Chapter 1
The unexpected journey
Jenifer’s POV:
“Jen, have you packed your bags.” Here comes my dad’s voice as he walked inside my room with a cup of hot milk in his hand.
I didn’t look at him as I was laying on my bed facing my back at him.
“Jen, I am asking you something? Could you please turn around?” His stern voice made me gulp in my throat and I immediately stood up and sat on the bed facing him.
“Dad, why are you sending me away? Don’t you love me anymore?” I asked in a low voice and pool of tears flow down from my eyes.
He took a deep breath and sat down on the edge of the bed after placing the cup on the side table of my bed.
“Baby, your dad loves you the most and you mean the entire world to me!” He cupped my cheeks and placed a kiss on my forehead.
“Then why should I leave you? Why should I leave, mom? Why should I go away? I don’t understand, dad!” I cried lowering my head and tugged the hem of the skirt with my hands shivering.
I heard my dad sniffing and held my hand in his releasing the skirt from my fist.
“Jen, you have to trust me and listen to me!” He said and I looked at his face trying to understand everything that’s been happening around me. “Your mom is sick and she cannot treat you right in this moment. Not that she hates you or doesn’t love you. She loves you so much but sometimes in life, we hurt the one that we love the most. She is not hurting you intentionally, baby girl! So, please don’t hate your momma.” He added and I could see his eyes tearing up.
“Don’t worry, Dad! I know how much momma loves me and I could never hate her. All I want is to live with you and mom.” I said honestly and looked down at my wrist which has a bruise caused by my mother.
I could recall the moment as I was trying to hug my mom and she held me by my wrist and pushed me down on the floor. I really don’t understand why she is behaving like this with me in the past years. I and my mom, used to be best friends and she always used to take good care of me. But in the past couple of years, whenever she looks at me she is throwing tantrums and asking me to get off her sight.
“Thank you, baby girl!” My dad heaved his chest and opened his arms for a hug. I jumped into his arms and hugged him for my dear life because I am not sure when I will be able to hug him again.
“Dad, when will you bring me back home? I don’t want to stay away from you for a long period!” I whispered a plea.
“Honey, your mother is not in her right sense and I will need some time to figure out things for her. I am sending you away because I don’t want you to be hurt in this situation. Plus, Athena would never be able to forgive herself if she ever comes to know that she had hurt her daughter at some point in her life. We shouldn’t make it hard for her as she is our dear, Athena, right?” My dad smiled at me but I could see tears in his eyes.
“Yes, she is our sunshine and I believe that someday she will be able to love me back the way she used to. I will be waiting everyday for you and momma!” I promised and wiped the tears that kept flowing from my dad’s eyes.
I hate seeing my dad cry.
“And I promise that I will bring your mom back to you and we will be a happy family again!” He smiled and kissed me on the top of my head. “Now, my baby girl should go to sleep because she must wake up early in the morning.” Saying this he tugged me neatly inside my sheets and kissed me goodnight.
After seeing my father’s disappearing figure from my room, I closed my eyes as I was tired after all the crying and shouting but not before drinking the milk that my dad bought.
I have had a lot of questions running in my mind as I completely couldn’t understand the reason for the sudden change in my mom’s behavior towards me. But I just believe in my dad’s promise because he will definitely find a way to bring everything back to normal.
Hugging my plush rhino, I fell into a deep slumber.
Four in the morning:
“LEAVE ME ALONE!” I jerked in my sleep and my eyes snapped open as I heard my mom screaming. I jumped down from my bed and rushed downstairs.
“Athena, stop yelling. Our daughter is sleeping upstairs and what will she think if she ever witnesses her mother behaving insane? Please don’t make her to be scared of her own mother.” My steps came to a halt on hearing my dad trying to calm my angry mom and I hid myself in the corner of the staircase in order not to get caught by my parents.
“Scary? Is she scared of me?” My mom’s blunt voice echoed in the hallway.
I cried silently as I couldn’t see my mother like this. I want to run to her and comfort her. I am not scared of her but I am scared of losing her permanently.
“Athena, I am sending her away temporarily because I don’t want my daughter to grow up in a traumatic situation. She will come back to us once we!”My dad’s words cut off even before he could finish his sentence.
“Traumatic? I was traumatizing my own daughter, right? I had hurt her. I bruised her wrist yesterday and pushed her down. I don’t deserve to be a mother. Jenifer deserves better.” She cried and fell down on her knees.
I stood in the dark and saw my mother crying for me but I couldn’t bring myself to go anywhere near her because I was worried that she might do something insane which will result in hurting herself thinking about it.
“Athena, please stop hurting yourself and everyone. I am here for you. Talk to me.” My dad rushed towards her and hugged her sitting beside her on the floor.
“Liam, whenever I close my eyes, I could see a small boy who looks quite elder than our daughter”. She spoke and I silently gave all my attention to them because I too want to know what’s wrong with my mother.
“Who is he and why is he affecting you this much?” My dad questioned her and wiped her tears gently.
“I don’t know! I couldn’t figure out his facial features except for his mesmerizing blue eyes. His eyes exactly look like mine. Whenever I see him in my subconscious dream, he runs towards me begging me for a hug. My heart breaks whenever I sense his sadness and I couldn’t see tears in his eyes.” She sobbed and I couldn’t believe or understand anything.
Who is that guy my mom talking about and why she couldn’t see him crying while she is making her own daughter cry?
“Athena, have you seen in anywhere before?” My dad questioned her and I was also dying to ask the same.
“No. I don’t know him and this is the reason that I couldn’t treat our daughter right. I feel some kind of guilt whenever I am trying to love our daughter. I don’t know what’s wrong with me but I can’t just let the thought of that small boy slide away. I am helpless, Liam!” She cried covering her face with her palm.
“Don’t worry, my love! I will help you overcome this. But until then, I want our daughter to live away from us. We can’t let that child be aware of all this. She needs a calm surrounding in this age”. My dad consoled her calmly.
“Will she be safe there? What if she needs us for anything? Will she forgive me?” My mom lowered her head and I could see my dad taking a deep breath.
I know my parents love me so much. After all, I am their only daughter!
“Don’t worry! She will be safe and of course, I will always keep an eye on our daughter.” He promised her and I don’t know whether to be happy for having a lovely parents or to be sad about not being able to live with them.
For now, all I know is I will be going away from my home and will be studying in a boarding school in Milan. I know my parents will miss me as much as I will be missing them. I hope, god will make everything fall into its place and bring me back to my home as soon as possible.
