Chapter 2

"I'm not Ms. Oh shit. Don't curse on me." I rolled my eyes.

"So, Ms. Oh shit. Have you ever felt like you're drowning in your own thoughts?" He asked, not minding the words I just uttered.

I didn't give him any respond, instead, I just wiped the poop out of my face.

"Well me? I've felt that a thousand of times but no one believed me." His voice was very opposite from the words he just said, it was like a facade in his lonely heart.

It was quiet. I don't know any words to say since I'm not used to talking to someone except for my sister.

"Why can't they see the loneliness behind my smiles? Why can't they see that I also need comfort? I'm tired, but I'm too tired to show it in front of their judgmental faces. It was too draining and when I finally burst out those emotions, they just laugh it off, saying that a man shouldn't be as weak like me." He continued.

"Well, that's how society works." I don't really know if that was helpful.

"The world is beautiful. But why can't humans be as beautiful as that?"

"It's not the humans that were born ugly, Mister. It was the life who turned them ugly. It was how the cycle of the world we lived in works which attracts evilness."

He was silent for a minute.

"What about you, Ms. Oh shit? Do you have any grievance in life?" He then turned the subject to me.

"Well... there's nothing more with the fact that I hate men."

"Oh! Ouch! That was kind of hurtful, Ms. Oh shit." He said jokingly.

"Men are trash. The uncontented pleasure in their eggs are the reasons why women ended up settling for less."

"That isn't true, Ms. Oh shit. There are a lots men who are loyal and faithful but ended up being cheated by the woman they love. It's just the same case as you. You shouldn't be bias." There was no humor in his voice.

It was quiet for a moment. I was unable to defend my stand because maybe, his case was opposite as mine.

"Can you sing a song for me?" He blurted out which cracked the silent ambiance.

"Are you crazy? Why would I sing a song for a stranger?"

"Oh, come on, Miss Oh shit girl, show your talent." His humorous tone was back.

"I have no talent, Mister." I shook my head, disagreeing.

"Then what was the guitar for?"

My forehead knotted.

"Wait a minute... you saw that I have a guitar? You definitely saw my face, didn't you?!" I accused him.

"No! Uhmm... I was just guessing! And I guess I was right!" He said, defending himself.

I rolled my eyes.

"I don't believe you."

"By the way, Ms. Oh shit. Are you somehow lonely? Don't you have any friends?"

Oh great. He's diverting the topic.

"Friends? Such a waste of time. They'll end up betraying you and who's going to get hurt by the end of the day? It's you and no one else but you."

"So... you've been in a phase of being betrayed?"

I shrugged.

"Yeah... I guess so."

"In what way?" He curiously asked.

"Out of jealousy. You see, jealousy can ruin a person. It's never been good and it will never be."

He was quiet for a while.

"Well, I guess that was the reason why my mom left my father. He was too possessive. But is it that bad for you, women? Can't that just be a reason that we're protecting them?"

"Don't ask me, Mister. I've never had a boyfriend."

He laughed.

"Why don't you try it with me instead? So that you'd be able to have an answer to my question?" He teased.

Oh great. He's flirting with me. Men and their witty instincts on when to flirt with woman.

"No thanks. Not interested of having a boyfriend," I brutally said in an honest tone.

"Come on. You're wasting your beauty, woman."

"You act as if you knew how I look like?" I was squeezing my eyes when I uttered those words with a skeptical tone.

He coughed as if he was caught off guard.

"Huh?"

"Do you perhaps... know my name or my identity?"

"Impossible." He nervously laughed.

I didn't respond, instead, I scrutinized the sky that was now ruled by darkness and to celebrate the victory of winning the battle, it created a massive amount of thunderstorm even though it hasn't rain yet. Seems like the radiant heating the atmospheric instability have reached their peaks.

"Oh... it's about to rain." He addressed what's obvious.

I stood from being seated on the ground and shake off the dust and dirt from my mini skirt. I positioned my guitar back to my back and without any word, I left the place, leaving him alone there.

I don't give a damn about what he thinks of me. Rude? Yes, I'm damn rude, he should get used with the fact that woman isn't always there to please man.

I was silently sauntering, heading my own way, when suddenly, one drop from above made me stop from walking, and soon follows few more consecutive drops which immediately pour into a massive amount of water from above.

The wind howls as it kissed my tanned skin which made my body tremble because of its exuding ice-like-cold blast that hit my body.

I was soaking wet and the water just wouldn't stop dropping from above when abruptly it stopped yet my surrounding continued their wet drops from above. I unconsciously lift my face palm on the air to see if the rain did really stop in just my location but silly me to think of that because there was an umbrella above.

I was about to face that person but then that person held my shoulder tightly to stop me from turning to its direction.

"Don't look at me." It was the man from the hill.

"Why?" I asked, confused.

"I just don't want you to know who I am. I told you my weaknesses and... who knows? You might as well judge me just like how others did."

"So, you want to keep your identity hidden?"

"As much as possible, yes. Wish we'd continue in a set-up like this."

I didn't respond. I tried to step and he also steps forward to shelter me with his umbrella.

"Are you going to follow me until I'm in front of my house?"

It was him who didn't respond this time. I was about to bid farewell or must I say that I was about to shoo him off when suddenly, I felt a warm cloth embracing my body using his one hand, trying its best to cover my front part.

"Oh, Mister. I don't easily fall for that trick." I blurted out.

He huffed a laugh.

"I'm just a gentleman, Ms. Oh shit. I'm not trying to make you fall. No malice."

Whatever, instead I myself, shamelessly grab the jacket he was trying to cover and covered my body with it because I'm cold and I don't care if he thinks that I'm selfish and greedy.

"Don't charge me for stealing your jacket. You yourself gave it to me and because I'm a one of hell great woman, I will wear it because it's damn cold and I don't give a damn if you're cold too."

"Yes, Ms. Oh shit. Here," he then gave me his umbrella.

"No thanks."

I didn't bother to give him any farewell or maybe a thank you, all I did was to run in the middle of the rain to head my way home.

"Alessia!" My sister greeted me with a warm smile plastered on her face as she ran towards me to hug me tight.

I bended my knees to equal her and then hugged her tight as well. I fucking miss her tight hug; it was as if she was shooing all the negative thoughts and energy I was carrying.

"Oh, Alessia! You're so wet!" She complained.

I chuckled.

"Yes, I am."

"How was your day?" My mom casually asked.

"Boring."

I kissed my sister's forehead who was smiling widely at me and turned my head to my mom who was currently cooking. Our house or must I say the house that we rented was small and so the kitchen was not far from me. There were only 2 rooms and 1 bathroom beside the kitchen, our living room only contains 2 small sofas and it didn't even have any television on it.

It was pretty much simple, yet chaotic.

"Where's the money?" Mom simply asked.

My forehead knotted as I stand up.

"What do you mean money?"

I simply laid my guitar and swing to the sofa and was about to undress the zipper from the jacket when she said a word that made me stop.

"The money, Alessia!" She raised her voice.

"M-Mom..." It was my sister, once again, scared.

"Go to our room." I sweetly said and gave her a peck on the cheeks.

She nodded and ran towards our room then locked the door. I turned my attention back to my mom who was at the moment, giving me her hostile glare with her face that was contorted with rage.

Every step she took was heavy as if she was carrying a huge amount of fire that is ready to burn me up. I swallowed the huge lump in my throat and calm myself down because she has the same face every day, and I know she was about to beat me up once again.

"Where's the money, Alessia?" Every word was full of emphasis.

"I don't know what you're talking about." I thank God I manage to give her my composed voice.

"The money from your father's mistress." Her voice was composed as well and it burn the hell out of me!

My breathing hitched because of what she had said but it didn't affect her. I clenched my fist to stop myself from shouting at her.

"So, you knew all along?" I unbelievably asked.

"We need the money, Alessia. Stop acting like a saint and hand me the money."

"You knew all along and yet, every night— no I must say, every day, there wasn't a day where you wouldn't shout at my father even though you know the truth? So, you were in this?" I asked in full of disbelief.

She sighed heavily.

"Alessia." There was a warn in her tone.

"So, if you knew, then you shouldn't have shouted every night! If you knew all along then you should've at least for once gave me and my sister a peaceful night! If you knew, then you shouldn't have sobbed every night! Because I'm damn tired of hearing those noise! It was so tiring! It was so draining! You're acting as if you're the victim but you're the one who's tolerating his acts for the sake of money!"

"Alessia!"

"What?! Isn't it true? I'm so damn tired of it, Mom! You kept on shouting and shouting, doubting every move of my father when in fact you're the one who's tolerating his shameful acts!"

And then here we go again, I received a huge amount of slap from her warm palms.

"We need the money for my daughter, Alessia! You mother-fucker asshole! Stop acting like you're the only one who's tired of this set-up! I'm tired too! I'm damn tired but I can't do anything about it because we're fucking poor! Do you think your father being a security guard will make all four of us live? No!" She fumed.

I cannot utter any word as I was busy catching air for my breathing. I breathe in and breathe out a thousand of time and tried my very best to be composed.

"I didn't accept the money." I said in a calmer voice.

I received another slap from her palm and again and again, she tweaked my hair.

"Don't you dare lie! Hand me the money!"

"I said I don't have it!"

She pushed me with the best that she could as she was already drowning in her rage hence, I tripped and fell to the floor because of the massive force she gave.

"Alessia!" My sister cried.

She kneeled in front of me and hugged me tight while sobbing, she didn't even care if I was wet or not because she just sobbed and sobbed against my chest.

"Go get the money." Her voice was final.

"Mom! No! It's raining outside!" My sister complained in behalf of me.

"I don't care. She's not my daughter anyway." She coldly said.

She turned her back at us and walked towards the kitchen, not minding the words she just said.

I swallowed the huge lump in my throat as I felt the unbearable pain in my heart which felt like it was twisting it into any forms in order to hurt that already shattered pieces.

"M-Mom... please no." My sister begged.

"Go get the money or else I'll cast you out of this house!" She fumed once again.

I gave my sister my feigned smile and tried my very best to stand in my wobbly limps.

"Okay."

"Alessia..."

I turned my back at them and started to walk away that made my little sister sob more.

I don't even know where to go. It was already dark outside yet the rain keeps on pouring from the sky. All I did was to walk and walk in the middle of the street from our small house, not minding the amount of attention I was getting from different people, probably because of our shouts from the inside of our small house.

It felt like the sky was with me, crying with me and hugging me with its cold breeze trying to comfort my swollen heart and yet it didn't change the fact that I was hurting on the inside.

Water feels like my home buddy. The rain from above was the only one embracing my lonely body right now and yet it was painful because the water from my eyes was the result of the unbearable pain. The sea of melancholia that has always been with me, drowning me to its deepest core kept on pulling and pulling my thoughts to tie me up from the corals, wanting me to keep on drowning.

I didn't even notice that I stopped from sauntering and just unconsciously sobbed and sobbed thinking that it might help the pain I was carrying to lessen but it didn't. I even thank God that the rain was there, enough to cover my embarrassing sobs.

Everything just seems blurry. I know I was alone here, standing in the midst of the rain, acting like a crazy woman but I just couldn't bring myself to step because my feet were tired to even step one single step.

I felt a warm embrace from someone but I didn't know who it was because its chest was against my face, leading to a dark surrounding. It was dark but somehow, I felt light like some angel sent God to comfort me.

"Oh, Ms. Oh shit. You should've accepted the umbrella I gave you earlier."

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