Aetherforge Academy! Aetherforge Academy!! Every single time and to be honest I have had enough.
If it was only a plea to attend any school in general that would be different.
Why was he so fixated on me attending Aetherforge Academy?
I sighed, words clogging my throat, unable to meet my father's gaze.
I couldn't accept his request. Not now not ever, not when I had no zeal to attend.
Maybe, if he had asked when I was still six, I probably would have agreed.
No, I knew I would. Because 12 years ago, I was a lover of books but not anymore.
The old me was dead and gone. I was now an incorrigible thief.
"Sera, please..."
My body shook at the raw desperation in his voice.
Something I couldn't understand and before I knew it, the corners of my eyes pricked with tears.
I lowered myself, "I have money now, look..." I brought five bundles from my pocket, and showed it to him, "we would soon be able to afford your surgery.
Dad, no more talk about school. You're going to leave the card and whatever enticement you took outside the gate. The messenger would come and take it sooner or later."
He shook his head in disapproval, "You do not understand—"
Understand what?
"You have to. There are lots of opportunities at Aetherforge. Earning decent money is better than stolen money. You will never be able to rid yourself of the guilt."
Yh right!
I was done feeling sorry towards my victims because no one cared for me and my dad.
My dad took care of me until his first diagnosis of cancer caused him to lose his job. His friends, families—literally everyone I could think of—deserted off.
Thank God, I had started stealing before that.
The first day I brought back a thousand dollars. He had questioned profusely about where I had gotten the money.
And that was the first time, I had lied to my father.
'I borrowed from a friend of mine.' I told him at 7 years old. A year prior to when I began stealing.
And Lord help me. The words spilled freely from my lips like I was telling the truth without an ounce of regret. And my father believed me without an ounce of suspicion.
But, by the time I turned 11, I stole a golden watch from a store. The security men caught me and my father took the blame for it. He had to pay triple the amount of the original price so I wouldn't go to jail.
I cried my eyes out that night. My father had found out I was a thief and I didn't know how to face him and his silent treatment.
At night, I could hear his cries, praying to God to forgive him because he couldn't provide for me. He also prayed to God to forgive me of my sins.
I frowned at that because I didn't believe in God.
Well... I once did but when he turned his back on me and my father. I knew he was fake. People prayed to him just to feel good about themselves and honestly that was sickening.
A year later after the incident of the golden watch—now twelve years— my father collapsed.
The doctors informed me of a major heart disease and acute cancer.
I didn't know what to do. I was alone without anyone until I started aiming high. Stealing enough for his treatments but could never get the amount for his heart surgery.
I blinked away from my past, when I felt his hand on my shoulders as he shook me vigorously,
"Is this how you want to spend the rest of your life? You want to become a klepto?"
My skin crawled with shame.
I wasn't a fucking klepto. I do not steal just for the thrill of it.
I was living at a dead end, and the only way to survive was by stealing. I promised myself that when things got better, I would stop stealing and look for a job only after my father's health was okay.
"I'm not a klepto!" I hissed through gritted teeth, anger rushing my veins.
"But you fucking act like one, Sera. This—"
He looked at the bundles of cash in my hands and back at me in... disgust, shame ?
I wasn't going to analyze his feelings,
"Next time, when you steal, try to hide it well beneath your clothes." He shook his head and walked past me, slamming his room door hard." I could literally feel the suffocating anger.
Why was my father being so fucking difficult?
I cleaned the little tears at the corners of my eyes and walked to my room.
My sweatshirts and pants met the cold floor after I dropped the bundles of cash on the dresser and threw myself on my soft sheets.
I bought them two weeks ago. Didn't steal them.
I closed my eyes, not letting the words of my father get to me.
I was not a fucking klepto and I didn't need to prove that to anyone. Not even my father.
My phone chimed.
Caleb had sent a message.
', Happy Birthday, Sera. I'm sorry for tonight. I panicked for a moment and lost my goddamn mind. Allow me the grace to take you out. It's your birthday, you should have fun.'
I screened my phone and dropped it on the nightstand.
Today was my 18th birthday and my father probably forgot.
I wouldn't hold it against him because without Caleb's message, I had forgotten too.
I drag the sheets over my shoulders as I let my eyes drift shut.
Tomorrow was dad's check-up day.
.
.
I sealed the hundred and fifty dollars in my purse and walked out. I would try and negotiate with the doctors for a quarter deposit before the surgery.
I hope it all goes well today. I huffed in anticipation.
Father should be ready by now. If anything, he was the quickest to finish. Always reminding me about the check-up days.
He wanted to live and so do I—more than anything in the world.
But when I reached the living room. It was empty, cold and silent.
I walked to his door and knocked. Once. Twice. Thrice until I couldn't keep count.
"Dad..."
I called fear snagging up my throat.
Did anything happen to him while sleeping.
"Dad..." I called again, knocked and twisted the door knob but he didn't reply.
I pressed her ears to the door for any sound but was met with silence too.
Panic set in, my blood was running cold.
Dad is fine and healthy.
Dad is fine and healthy.
Dad is fine and healthy.
I whispered like a mantra in my head and I pushed the door with my back, to open it.
But I was too little, my hits barely doing a thing.
I thought fast and grabbed an extinguisher—it felt too heavy but I held on—smashing it on the door knob multiple times until it broke.
I let it slip from my hand, as a heavy sigh fell from my lips.
The door cracked open and without hesitation, I rushed in.
"Dad!" I screamed in fear as I thought something had happened to him.
But there he was, on his bed, back pressed against the headboard as he was pressing his phone in nothing but his fucking pyjamas at ten in the morning?
The fuck!
He ghosted his eyes over me and flicked them back to his phone.
Anger flushed over my system, as I walked over to him,
"Dad..." I drawled with a pause, calming the anger that washed over me then continued, "you're not yet dressed. Have you forgotten what today Is?" I asked, forgoing to ask the reason why he refused to open the order.
He's 67 yrs already and I don't want him to get aggravated at all for any reason.
He ignored me for over thirty seconds—I always count— before giving me a curt reply.
"What do you want, Sera."
My heart stuttered at the tone of his voice. He sounded...irritably angry?
"Today is your check-up day. You need to get dressed."
"Oh that! I don't think I will be going anymore."
My heart sank in my stomach, "Why? The doctor said there might be improvement. There's hope."
It seems like my words had triggered something because he threw his phone on the bed and looked at me with glowering eyes.
"No, Sera. No improvement. I'm a dying man—"
No no no... I shook my head at his words.
"I'm being punished by God for using stolen money to attend to my health. You know God hates people who steal..."
"No!" I shrieked.
No God and No punishment.
"Listen, dad," I began, unable to stop the tears that started rolling down my cheeks as I lowered myself down, "We can win this illness. We just need to follow the doctor's instructions. I've got money, soon enough I will have enough for your surgery." I cried.
I heard hims scoff, "You've got money?"
I nodded.
"No, Sera. You don't have money. You steal for a living and now I'm beginning to feel disgusted for allowing myself to use your stolen money."
He paused and took a deep breath, "When I get a little better, I will look for a job and cater to myself. I refuse to use stolen money."
I shook my head profusely, unable to stop the ache that slammed hard at my ribs.
"No, no, no. Dad...please... We've gone a long way to just give up. I promise my money isn't stolen it's just —"
"Just what Sera? Your little friend came over earlier and sought permission to take you out for dinner. He had a message for you.
'Last night at the bank was fun, we should probably do it again.'
Sera, ever since you showed me those bundles, I've been thinking about where you had stolen them. I prayed and wished you really hadn't committed a serious crime. But then, I watched the news. Someone had committed a heist at the local bank almost close to our house.
Two pictures were shown, a girl wearing matching sweatpants just like the one you wore yesterday. You're lucky they didn't get a whiff of what you looked like. If not, you and that scrawny friend of yours would have been on the way to jail. Seriously, Sera. I'm disappointed in you. How could you think of robbing the local bank. People's sweat and tears are what you just stole." He finished with an exasperated breath.
And me?
Hot tears were rolling down my cheeks in hefty flows. I couldn't stop them even if I wanted to. His words just struck a blow to my chest.
Yes, I was a thief and I knew that. But I had no choice. How else was my dad going to survive?
I heaved, my whole body shaking uncontrollably.
"Dad, I'm sorry. But I had no other choice. What else was I supposed to do?"
"Going to Aetherforge Academy would have solved this issue, Sera. But no, you decided to ignore and spend your life as a thief. A fucking thief, Sera." He screamed, his neck veins almost popping out of his neck as he tried reining himself.
I flinched at his voice, lowering myself until I met the cold floor.
'You're a thief, Sera. A fucking thief. No excuse justifies being a thief. You're a fucking shame to your father.'
No! No! No!!
I shook my head violently, sweat stuck to my shirt and my palms grew clammy.
I urged again because I could endure being called a thief but I couldn't let my father die because of illness.
His cold voice filled my ears again, "Get out, Sera. I do not want to see you unless you agree to attend the academy. Only then will I give you listening ears."
The fuck! This was ridiculous.
Attending Aetherforge Academy or any other was out of the question.
I was never going to attend any academy.
I looked to meet his gaze but his back was turned against me.
He really meant his words, didn't he?
I let out a small laugh as I rose to my feet and headed to my room.
Caleb was keeping my phone active with his incessant calls and messages and truthfully it was pissing me off.
My 18th birthday just got ruined before it even started.
I muffled my ears with pillows and cried silently into the sheets.
My heart was hurting so bad. My father's words had cut deeper than a knife.
The day passed like a flash.
The next two days followed without speaking with my dad.
Within those two days, I weighed the decision of attending the academy. But my skin prickled with dread every time I thought about that.
I endured it. My dad really meant his words when he said he wasn't going to speak with me unless I agreed to agree that academy.
I huffed a sigh and headed to his room.
If attending the so-called prestige academy made him speak to me again.
Then I will but just for a few days then I quit.
I didn't have to get to the room because I could hear the sound of the TV from the living room.
I strolled towards there; heart stuttering but with my head held high.
"Dad..." I called but he ignored me.
Damn! He really was a fucking mean ass man!
"I've decided to attend the Aetherforge Academy." I said with a shrug and almost immediately he turned towards me. His eyes glistened with amusement.
"Good girl. Now get ready you set off immediately."
What?!