Chapter 8
The Ashen Euphorbia
Yumi's story.
Yumi's point of view
I twist uncontrollably on the bed as a pain in my stomach lurches up again. I try to shout as soft as possible, and clench my bed covers tighter. Hearing the slow, paced chimes of the wind chime at the door, like a hymn, I close my eyes and let it wrap around me.
-flashback starts here – Yumi: 5 years old—
"Why didn't you get first?" The tall figure that resembled my dad stood in front of me, papers scattering from his large hand onto the table. Why didn't I get first…why couldn't I ever get first? Why couldn't I ever let Daddy be happy? Slowly, droplets of tears roll down my face, as if uncontrollable, more and more flow out. Stop it… stop it…please, not again. I plead silently in my head, please not again.
Angry, my mom appears out of the kitchen, her spatula still in her hands. Her eyebrows curved inwards tighter, her eyes narrowed, and her hands raise up in fists.
"Stop yelling to her!" The loud, clear voice traveled across the room within a second, and I crunch up in a small ball, tears flowing more and more.
Stop fighting, please stop fighting.
"She got second!"
"What? You think she's an university student? Her brain hasn't developed yet!"
"Habits come from their parents! And I never make mistakes!" Their voices get louder and louder.
"You think it's my fault." Mommy walked closer and closer, her tears of anger significantly different from mine.
Stop fighting, stop fighting, mommy, daddy. I did it wrong, I shouldn't gotten first, it's all my fault…
"Who else is there?"
Mommy walked closer and closer, her arm suddenly raised and prepared to slam down into Daddy's face, when his strong hand pulled her tight.
Suddenly getting scared, Mommy stopped fighting. I lift my head up a little, Mommy starts sobbing. Her power left to resist Daddy was left with nothing.
"Mommy…"
"Go to your room. Now. Or else I'll get mad." Even though Mommy looks angry, her voice, her eyes transmit affection, and gentle gestures.
Even at the last moment, Mommy turned around with a smile. Mommy… I want to help you.
Even though I was forced to leave, I wanted to see what happened, so I could comfort Mommy later. I pretend like I'm in my room, but leave a big crack so I could see—and hear everything. With the living room light shining into my room, my vision weakens a little, but I try to keep it wide.
A slap that could be heard throughout the house. Mommy's on the ground, small droplets of blood stains on her mouth, her eyes still wide from shock. Mommy…please be okay… I storm out of my room, scared, terrified, and more worried for Mommy. But her eyes held a kind of determination that could be seen evidently.
"Let's…" She held a hand to her mouth to wipe off the small streaks of blood that could be seen, and muttered, "divorce."
-flashback ends—
The pain of that memory had never stopped—how foolish of me to think I'd ever be able to throw those behind… Mom. Dad. How many times I have tried to forget about them, but it's all too strong and realistic for me.
Three months later, they had a law suit—just for who gets to raise me. Mommy smiled right before it, I still remember, and gave me a light kiss on the cheek, telling me that everything would be okay.
-flashback starts—
"I had done most of the raising and taking care of her, so the responsibility should be with me!" I heard Mommy say from the jury area. I stood on the wooden benches, not knowing what to do. Daddy…or Mommy? Why would Daddy want me? I had always been just a burden to him.
" paid most of her fees, and had done the actual economical raising. He should be able to raise her." Even at this period, Daddy still didn't say a word about me. I couldn't help but feel cold in my heart, and grasped myself for more warmth.
More discussing.
Break time.
Mommy hurried down from her place to see me, holding me with both arms, and pulling me into her chest, breaking out into tears. With her sniveling, and not saying a word, I wrap my arms around her as well, just listening to her heartbeat. Daddy is nowhere to be seen anymore. He didn't come see me.
The final discussing, and a loud bang on a wooden board is heard.
"—to the father."
The only part that I actually understood. Would that mean…that I would have to live with Daddy? Would that mean…that I wouldn't be able to see Mommy anymore?
No. No. No! Mommy was the one who made the best food in the world, her hugs were the most secure in the world, her goodnight prayers made me feel the most religious, her words were the most intelligent. She… she was the best mom possible!
Mommy burst into tears, her body leaning on the table that was in front of her, but two workers from Daddy's company came up to me. Their dark sunglasses reflecting back my fragile features, with a sly grin, they each held my hand, hauled me up on their back and began walking past.
"Mommy!" I screamed, punching the backs of the men, but they were too strong. They carried me away.
Mommy!
Mommy!
"Mommy!"
Her last, desperate face was the last time I ever saw her.
-flashback ends here—
Three weeks later, it was heard that Mommy died. The last words in her will: To give all I have to Yumi—when she is 18 years of age. I was at school chatting with my friends when I heard that from the teacher—that I had to go to the principal's office.
Daddy didn't let me go to her funeral. With a super red face, similar to a red chili, locked my room door from the outside. "Don't you dare come out!" were his words. To keep his words possible, he made a little dog flap that was too small for me to crawl through. Through that flap, he would snuffle some bentous that were bought from the supermarket downstairs.
I stopped going to school.
I couldn't go. Friends stopped calling to ask if I was okay, teachers stopped caring if I was going to school anymore. I was left in a world of blackness, a day where only time is tractable.
Like that, three years past. My voice got higher pitched, my mind became more developed, and my fitness level got worse.
Just as I was waiting for my dinner, I heard the door crash open. Daddy would have never done that. He would have carefully opened the door without a noise, carefully tap his shoes on the mat and then enter without another word. But these men were shouting.
"Anyone here? Anyone a family relative to Mr. Takeshi?"
Daddy died in a car crash, and I was brought out of the room.
I wasn't sad, not to the point that I cried my eyes out, but I wasn't happy either.
He wasn't the best dad ever, but he was the dad I was given. He was strict, had temper-control issues, but he always wanted me to get the best—whether it was for himself or not—he wanted me to be good.
I was given to my mom's mother, since my dad's family didn't want me.
Grandma was always considered to be "odd". She had enough money to get a real job, but she found joy in running that small snack shack she had. Since I couldn't catch up with school anyways, I learned to cook, I learned how to manage the house, and almost became a professional housekeeper for Grandma. But soon, after one year, she legs began deteriorating. She started needing a cane to walk around the house. I tried to treat her, tried to convince her to go to the hospital, but everything that had been on her mouth was "the shack…the shack…" I started helping out. I started memorizing all the prices, and in return for me helping, Grandma had to rest.
I turn around from my spot on the bed, and sit up despite the pain in my stomach. I hear a sudden click from the front door, many muffled footsteps, and it's almost like that scene once again.
"no…no…" I murmur to myself, but there are three knocks on my door, and revealing two people standing at the door.
"Why…are you here…?"
