The Walking Dead

Chp. 10

Mrs Ivey and I walked out of the bathroom and went to her classroom where a substitute teacher stood as the class quietly went on with work.

"Thank you so much Hle. I owe you one."

"Hai no! It's not problem," the teacher shifted her attention to me, "Sisi, how are you doing? Are you ok?"

I nodded.

"Shame, this school... there's no hope for this school. And its always the good people who get the worst of it."

I looked down at the floor as the teacher left. I looked at Mrs Ivey who stood at her desk. She pulled out her seat and gestured for me to take a seat.

I sat in her usually comfortable chair, feeling a bit of pain on my back. Mrs Ivey took out a black pen from her pencil case and placed it along with a few sheets of lined paper in front of me.

"I want you, to write, not fiction. Let it out. Write it out, pour it all out on these sheets of paper. I promise, it will help. I won't read it if you don't want me to. But I need you to get it out of your system. I have two more lessons after this then I have an admin before break. We'll chat then. If you need anything, ask me."

She looked at her class and checked on each learner. I looked down at the sheets of paper in front of me.

I picked up the pen and took off its cap. I took a deep breath before I began to write.

The Walking Dead

I watched as my mother took her last breath. Her hand falling limp in mine, her smile faded and her eyes closed, leaving her emotionless. I bowed my head and tears rolled down my face, my heart heavy in my chest, my hand holding hers tighter.

My father who sat on the other side of her, lay her hand by her side, got up and left in silence. Why he didn't try to comfort me at least a little, I didn't know but was in too much pain to even bother.

When they lowered her coffin, to be honest nothing was going through my mind. I couldn't think about anything. Everything just ceased to exist. I felt lost, lost in my mind but there weren't any thoughts, lost in a forest without trees, lost in an ocean without water... it was confusing, it was just a blank moment.

After the burial I sat in my seat at the after-tears party. I hadn't eaten in ages and I just stared at the maguinyas on my plate. Usually I'd eat them with gusto but I had no appetite whatsoever. My father stood with my mother's sister, they were talking about something.

A while later they both came up to me. My aunt got down in a squat in front of me and told me that I'd be living with her for a while. I looked at my father and wondered why he was acting strange. Shouldn't we be growing stronger together as the two people who loved my mother more than anything on earth.

But I didn't question it. Before I knew it, I finished packing and was heading down the stairs with my aunt, my father already at the car putting my bags in the boot. My father opened the door to the passenger seat for me. I got into the car and he closed the door.

My aunt had a few words and gave him a hug. She took a her driver's seat with a sigh. I looked at my father and gave him a small wave. He gave me a small smile I would've missed if I wasn't watching him... but that was the last time I ever saw my dad again.

Three months later, when I returned from my aunt, my dad was no more. At first though, it wasn't clear as to who he had become. He was just always at "work". I noticed he was always angry. He didnt want me to talk to him and he never talked to me unless it was something important.