommy was tough as nails and that leaving her behind wouldn't kill her. Daddy,
04:02why did you tell them to leave Mommy behind? I leaned close to his ear and whispered,
04:09Daddy recoiled, shoving me back like I had just burned him. There was no relief in his eyes anymore,
04:16only pure naked terror. The ambulance siren wailed as we sped down the road. I sat in the back,
04:23still clutching the torn scrap of Mommy's shirt. Daddy sat across from me, wringing his hands
04:29nervously. His hands were perfectly clean, his nails neatly manicured. They looked nothing like
04:35Mommy's hands, which were caked in mud and dried blood. Lucy, while you were down there,
04:40did you hear anything? Daddy asked tentatively, unable to meet my eyes. I licked my lips. That
04:46rusty taste was still in my mouth. I did. A visible shudder ran through Daddy. What did you hear?
04:53I heard you tell them to save Stella first. The air inside the ambulance instantly froze.
04:59The paramedic who had been wiping dust off my face stopped, her hand hovering in midair. She shot
05:05Daddy a piercing, icy glare. Daddy forced an awkward smile that looked more like a grimace.
05:12You misheard, sweetie. The signal was bad. Daddy was just panicking. Really? I tilted my head,
05:17studying 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 arrived at the hospital, a massive crowd swarmed us. Camera flashes went off nonstop, so bright I
05:37couldn't open my eyes. Suddenly, Daddy acted like a completely different person. He scooped me into
05:43his arms and began sobbing hysterically for the cameras. Thank God. Thank God for bringing my
05:49daughter back to me. I'd trade anything in the world as long as my Lucy is safe. The reporters wiped
05:56their
05:56eyes and praised Daddy for being such a good father. I rested my chin on his shoulder, watching the
06:02side of his face. He was wailing loudly, but his cheeks were completely dry. He looked just like a
06:09clown on TV. Once we got to the VIP ward, I finally saw his Stella. She was staying in a
06:17massive private
06:18hospital suite. She was wearing a frilly pink lace dress and happily eating a slice of strawberry cake.
06:26There wasn't a single scratch on her. Even her hair was perfectly brushed and shiny. A woman in a flowing
06:32white 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. Victor, you're here. Her eyes were rimmed with red,
06:48making her look incredibly fragile and pitiful. Daddy sat me down immediately and hurried over to her,
06:56taking her hands in his. Camille, how is Stella? She must have been terrified. I stood in the doorway,
07:02feeling like a piece of discarded trash. Stella noticed me. She wrinkled her nose and pointed right at me.
07:09Mommy, is she the feral girl who drinks blood? She's so gross. Drinking blood, feral girl. I stared at
07:19the smear of whipped cream on her lip. My empty stomach gave a low rumble. The woman, Camille,
07:24walked over and crouched down in front of me. You must be Lucy. Oh, you poor girl. Come,
07:30let me give you a hug. She reached out to me. That's when I saw the gold bracelet gleaming on
07:36her wrist. It was the exact same bracelet Mommy had. Mommy told me Daddy had specially made it for
07:43her to celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary. So why was she wearing it? A sudden, blinding rage
07:48flared up in my chest like an enraged little animal. I lunged at her and bit down on her wrist.
07:54The bad woman shrieked, swinging her arm to violently shake me off. The sheer force sent me
07:59flying backward and my head slammed hard against the metal footboard of the hospital bed. A sharp,
08:05dizzying pain shot through me, but I didn't shed a single tear. I just sat on the floor, glaring at
08:11her with pure hatred. Lucy, are you crazy? Daddy rushed over. He tenderly cradled the bad
08:18woman'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
08:31stayed slumped on the cold floor. A warm trickle of liquid began sliding down my forehead. It was red
08:38too, just like the brown sugar water Mommy had fed me. Daddy, I'm bleeding too. Are you going to make
08:45me wait a little longer too? The room went dead silent. Daddy's face turned beet red with rage.
08:51The bad woman's eyes darted around. Ignoring the bite marks on her wrist, she put on a sickeningly
08:57sweet face and tried to help me up. Victor, don't be mad at her. She just lost her mom.
09:03She can't handle the shock. She stroked my head, but her nails dug hard into my skin. Be good, Lucy.
09:10I don't mind. Let me buy you some candy later, alright? I slapped her hand away. I don't want
09:17candy! I have the brown sugar water Mommy gave me. The bad woman's smile vanished. Daddy, kick this
09:25freak out! She stinks! Daddy took a deep breath and buzzed for a nurse. Take her next door and get
09:30her cleaned up and have someone examine her head. She's clearly lost her mind. Examine my head? Daddy thought
09:36I was crazy. A young nurse led me away. As she cleaned my wound, she quietly wiped away her tears.
09:43Sweetie, it won't hurt. I promise to be gentle. I looked up at her. Miss, is my mommy really dead?
09:52Her hand trembled. She pulled me into a tight hug and finally broke down sobbing. Your mommy was a great
10:00mother. That evening, my grandparents arrived. The moment Grandma saw me, she broke down and passed
10:08out from the shock. Grandpa leaned heavily on his cane, his hands shaking violently. He demanded to
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
10:59tight against my 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, it will
11:09be
11:09Mommy's funeral. A lot of people will be there and that bad woman will be there too. That day, if
11:17Daddy speaks
11:18up, Storm, 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.
11:38I wore the black dress Grandma bought me. A tiny white flower was pinned to my chest. The memorial hall
11:48was huge.
11:50It was packed with white flowers. Mommy's portrait hung right in the middle. She was smiling in the picture.
11:58Her eyes crinkled like little crescent moons. Daddy stood at the very front. He wore a crisp black suit.
12:08He looked terrible. His eyes were sunken. His face unshaven. People said he was a deeply devoted man.
12:17That he had grown so thin just after losing his wife. The bad woman didn't show up, but Stella did.
12:27She wore a black lace dress. She mouthed the words. You don't have a mom anymore. She made mean faces
12:37at me.
12:37Yeah. 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.
13:01Irene, my beloved wife.
13:03He choked up on the very first line. The crowd wiped away their tears. They were moved by his
13:10heartbreaking true love. We've known each other for 10 years and loved each other for 10 years. You knew me
13:17better than anyone, and you were the person I loved most. The moment the earthquake struck,
13:23I wished I could have died in your place. If time could turn back, I would be by your side,
13:29holding your hand. And I would never let you face the darkness alone. He swayed, looking like he might
13:37collapse. A few relatives rushed up to hold him. They whispered words of comfort.
13:45Irene, how could you be so cruel? How could you leave Lucy and me behind? He beat his chest,
13:53wailing at mom's back. I stood in the front row. Oscar was right beside me. He knelt down to fix
14:01my
14:01collar. He gave my hand a tight squeeze. His palm was slick with sweat. Are you ready, Lucy? He whispered.
14:09Only I could hear him. I looked up at Daddy on stage. He was giving the performance of a lifetime.
14:16I watched his fake tears and trembling shoulders. I remembered her slicing open her own fingers.
14:27She 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
14:52act. 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.
15:08He dropped to one knee and opened his arms. Lucy, come here, sweetie. Daddy misses her too.
15:16He wanted to pull me into a hug. He wanted to end his show with fake love. I stopped right
15:25in front of
15:25him. I didn't hug him. I raised the shattered phone instead. It was still stained with mommy's
15:34dried blood. Daddy's pupils shrank in pure terror. He recognized the phone immediately.
15:41He lunged forward to snatch it. Lucy, 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. 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 froze in
16:20the air. The color completely drained from his face. The recording kept playing crystal clear.
16:28Leave 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.
16:41They stared at this devoted husband. Furious whispers quickly filled the room. Is that Victor's voice?
16:50Oh my god, did he actually say that? Get Stella first? Who is Stella? Daddy collapsed to the floor like
16:57a
16:58ragdoll. He scrambled up in a total panic. He tried to shut off the speakers. No, it's not real. It's
17:07a 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 over 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
18:00was dead. 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.
18:20I 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.
18:37He looked so small and pathetic, like a rat crushed under a boot.
18:44Stella burst into tears from the noise. She screamed from behind the marble pillar.
18:51Daddy, 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.
19:19Let's go home, Lucy. He's dead to us now. I didn't cry or throw a tantrum. I just
19:29watched everything in dead silence. Before we left, I looked back. Daddy was kneeling before Mommy's
19:37portrait. He reached out to touch her picture. Grandpa kicked him away.
19:43Don't touch her with your filthy hands!
19:46Daddy collapsed onto the floor. He looked at me with pure desperation. Lucy, Daddy was wrong.
19:57I completely ignored him. I turned my head to Mommy's portrait. Did you hear that, Mommy?
20:04Everyone finally knows he's the bad guy. After that massive funeral scene, I got sick. The doctor
20:11said I had severe PTSD. I stopped talking entirely. I just hugged Mommy's old clothes. I wouldn't eat. I only
20:24drank brown sugar water. If I ate anything else, I threw up. Everything tasted like rusty iron to me.
20:34Grandma cooked different meals every single day. But I couldn't take a single bite. I lost so much weight. I
20:45looked like a terrifying little skeleton.
20:49Daddy came by our house a few times. He was suspended from his company. His reputation was completely destroyed.
20:59People threw rotten eggs at his door daily. He wanted to see me. He begged my grandparents for forgiveness.
21:08Grandpa chased him off with a heavy broom. He kneeled outside our front door. I watched him through a crack
21:17in the curtains.
21:19He stayed on his knees all night long. It was pouring rain that night, just like the day of Mommy's
21:27funeral.
21:27He was totally soaked to the bone. His wet hair plastered to his face. He looked like a pathetic drowned
21:35rat.
21:36Lucy! I know I messed up! Please just look at me! You're all I have left!
21:41He screamed through the pouring rain. His voice was totally hoarse. I thought it was hilarious.
21:48I'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 little sip.
22:19It was warm and sweet, but I still tasted a hint of blood. I shook my head at Grandma. I
22:27walked right up to
22:30the window. I pulled the curtains tightly shut in his face. I remembered being trapped under the rubble.
22:39I had screamed for him just like that. I screamed until my voice went hoarse. But he only cared about
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 and a car.
23:49I listened to my grandparents talking about it. I felt absolutely nothing inside. I just kept sipping my
23:57warm brown sugar water, cup after cup. I drank until my stomach physically ached, until the rusty iron taste
24:08finally faded. The bad woman got arrested. She was caught at the airport trying to flee. Dad's company was
24:17completely ruined. She drained his remaining bank accounts. She tried to take Stella out of the country,
24:26but Oscar was one step ahead of her. His police buddies caught her red-handed. Grandpa took me to the
24:36police
24:37station. I had to give a statement about my custody. I saw the bad woman in the hallway. She was
24:47wearing
24:47shiny silver handcuffs. Her hair was a complete rat's nest. Her makeup was totally smeared. Stella was crying so
24:58hard she couldn't breathe. Snot was running all down her face. Mommy, I want to go home. I don't want
25:04to be
25:05here. Shut up! Shut up! Stop your crying! When she saw me, her eyes went bloodshot. She lunged at me
25:14like a total
25:14madwoman. It's all your fault, you little bastard! If it wasn't for your bitch mother, Victor wouldn't be
25:19completely bankrupt. I wouldn't be in this total mess! A police officer grabbed her instantly. He pinned
25:28her hard against the wall. Stay still! I hid behind grandpa and peeked out. Her face was completely
25:37twisted with rage. She looked like an ugly old witch. Gaddy was there too. He was there as a witness
25:46and as a victim, 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?
26:01That'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.
26:16So, that was the real truth. They tore into each other like rabid dogs. The cops couldn't watch it
26:25anymore. They forcibly dragged them apart. I looked at daddy's pathetic face. It was covered in spit and
26:33blood. Camille looked completely ruined too. Suddenly, I felt something shift inside me. The heavy boulder
26:42in my chest lifted. I let go of grandpa's hand. I walked right up to the bad woman. You are
26:50so ugly.
26:52I finally spoke my first words in weeks. Even 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. Later, grandpa sorted through mommy's
27:07belongings. He found an old diary. It had a light pink cover. It was mommy's favorite notebook. Grandpa put
27:20on his reading glasses. He read it and cried hysterically. He cried until he almost passed out. I leaned in
27:30to
27:30look to look to. I couldn't read all those big words. But, I recognized mommy's drawings. Tucked inside the pages
27:39was a photo. It was a black and white ultrasound picture. It showed a blurry little shadow. He looked at
27:49me with tearful eyes. Lucy, this is your little brother. I was completely stunned. Or little sister.
27:59It turned out that on the day of the earthquake, mommy still had a baby in her belly. Grandpa read
28:06mom's
28:06diary out loud to me. Went in for a checkup today. The doctor said the baby looks perfect. I want
28:14to
28:14surprise Victor. I'll tell him on his birthday. I hope it's a boy. When he grows up, he can protect
28:21Lucy. Victor's been coming home later and later. He always smells like perfume. But, I trust him. He
28:29promised he'd change. For my two children, I can endure anything. My tears came flooding out. I thought
28:36about the earthquake again. When that huge slab came crashing down, mom didn't lie flat. She curled
28:46herself into a bridge. She used her back to block the rocks. She shielded me and the baby underneath her.
28:55In the dark, she kept encouraging me. She fed me her blood. She never once said she was hurting.
29:04So that was the truth. She was protecting both of us. Me and the baby. But what did dad say?
29:15He said mom
29:16was tough. He said save Stella first. He killed his own wife. And his unborn child too.
29:25Somehow, dad found out. That night, he started wailing downstairs. He rolled around on the ground.
29:34He slammed his head into the wall. His forehead split open.
29:39God, just kill me. I'm guilty. I'm a bastard.
29:43He was confessing. But it was too late. Mom couldn't hear him anymore. The baby couldn't hear him
29:50either. And neither could I. I held the diary tight against my chest. Grandpa, I don't hate him
29:57anymore. Grandpa stared at me in shock. Hating someone takes strength. Because he's not worth it.
30:05He deserved to rot like garbage. Dad was going to prison. For financial crimes and embezzlement,
30:15the amount was massive. Before sentencing, he begged grandpa countless times. He wanted to see me once
30:27more. Grandpa didn't want to agree. But I nodded. We met on a park bench. It was autumn. The leaves
30:39had
30:39all turned yellow. The wind felt sharp and cold. Dad was wearing the detention center vest.
30:47Handcuffs hung from his wrists. Only a few months had passed. But he looked 60. His back was bent too.
30:56When
30:57he saw me, his eyes lit up. He tried to reach for me. He wanted to hug me. But I
31:04stepped back. His hand
31:05froze in midair. Then he pulled it back awkwardly. Lucy, you've gotten taller. His voice came out rough and
31:15broken. Dad's going somewhere far away. I may not back come for a long time. I said nothing. I just
31:24looked at him quietly. He was crying hard now. I failed you. I failed your mom. And I failed that
31:32unborn baby too. I'll never repay that debt. Tears and snot covered his face. I watched him sob
31:40uncontrollably. And strangely, I felt calm. It was strawberry hard candy. Mom used to give me those with
31:52medicine. Mom used to say, candy makes the bitterness go away. Dad looked at the candy. Then he broke down
32:01even 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.
32:27They spun into the sky. Ten years passed. That's long enough for broken bones to heal. And long enough
32:35for a little girl to grow up. Grandma passed two years ago. She died peacefully in her sleep. Grandpa said
32:43she finally went to talk to Mom. Now it's just Grandpa and me. On my 15th birthday, I woke up
32:50early. It was
32:52also 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. Blackridge Prison. I carried it inside. Grandpa was coming
33:07out of the kitchen. He was holding a bowl of birthday noodles. Your noodles are ready. Who sent that?
33:15An old friend. A bank book and a letter. The bank book had a few thousand dollars. It was exactly
33:27the
33:27most a prisoner could save in ten years behind bars. The letter was written on cheap paper. The
33:34handwriting was shaky and crooked. Several spots were smeared with ink. Lucy, by the time you read this,
33:40I'll be gone. I'm going to your mother to beg her figness. For ten years, every time I close my
33:45eyes,
33:46I see the rubbles. I see your mother covered in blood. I hear her asking me again and again,
33:51Victor, why didn't you save me? And I hear that unborn child crying too. I kept the candy you left
33:56for me.
33:58The money in the bank book is clean. Live well, Lucy. The letter was short. I read it word by
34:05word. Then I
34:07folded it neatly. I placed it beside the bank book on the table. Grandpa watched me quietly. He looked
34:16like he wanted to speak. But in the end, he only sighed. Then he shoved the chopsticks into my hand.
34:25Eat before the noodles get sogry. Unknown number. The area code was from the prison. I answered,
34:32Is 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.
34:55My 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
35:11and chopsticks away. I washed them clean in the kitchen. Then I boiled a kettle of water. From the top
35:20shelf,
35:21I took down the old metal candy tin. Inside was a single dark lump of brown sugar. I dropped it
35:28into
35:29mom's favorite glass. Then I poured in the boiling water, slowly melting away. A deep red drink. I carried
35:38the glass to the balcony. The autumn sunlight hit my skin. It warmed me all the way through. Mom, look.
35:47He 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. I looked down and took a small sip. It
35:57was
35:58sweet. The clean scent of sugar cane spread across my tongue. That sickening taste of blood was gone. I
36:04took out the letter and a lighter from my pocket. The flame jumped up fast. It swallowed the thin paper
36:11hole. It swallowed 10 years of late remorse with it. The black ashes lifted in the wind. I drank the
36:19last
36:19sip of brown sugar water. So sweet. I looked into the distance. The sky was clear. Not a single cloud.
36:28So would my life.
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