Literary ATTEMPTS
Alithea by Gerome Bautista
Alithea rose before light peeks from the horizon. Silently, she walked into the living room unable to guess how close she is. One by one, step by step, all she can see is darkness. She leaned to the wall looking for support to guide her as she goes down the stairs of black. Alone, that’s what she is that time. Suddenly, someone was at the door, shadow creeps through the small opening down the wooden door made of narra. Watching the sun rise in the morning sky from dusky gray to orange, holding the porcelain vase filled with water, she slowly opened the door and was surprised, she screamed. “Mom?!” Welcomed with a loud voice, the mother immediately answered, “Hey! How are you doing Ali? Sorry, I wasn’t able to come last night. I really am baby.” Last night was Ali’s 22nd birthday and a celebration of getting her first regular job. “Don’t be sorry mom. It’s okay. I still have a lot of birthdays to come.” “I should be – that was your special day,” Frieda answered. “No. Don’t.” “But…” A crystal drop from her eyes appeared and she said, “It’s fine mom. You don’t have to.” “Why are you crying then?”
With trembling hands and tears falling from her eyes of blue color, she said, “I thought it’s not you who knocked. I was frightened. I am alone here.” They sat down on a sofa with black satin cover. Her mother lit a cigarette. She puffed smoke into the air, blending its odor to the scent of air freshener of floral scent. “Why are you still wearing those earrings?” Frieda asked with her eyes looking steadily at the pair of jewelry given as a gift for her during their wedding anniversary. “What’s the problem? I miss dad very much. This was from him right?” Ali answered back with tears starting to fall again. “I am starting to miss him again. I hope you understand. He is still my father.” The earrings, shining jewels reflecting the peeking rays of the sun, of violet color kept on a box for a long time was freed by Ali for times. “I have told you before, I don’t want you wearing those again. All the pain flashes back when I see that!” “But…” “No more explanations. Take that off.” Dismayed, Ali started to remove the dark violet jewelry from her ears and placed it back to the heart-shaped jewelry box, closing it with a sound which echoed throughout the room. The atmosphere began to change as with Ali’s mood. The temperature is still cool. Birds are chirping outside clinging from a branch to another but inside the house, all you can hear is deafening silence. The caffeine from the coffee they drank didn’t
seem to work out to trigger another conversation. Until one second, “Would you not want to talk to me? I was out the whole night,” her mother started to ask. “You always blame everything to dad. Was all that happened his fault?” in the tone of anger Ali asked. “Yes! And you should know that!” Four years ago, her father left them after successive days of rotating troubles between the partners. The woman started to suspect the man’s daily activities. He always came home late, drunk, until one night, someone saw him with another woman. Piled papers faced the woman in her office, staying late at night. The man supposed his wife didn’t have time for them anymore. He longed for love from his wife. He seemed to be happy at least with his daughter Ali who, at that time, was still studying, busy with school works. They say “behind every man’s happiness is a woman,” and this justifies what the man stands for in their marriage. “He’s a womanizer. That’s all. He doesn’t understand why I work like this. He-” “Stop it mom! That’s what you say every time. I don’t understand your reason. Why did you let dad go away?” “It’s because he isn’t a husband to me anymore!” “But he is my father. And you also have your fault. You had no time for us. I needed a mom but dad filled that emptiness you left me every time you have to go to work, business meetings, etcetera and etcetera.”