Olifina: Love And Trouble

32. Home Bitter Home.

Those years away from Mum created a rift between us. I wondered how I was going to cover up that gap with Dad gone. If maybe he was present he could have helped in reconciling Mum and myself. Now I was left to do it alone. I couldn't just ignore her after everything that had happened. We needed to be together. We needed to support each other.

Rodas met us in the room. He helped in carrying the bags as we went down to the car park. Oliver was already in the car with the nurse. Rodas sat in front with him while the rest of us sat at the back. We had a light discussion during the drive before the nurse alighted. Mum pointed out some places to me as we drove past. She had known a lot about the place before her ex-husband locked her in. If not for what had transpired she would've still been his wife, happily married to him.

Sighing, I turned and looked out the window. I wasn't going to continue referring to that maniac. He was gone for good. And so was Dad. An aching sensation occurred in my throat at the thought of Dad. It pained me greatly to think that he wouldn't be with us anymore. Initially, when we started the drive I had tried to distract myself from thinking of him, but now it was quiet and my mind wandered.

Oliver got to the clearing where he normally parked his car and stopped. I turned to Mum only to find her staring out the window with a sad demeanour.

We all came down and walked the rest of the way to the house. It wasn't too easy with the dull ache in my ankle. Oliver was almost coming to help me walk but I refused -I could walk on my own.

On reaching the house, I went straight for my phone. It was still in my room. I found it in the top drawer of my bedside table. Mum joined me in the room. She plopped down on the bed with an exhale.

I shifted my attention from my phone and to her. "You're staying here?"

"You want me to leave?"

I shook my head. "No, not at all."

Mum laughed. "Don't worry, my room is down the hallway. I just came to drop your bags."

"Okay," I nodded.

"I'll be going now," Mum said, standing up. I watched as she left and closed the door behind her.

I turned back to my phone and continued to stare at a message notification from Mel. I could see a snippet of the message. It read: have you found him yet?

I wasn't ready to tell anyone about Dad so I put off my phone and sat on the bed to remove my shoes. A dull ache came in between the joints in my ankle and I let out a low groan, reaching for the area where I felt the pain.

When the pain finally subsided a bit, I laid back on the bed. My bag of drugs was beside me. I sat up and drew it closer to myself to check the contents.
The only drug I could recognize there was the painkiller Dad usually bought. Wrapping up the bag, I stashed it in one of the drawers. I checked the time on my phone as I lay down again. It was already past midnight. I laid back and drifted into dreamland.

The smell of burning flesh tingled my nostrils. I was trapped in a hallway and people were screaming downstairs below. The place was so hot, that beads of sweat formed all over my skin.

Suddenly both walls started to move. They seemed to be attracted to each other with a strange force, leaving me trapped in between. I tried to use my hand in wedging it open but it was no use. The walls continued to close in on me and I was standing at arm's length between them.

There was a door beside me. I pushed on it with all my strength but it didn't budge. The wooden walls continued to press on my flesh until I couldn't breathe. Slowly, I felt my ribs cracking under the pressure. The air leaving my lungs was an indication that I didn't have much time.