- 1 day ago
mom left me again drama
Category
🎥
Short filmTranscript
00:00But on 10th birthday, she actually bought a cake.
00:03She told me she had a massive surprise waiting for me.
00:06Don't open your eyes until I tell you to, sweetie.
00:08But when I finally opened them, the house was dead silent.
00:12Mom was gone.
00:13For the first time in my life, I had a cake that was just for me.
00:16No peeking. Keep those eyes shut until I say so.
00:19I was wishing for something big.
00:21Maybe a sparkly dress.
00:23Or maybe a real Barbie doll.
00:25But her voice never came.
00:27The music eventually faded into static.
00:30And without realizing it, I drifted off.
00:33I woke up shivering.
00:35It was pitch black.
00:36And the candles on the cake had long since burned out.
00:40Her suitcases, the ones she usually kept shoved in the back of the closet, were gone.
00:44My heart dropped.
00:45I sprinted to her vanity.
00:47Even her favorite perfume was missing.
00:49That's when it hit me.
00:50She took everything.
00:51Every single thing she cared about.
00:53Except for me.
00:54My stomach twisted into a knot.
00:57I wiped my face with the back of my hand.
01:00Grabbed a plastic fork.
01:02And started shoving the cold cake into my mouth.
01:05The frosting was sickly sweet.
01:07But my tears were salty.
01:10Whenever Mom came home drunk, she'd scream that she'd eventually dump me.
01:14You dead weight!
01:16I will definitely get rid of you.
01:18Now get lust!
01:21She'd braid my hair and cook me dinners.
01:24She even bought me those cute hair clips all the girls at school wore.
01:28I'll give you a real tenth birthday.
01:31But it was all a lie.
01:33She was just setting the stage to leave me behind.
01:37A freezing draft whistled through the cracks of our crappy apartment.
01:40The radiator was ice cold.
01:44I couldn't feel my toes anymore.
01:46I dragged a chair over to the closet and reached for the old cookie tin where she kept the emergency
01:51cash.
01:52But there were only a few crumpled bills and some loose change.
01:56Three dollars and sixty cents.
01:58I tucked the money into my pocket and put a small slice of cake into a Ziploc bag.
02:03I was thinking of finding a warm place to sleep.
02:07But when I tried the door, it wouldn't budge.
02:10I crawled under a thin, frozen blanket.
02:13My eyes glued to that heavy door.
02:15I prayed come back for me.
02:17I hoped she'd walk through that door and pull me into her arms like she did five years ago.
02:22The lights flickered and died.
02:24Total darkness.
02:25I curled into a ball, shaking, trying to force myself to sleep.
02:30I don't know how much time passed, but through the haze of exhaustion, I heard it.
02:35A heavy thudding sound against the door.
02:38Then, everything went black.
02:40When I finally woke up, my head felt like it was filled with lead.
02:45My body felt like it weighed a hundred pounds.
02:52Where's your mother?
02:58Where did she go, kid?
02:59I've been calling her all morning.
03:00Nothing.
03:02I...
03:02I don't know.
03:04Damn it.
03:05Two months of rent gone.
03:06No lights, no heat.
03:07She just bailed.
03:10She actually ditched you.
03:13Unbelievable.
03:14Look, keep the meds.
03:15It's on me.
03:16You look awful.
03:17But you've got to clear out by tomorrow night.
03:20Stay any longer, and I'm not responsible for what I have to do.
03:23He threw a small packet of fever meds on the table and left.
03:27I was alone, staring at the blank, peeling wallpaper.
03:31I looked at the spot where Mom's photos used to hung.
03:35Now, there were just faded squares where the dust hadn't reached.
03:39We'd been in that little Pennsylvania town for three years.
03:43I was still hungry most of the time.
03:45But at least the beating stopped here.
03:48The most she ever did was pinch my arms or legs when she was wasted.
03:53I actually got to go to school.
03:56Sure, the other kids made fun of me, but it was still better than the life we had before.
04:01But now she was gone.
04:03She didn't want me anymore.
04:05Where was I supposed to go?
04:07Before I left, I reached into my pocket to make sure I still had it.
04:10The one thing I couldn't leave behind.
04:12A photo of us.
04:14Claire, sweetie, life is going to be better now.
04:17I promise.
04:18I shouldered the pink backpack she'd bought me and grabbed a heavy duffel.
04:21Christmas was only a few days away.
04:24The world was buried in white and the slush started soaking through my sneakers immediately.
04:28The wind was brutal, finding every gap in my thin coat.
04:32Every time I tried to huddle near a shop door, people just shooed me away like I was a stray
04:36dog.
04:37I wandered for hours until I found an overpass.
04:39I sat down, my legs shaking, but I was clumsy.
04:42I let go of the duffel bag for just one second to rub my frozen hands.
04:46The wind blew my bag into the gutter.
04:48I scrambled after it.
04:50That bag had almost everything I owned.
04:52I tried to grab it.
04:54I reached until my fingers were numb.
04:57But the bag was gone.
04:59Now all I had left was that one photo, $3.60, and the smashed cake in my backpack.
05:05The cake was a disaster.
05:06Just a heap of crumbs and smudged frosting.
05:09But it still tasted like heaven.
05:11I tried to make it last.
05:13But after a few days, even the crumbs were gone.
05:15I found myself licking the inside of the plastic bag, desperate for a trace of sugar.
05:22The smell of beef su wafted from a nearby diner.
05:25I waited until the streets were empty and started digging through the trash cans.
05:30But they were empty.
05:32Every single one.
05:35I checked three more blocks and only found three frozen, rotting apples.
05:40I slipped into a grocery store, trying to hide in a corner just to feel the heater for a second.
05:45Attention shoppers.
05:46We will be closing at 9 p.m. tonight and will remain closed through the holiday.
05:51Merry Christmas.
05:52That's why the trash was empty.
05:54It was Christmas Eve.
05:55How was I going to survive the next few days?
05:59$3.60.
06:00That wouldn't even get me a sandwich.
06:02I headed to the bakery aisle and grabbed a small pack of dinner rolls.
06:06$1.00.
06:07At $8.50, security started clearing the aisles.
06:11I went to the register.
06:13Poor kid.
06:14Here, honey, take this.
06:16Merry Christmas.
06:17It was a box of cinnamon rolls I'd been staring at for 20 minutes, plus a couple of sandwiches.
06:23Thank you so much.
06:26I clutched the bag to my chest, breathing in the cell of cinnamon, but as I stepped through
06:31the sliding doors, I slammed right into someone.
06:34I fell back onto the icy sidewalk, and the rolls spilled all over the ground.
06:42Oh no.
06:43No, no.
06:44Sorry.
06:45My bad.
06:46I wasn't looking.
06:48Evan, I said slow down.
06:50Watch where you're going.
06:51I know, Mom.
06:52I'm sorry.
06:53I already apologized to her.
06:56Are you okay, sweetie?
06:58I looked up.
06:59She looked incredible.
07:00Her makeup was perfect.
07:01She was wearing a beautiful coat, and her long brown hair was styled in silky waves.
07:07Hey, easy now.
07:08Are you hurt?
07:09It's okay.
07:10Just take a deep breath.
07:11I've got you.
07:12Across from us, my mom was standing there, looking bored, until our eyes met.
07:16Her pupils dilated for a split second.
07:18But then, she just looked away.
07:20She turned her back on me.
07:22Evan, you bumped into her.
07:24Go apologize properly and help her feel better.
07:27Do you like Spider-Man?
07:28You can have my favorite figure.
07:29I mean it.
07:30Just, please don't cry.
07:32I shook my head.
07:33Wait.
07:34Do you like chocolate cake?
07:35I have money.
07:36I'll buy you one.
07:36A big one.
07:37It's really good.
07:37I promise.
07:38I'll ask my dad to take us to Disney World.
07:40Just, please don't cry.
07:42I was staring at the tall, elegant cigalette of my mother's back.
07:45The tears wouldn't stop.
07:48Evan finally looked up at his father.
07:50Hey, kiddo.
07:51Do you know her?
07:53Through the blur of my tears, I nodded.
07:56Never seen her.
07:57She's probably just some homeless kid asking for money.
07:59Come on, Richard.
08:00Let's go.
08:03It's okay.
08:05You're safe.
08:07That part of your life is over.
08:09When they finally pulled apart, there was a dark, wet patch on his expensive coat from
08:14her tears.
08:15Let's take this elsewhere.
08:17He gripped Mom's shoulder and guided her toward the car.
08:21Evan looked at me, his eyes full of sudden hostility.
08:24He didn't say a word.
08:26He just turned and climbed into the back seat.
08:28I followed them.
08:30The inside of the car was warm, but all I could hear was the sound of my mom's quiet, shaking
08:35whimpers.
08:36Richard took us to a high-end restaurant.
08:38The smell of roasted meat and warm bread hit me like a physical punch.
08:43I was starving, but nobody moved.
08:46I sat there, desperately swallowing my spit, trying to keep my stomach from growling.
08:51Go ahead.
08:52Eat.
08:52After Richard gave the word, I shoveled everything into my mouth.
08:55Warm bread, thick soup, roast chicken, and buttery mashed potatoes.
08:59Finally, the hollow ache in my duh was replaced by a heavy, comfortable warmth.
09:03I set my fork down and let out a small burp.
09:06How did you get out?
09:08The power went out, the radiator died, and the landlord kicked me out onto the street.
09:13If it wasn't for the cake you left, I wouldn't have made it.
09:16I finished it bit by bit.
09:18I was nearly frozen stiff when I found you guys today.
09:21When I said that last part, something in her just snapped.
09:24She grabbed her wine glass and hurled it at my head.
09:27The liquid splashed over my hair and ran down my face as Evan screamed in the background.
09:32How are you always so damn lucky?
09:35I finally got rid of you.
09:37I finally escaped.
09:39Why won't you just stay gone?
09:41Mom?
09:42I wanted to speak, but I fainted.
09:44When I finally opened my eyes, it was just me and the impassive man.
09:49Claire, let's get one thing straight.
09:50I'm Richard, your mother's husband.
09:52I know everything about you and Elena.
09:55I know your biological father died a year ago.
09:57You have no one else.
09:58Elena is your mother, but to her you are a ghost from a past she can't face.
10:02She lost everything because of you.
10:04Raising you for ten years took every ounce of strength she had left.
10:07She wants a normal life now.
10:09A life that doesn't include you.
10:10And I'm not about to let to let this turn into a legal mess for Elena.
10:13So, here's the deal.
10:15I'm sending you to a small town down south.
10:17I'll pay for your school, your rent, and your food until you're 18.
10:20But you have to promise me one thing.
10:22You stay there, and you never try to find her again.
10:25His lawyer handed me a thick mantle envelope as we stood in front of a weathered house.
10:29Inside was a debit card, a thousand dollars in cash, and my life on paper.
10:33My birth certificate, immunization records, and school transcripts.
10:36Miss May is a little particular, but her heart's in the right place.
10:39I looked up.
10:40A ginger and white cat was porched under a blooming dogwood tree.
10:44As my eyes adjusted to the shadows of the porch, more of them appeared.
10:49A gray tabby, a tuckety cat, and a colo.
10:52These are all Miss May's rescues.
10:54Looks like you might actually like it here.
10:58No one answered, so he just let us in.
11:00Opening the door, there was a woman sitting inside.
11:04Hold still.
11:05Almost done.
11:07Miss May, this is Claire.
11:09She didn't say a word.
11:11She just looked me up and down.
11:13I felt a wave of nerves wash over me.
11:15I looked down at my feet, picking at a loose thread on my sleeve.
11:19The lawyer wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead.
11:21I'm not in the business of raising other people's kids.
11:24Three hundred a month, first of every month, on time.
11:28Do not touch my flowers.
11:29Do not mess with my cats.
11:31And do not bring your drama to my doorstep.
11:34Of course, she's a good kid.
11:35See you around then.
11:38The gate clicked shut, leaving only the frail old woman and me, standing face to face.
11:44Get used to it.
11:44You live here now.
11:45You keep it clean.
11:46You break it.
11:47You buy it.
11:47Got it?
11:48Dust modals danced in the light, settling on heavy, well-kept wooden furniture.
11:52The bed was an antique with intricate carvings, and more petals swirled onto the massive desk
11:56by the window.
11:57I couldn't help it.
11:58A huge smile broke across my face as I thanked her.
12:02All right.
12:02Get to work.
12:04I grabbed a bucket of water and started scrubbing every inch of that room.
12:08As the sun began to dip below the mountains, the scent of roasting meat drifted through
12:12the window.
12:13My stomach let out a violent ground.
12:16I looked at the bare mattress and figured I'd just curl up and try to sleep off the hunger.
12:24I opened the door to find Miss May standing there with sheets.
12:27She shoved them into my arms without a word.
12:29Finish up and get in here for dinner.
12:31She had laid out a spread of steaming chicken soup, roast chicken, honey-glazed carrots, and
12:37a massive bowl of mashed potatoes.
12:39Miss May filled a bowl of soup for me and dropped a drumstick onto my plate.
12:44You stay here.
12:45You pull your weight.
12:46You're on dishes tonight.
12:48After that, we split chores.
12:49Some nights you cook, some nights you clean.
12:51When school starts, I'll cover more of the housework.
12:53Don't go getting spoiled.
12:54Nobody's waking you up in the morning, so get yourself to bed.
12:57And you start fooling around in school, I'll put you right back out that door.
13:00I didn't care about the threats.
13:01The food was incredible.
13:03The soup was warm and savory.
13:05The carrots were sweet, and the potatoes were like clouds.
13:09Then I noticed Miss May wasn't really eating.
13:11She was busy hand-feeding bits of chicken to her cats.
13:14The way she looked at those cats, it was the way a mother looks at her children.
13:18Right then, I decided I could trust her.
13:20Miss May, my name is Claire.
13:23Under her care, two years flew by.
13:25I hit a growth spark and finally caught up to the other girls my age.
13:28My grades stayed at the very top of the class.
13:30Every time I brought home a report card with straight A's, Miss May would make her special
13:33roast chicken just for me.
13:34Life felt perfect.
13:35Then everything changed on the last day of elementary school.
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