HIT BY A PIECE OF PAPER – CHAPTER 2
"Hey sleepy head, wake up!"
I could feel myself shaking and whatever I care I still want some sleep. As I continued dreaming, my whole body started to shake fervently as if convulsing. My whole senses seemed to stop and I could hardly breathe. My brain appeared to be blank as I started to open my lids and then close again.
"She doesn't want to wake up. Ugh! This girl! Koko, can you wake her up?" Even my eyes were closed, I could still hear my mom talking. Upon taking notice of what she had said, I got up then shock filled my body.
"What are you doing here?!" I grabbed my blanket and pointed an accusing finger at him. I looked at my mom with an amused expression. The guy just shrugged and grinned.
"Mom! Why is he here? Do you even know him? He might be a robber! Why'd you let him in! Mom!" I screamed then threw a pillow towards him. He somehow knew my future actions as successfully dodged it. I stared with annoyance at my mother who had been laughing so hard.
"Oh dear… Honey, this is Koko. Do you remember him?" She asked. She looked at me as if waiting for a good answer. I just gave her a disgusted-confused face and muttered. "No. I absolutely don't know him. And I will never want to know."
I composed myself and stood up. I was about to take one step when he spoke. "I won't even try to guess why you forgot about me. It's my fault anyway. But, I just came here to say sorry."
I looked at him with a smug. "Really? Sorry for what?"
"Sorry for leaving you." He said sincerely. He looked at me with an apologetic faint smile. "I'm really sorry. Though you can't remember a thing about it, I'm sorry."
"What are you saying –" My mom cut me off. She held my hands. With a bewildered expression, I looked at her with intensity. "I'm sorry, Sumire. We need to just let it be. You don't have to know what happened before. Everything's been okay today. Past is past. He just wants to apologize, but you don't need to know why."
"But why? If it's about me, I still have the right to know. Did I have an amnesia? If so, why can I still remember you but not him?" I asked her. She seemed to be so calm, with her smile still showing, I could almost tell her to stop smiling at me since we've been having a serious conversation. But as I was waiting for her reply, Koko took the privilege to explain.
"You don't have to know, Sumire. It's best this way. Telling you the reason would just hurt you. So please, stop being stubborn and just let it be."
"And you think I can just do something like that? I'm already old enough to understand things. I've been hurt a lot and adding another painful thing won't change me. I have no idea who you are. But if you're determined to let me know you, at least give me the freedom to recognize what you really are to me. If you're someone in my past, then consider me a challenge to take a slot in my memory."
He looked at my mother and slightly nodded. "I'm going now, Mrs. Shouda. I'm sorry for the bother." He said without even looking at me. He was about to leave my room when I spoke. "Why?"
He shrugged and took a glance at me. "I'm sorry. Maybe it was better if I never showed myself to you. Good bye." Then he walked away. I was left disappointed. I was about to ask my mom but she just walked away like what Koko did. She seemed to look like someone about to cry. She was now wearing a sad smile I have never seen with her. She had been so joyful and free, as if nothing can make her sad but this day wasn't ordinary. This day kept me so skeptical about my past. I wanted to know what happened but even how stubborn I get, I could never acquire an answer.