"Why will all these things happen to us? Ugh, it's just so unfair!!!" I said with a frustrated and shaky voice, tears rolling down my cheeks. "First, Mom and Dad's accounts get hacked, then the fire destroys our family business... what's next? Can't we just catch a break for once?"
I was so confused that I didn't even feel the warmth of my mom's hand on my shoulder. When I finally noticed, I turned to her and hugged her, overwhelmed with tears that wouldn't stop. As I hugged her, my voice cracked, and I whispered, "Mom, I'm so sorry." She responded with a soft and gentle voice, "Shh, baby, everything will be fine. We made it once, and we'll make it again."
I had always trusted my mom, but the pain and doubt crept in. For the first time, I felt like I couldn't trust her because I knew it was going to be impossible for us to get back on our feet.
After today's tragedies, I felt like we couldn't take any more sadness. After leaving the scene, my mom and I headed back home, and Dad went to the police station. I was terrified to leave Dad alone, fearing something might happen to him. He looked so stressed and overwhelmed, and I was worried he might have a breakdown. But I couldn't bring myself to share my concern with my mom; I never wanted her to be more worried.
When we arrived home, my mom went directly to her room, closing the door behind her. I was left standing alone in the living room, feeling lost, frustrated, and uncertain. I lazily made my way to my room, feeling drained. The warm water of my bath enveloped me, but my mind was elsewhere. I couldn't help but think about Dad. "Is he okay? Will he come home safe? Will things ever go back to normal?" I pushed the thoughts aside and got dressed, my eyes fixed on the clock. "When will Dad come home?"
At around 10:30 PM, Dad finally came home. I went to him and hugged him, asking if he was okay and if things would go back to normal. His face was drawn with stress and worry. He forced a weak smile and told me, "Everything will be okay, kiddo." Then he trudged to his office, exhausted. I asked, "Dad, you're not going to sleep?" He shook his head, telling me no. I nodded with a smile and said, "Good night, Dad. I love you." He replied, "I love you too," and I left to my room to sleep.
I woke up at around 3:00 AM to drink some water and check if Dad had gone to bed. By God's grace, he wasn't there. Suddenly, I had an intuition to check what Dad was doing. I found stacks of documents on his desk with huge amounts of money listed. In a shocked tone, I whispered, "Dad is in debt." My eyes wide open, I stood there, frozen in shock, my mind racing with questions. How could Dad be in debt? We had always been comfortable, never wanting for anything. What happened?
I felt a wave of fear wash over me. What would this mean for our family? Would we lose our home? Would Dad go to jail? I crept back to my room, my heart heavy with worry. The image of those documents and stacks of money on Dad's desk haunted me. I lay in bed, unable to shake off my feeling of unease. My mind was a jumble of questions and fear. Why was Dad in debt? How did it happen to us now? Tears pricked the corners of my eyes as I thought about all the "what-ifs." I took my phone and played one of my favorite Billie Eilish songs, "Future," while crying. Sleep was impossible; my brain was a whirlwind of emotions, each one more terrifying than the last. I finally drifted off to sleep, exhausted from the emotional rollercoaster, but my rest was fitful, filled with fragmented dreams, worries, and confusion.
I woke up early the next morning and went to make breakfast for my parents since it was Sunday, and the maids were not at service. I placed the slices of bread in the toaster and, while waiting, I was drinking some milk in my favorite mug. Suddenly, I heard my mom screaming. The mug slipped from my hand and shattered on the floor. The sound of shattering ceramic was followed by my mom's frantic cries. I rushed to the direction of the screams and found myself in front of my parents' room. I took a step forward, my heart heavy with concern. "Mom, what's wrong?" I asked, my voice shaking. Mom's grip on Dad tightened, and she buried her face in his chest, shouting, "Samantha, call the emergency!"
I rushed to the phone and dialed the emergency number, my hands trembling. When they asked, "What's wrong?" I answered, "It's... it's my dad... he's not okay." I followed by giving them our location and dropped the call, going straight to my mom, trying to comfort her. But words couldn't come out of my mouth. I didn't actually realize what was going on; I was just hoping that Dad had nothing serious.
Minutes ticked by, feeling like hours. Then the sound of sirens pierced the air. The ambulance had arrived. I rushed to the door and opened it, letting the paramedics in. They quickly examined Dad and checked his pulse. Their faces were somber. After what felt like an eternity, one of them shook his head and gave us the saddest news ever. "I'm sorry," he said, his voice gentle but firm. "He's gone."
I couldn't believe my ears. I looked at my mom, just to see her eyes filled with tears. "No... No... NO..." My voice increasing each time I said no. I went to Mom and started crying, burying my face in her chest, saying, "He can't be gone." But she was unresponsive, looking at the way they were taking Dad away. Suddenly, Mom fainted. I called for the paramedics to come and assist her, but they took her directly to the hospital. I joined them, asking myself, "What is happening? Why is all this happening to us?"
We arrived at the hospital, and the paramedics went with Mom, leaving me at the entrance. I was still in my nightwear. One of the nurses took me to the waiting room and asked me to sit, but I couldn't. I was so traumatized and confused that I sat on the floor and started crying with my head bent. After some minutes, an old woman came to me and asked, "What's wrong, sweetie?" But I didn't answer; I was too busy crying. "Hey, I don't know what's wrong, but I know everything will be okay," she said.
Why that sentence? I said in my mind. Why "everything will be okay" again? I lifted my head, looking up at her. "Everything will be okay," I said with tears rolling down my cheeks. "Nothing will be okay. Mom told me everything will be okay, but she's in the hospital. Dad told me everything will be okay, but he died. I told myself everything will be okay, but... I don't know where I am." I shouted and cried. The woman took me in her arms as I continued crying. "Okay, not everything will be okay, but I know you'll get through this. You're strong, and you need to be there for your mom."
I realized that what she said was true. I needed to be there for her, to give her the courage to face all this. I've already lost Dad; I won't forgive myself if I lose Mom too. I took a breath and told the woman, "Thank you." Before I could finish my statement, the doctor came. "Are you the family of Sarah Bright?" I nodded. "Yes, I'm her daughter." "Your mom had an attack, but she's now out of danger. You can go and see her. She's in room 12."
I nodded and said, "Thank you." I turned to the woman, and she said, "It's okay. Go see your mom first." I ran to her room and entered. Seeing Mom sleeping made me feel so at peace. She wasn't crying; she was calm and safe, and that's all I wanted. I sat beside her, taking her hand gently. "Mom, I love you. Please be strong. We'll get through this. I won't be able to get through this without you, so please, Mom, stay with me. I won't support it if you leave."
I started crying with my head bent. "I won't leave you now, don't worry. We'll get through this," she said. I lifted my head and looked up at her. "Mom!" I screamed, feeling relieved. She opened her arms and hugged me, giving me a gentle kiss on the forehead before sleeping back.
To be continued!!!