Chapter 2: chapter 2
I stared at the words on my history text, trying so hard to study. Useless.
Everything was a blur. Over and over, my brain kept trying to process what had just happened earlier; My anger had been replaced with hurt; a deep-seated feeling of hurt and abandonment.
When?
Why?
How?
What did Willow and I do to deserve this from our biological parents?
For a split second, the possibility that they weren't even biological crossed my mind. I tried to shake off the thought, but it stuck like glue.
What real parent would do what they did anyway?!
Concentrate Noah. Test, Monday.
Willow. Married. Loan. Chris
Operation. Leukemia. Die. Two years.
"Arghhhhhhhhh!" I let out the scream I'd been holding in.
Deep, unsteady breaths.
For the first time in a while, a tear slipped down my cheek. I shut the text, frustrated and buried my face in my palm.
Two knocks came on my door a minute later.
I was surprised, Willow doesn't knock, she just barges in. Maybe she's still too shaken up by what happened. I couldn't blame her. I'm having a hard time getting over it too.
"Come on in, Will." I called quietly.
The door opened slowly and to my surprise, revealed the last person I wanted to see right now. My voice turned to steel.
"What do you want dad?"
The door opened wider to reveal mom behind him. I chuckled dryly
The nerve of them to show up here.
"Let me guess, you've taken another loan and found someone for me to marry too? Cause that's all you both do best these days."
"Noah honey…. We're so sorry." Mom spoke with so much emotion.
"Son, I never wanted to hurt you or your sister." Dad slowly stepped into the room.
"It's a little too late for that." I turned away, trying to hide how hurt I was feeling. I stared hard at the window watching the raindrops trickling down the glass, my back to them. I tried everything to stop the tears that welled up in my eyes from flowing out.
"Noah" Dad's voice broke.
"I am truly sorry."
I felt a trickle down my cheek
"I'm sorry I haven't been the father you deserve. You're both right: I have been negligent, so selfish and only concerned about my career."
I heard mom sniffling.
"I shouldn't have ignored your health challenges, I shouldn't have put my business ahead of you both, I shouldn't have used my daughter as collateral for a loan, I know I've made so many costly mistakes and you both have every right to hate me."
My breathing was shaky, the tears were silently flowing in torrents now. I haven't cried this much since third grade. It felt like a release of all I'd been holding in so I let it flow.
"I know it's too much to ask for your forgiveness now, so I'm just asking for a chance to make things right."
My tear ducts were empty and all I felt was numb… my face still towards the window.
"There's nothing you can do now… I'll be dead in two years. Good riddance for you."
A moment of silence passed. I felt a hand on my shoulder.
"Noah… please--" mum whispered
"I've asked your father to take all the jewelry. He can sell them, we're also selling the paintings. I think we can raise enough money from those to repay the loans and pay for your treatment. Please just-- give us another chance."
I took a long, deep cleansing breath, pulling myself out of my private pity party. It was doing me little good.
"I think you should be asking Willow that." I said finally.
I turned to Dad. His head was hung low in what I felt was guilt. Creases lined his forehead and I could see the strands of silver on his hair. I realized he was actually getting old.
"What you did was unforgivable, dad. If I had more time, I'd hold a grudge. But thanks to you, my days are numbered now. I'd rather spend them making things right than wallowing in past mistakes."
He slowly looked up at me. His expression, somewhere between apologetic and regretful. He opened his mouth to speak but it seemed the words got stuck.
"Save it! you'll need it to convince Willow that she still has a reason to call you her father."
I got off the chair as we all left my room and led the way to Willow's.
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"I don't want your apology!" Willow screamed.
I stood just outside the door watching dad unsuccessfully trying to get on Will's good side again. If the situation wasn't so serious I would have laughed. It was amusing.
"Willow honey, we're so sorry" I heard mum say. I had told them I wouldn't go in with them. They made the mess so it was their responsibility to clean it up. Dad tried again
"Please just leave me alone." Willow sniffed. She was crying. I couldn't bear it. I opened the door wider and stepped into the room. Willow sat on her desk facing the wall, her back to dad who looked so helpless.
"Will?" I called softly, going to her.
She looked up. The pain in her eyes mirrored mine.
"It's alright" I stopped, gently patting her hair.
Willow exhaled, leaning against my shoulder.
"I don't want them here"
"Me neither Will." I wiped a tear that escaped from her eyes. "I know how much it hurts, but I think we should look past our pain for now and give them a chance to fix it while they're willing."
A long moment passed as Will stared off into space.
"Did they come to you with this?" She asked quietly.
"Yeah, and no I haven't forgiven them, yet--" I threw dad a stern look before continuing. "--but I'm willing to try and let it go. There's no denying the fact that we have a big problem at hand, solving it should be our priority now, regardless of what we're feeling."
" Besides, I won't stand and watch you married to that old geek."
"It's his son--"
"Yeah, whatever dad."
Willow smiled weakly. A long moment passed before she exhaled.
"What's the plan?"
The tension in the room dissipated a bit. Mum smiled wide.
"Why don't we discuss it over dinner?"
"Dinner sounds good." I added prompted more by my grumbling stomach than just enthusiasm.
****************************************************
"Dad you said you've gathered some money right?"
"Yeah.."
"Then We can actually get all of it before the end of the year!" I said turning to willow as my eyes raised in excitement
"Are you sure? Seven million is a lot of money" willow said
"Mum said she has some savings and I have some too. Also, mum has already handed over her jewelries and paintings. We should be able to get more than three million at once!"
"No way! Noah that alot of money and we're getting it within a short while too!" Will beamed and our parents looked at me proudly
"You've really given us a great idea son. I remember how much those jewels cost when got them, so I should be able to pick the most valuable ones that can be sold at a higher price" Dad said, already calculating the profits we could make out of it
"Dad!? remember Noah still needs to get treated" willow said almost rolling her eyes at dad's widened eyes
"Of course I know that. But it's like you said son, we could pay this off before Christmas!"Dad said excited
"But we have to start now. Come on honey, let's go sort the jewelry. The earlier we sort them, the earlier we can start searching for buyers and get the money" He said pulling my reluctant mother out of the dining room
"I stil can't believe it.."willow said as they left, slumping unto the couch
"What can't you believe?" I asked sitting close to her
"I might get married next year" she answered staring at our chandelier
"That's not going to happen. Dad and I have started making arrangements so don't be scared ok!? Everything will work out" I said placing my hand on her knee
"Are you really sure? You said you're going to get a job but your health is not exactly ok now, are you sure you won't stay out of it?"
"I'm sure sis" I said smiling at her
"Besides, the doctor said it's not very critical yet. I'll just take some money there during the week and apply for the surgery, then they'll start looking for possible matches for me"
"Okay then, it seems like you got it figured out" she said grabbing the remote and tuned in to mtv base
"I really don't understand why someone will want to watch music videos instead of actually movies"' I said rolling my eyes as I saw The weekend's Save Your Tears video on the screen
"That's why you're a nerd and I'm a geek" she said winking
We both laughed because we both knew she was as much as a nerd as I am
"Let the weekend be and go change so we can have dinner"
"Wait a little more, it's almost over....I want to see the part where he shoots the girl" she smiles at me
Boom
"Ugh! You made me miss it ' She said giving me a deathly glare
"I'm sorry miss, definitely wasn't my intention to do so but as we speak our dinner is getting cold and I never eat cold food, you know that" I said already standing and stretching out my hands to pull her up
"What are we having?" she asked placing her hands on mine, then I pulled her up
I shruged and walked towards the table for the third time today, with Will following behind me
"I really hope we can have normal a food today"
I laughed. Knowing my mum and her quest to prove culinary skills, we might be having a dish with a name that only she and Wilfred—our cook—could pronounce
"Finally! Sir noah and miss Willow are here. I was about to send one of the helps find you"
Typical wilfred. Always behaving like he respects us but In actual truth…
"What are we having today sir wilfred?"Will asked sitting immediately, a sign that my sister has been hungry for a while
"Sushi" Wilfred said clapping like it's a thing of joy
"And?" I asked cause I'm definitely not ready to eat only raw fish after a full day of notes and assignments plus the basketball drills we did in school today coupled with the dramatic afternoon we just had
"Chinese rice my young mast.."
"I'm out" I said not waiting for him to complete his sentence.
Doesn't mum already know I don't like to eat rice on a hectic day? Which is mostly fridays?
"Hit me with them chinese rice with some beef or chicken. Just anything but sushi" Will said with disgust.
While I hate cold food, Willow detests anything raw no matter how appetizing it may be. And she always seems to know when it's raw.
One time my mum made something using raw eggs— I can't recall the name— and my dad and I didn't notice. But Will kept frowning as she took each bite, till she couldn't take it and asked
"Mom, What exactly did you use to make this?"
"Well the usual. Green and red bell peppers, a little tomatoes, onions, rice, eggs.."
"But I didn't see any egg in here" my dad asked searching his food because his an egg lover
"Well you can't see it hon, cause I broke it into the rice" mum said laughing at dad's childish behavior
"But I can't see any egg whites....? Wait minute! Is that why the rice is sticky?"I asked feeling disgusted
"Obviously!!"My mum said like I've finally found her prized treasure
Total silence
Since then, Willow always tried to know the menu before it was coked especially during dinner and on weekends.
After taking a shower, I went to the pantry. Ignoring the protest of the cook, I took some oats and dried fruits for vitamins, then made myself a large bowl of milky oats, did the dishes and went back to my room to retire for the night.
I guess there's no studying today…
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