Mom, why does it have to be like this? All I know is that Dad is not a bad person; he may not be very close to me or Lyn, but I believe that Dad would never think of betraying you.
Being the first child certainly carries a burden that is sometimes too heavy. However, that doesn't excuse me from being selfish and self-centered. I'm Allyse Edelweis Hagg. I have a flower in my name; my mother said it was a sign that my presence would make everything beautiful. Edelweiss as a symbol of eternity became a source of pride for me, a name that I hoped would make my soul eternal. However, I don't know; I sometimes feel alone. Lyn and I are very similar; we never talk deeply about what's going on, what our doubts are, or what our feelings are.
There are too many things to remember. Oh, stupid. The shopping list was left on the dining table. I had to use my sometimes forgetful memory
"Miss, can I help you? You look confused".
A supermarket employee who was arranging items on the toiletries shelf, Hans, had his name written on his name tag.
"A-ah, sir, I'd like to take this." I acted strangely as I picked up a refill of liquid soap.
"Alright. No need to call me, sir. I'm Hans."
"Nice to meet you."
I don't know what to make of him; he's different from most people.is eyes-I love his eyes-are soothing blue like the ocean. No, Lys, you need to get out of here and get the things you and your sister need.
"Miss, what's your name?" He asked.
"Ly-se, Allyse; yes, my name is Allyse." Stupid. I don't know who he is; why should I tell him my name?
"Nice to meet you, Lys," Hans smiled. No, not again. I have to leave soon.
On the way back to my apartment, memories of the past surfaced. I still remember when the four of us took a vacation to Tybee Island. I was only nine years old, and Lyn was six. We were so happy. Capturing all the photos and videos on dad's handycam. It was one of the best moments of my life before everything became like this.
"I'm home," I said as I opened the door. Lyn was busy with her video game.
I cleaned up the groceries I bought earlier. There was a shopping list on the table, and I picked it up to see if I bought the items according to my shopping list.
"Where's my chocolate, Lys?" asked my sister, Evelyn.
"Damn, I forgot to bring this, sis. I also forgot to buy other things." I replied.
"Never mind, it's not important now; let me help you tidy up the bathroom."
Why did fate bring us to this city? Why did we walk so far from where we grew up? Why are we here? Hans... No, don't think about it anymore. Oh God, why am I here?
•••
"Lys, Lys, do you hear me?" I asked my sister, who was daydreaming.
"Yeah, Lyn, what's wrong?"
"I saw you were busy with your daydream," I protested.
"No, I was cleaning up this stuff." Lys reasoned
"I've cleaned up the bathroom. I want to walk out for a while. Maybe go to the supermarket to buy my chocolate."
"Lyn, if you have time, please buy pasta, bolognese sauce, and cheddar cheese for our dinner; I forgot to buy them earlier."
"Okay."
It's different now; I never imagined the two of us would be like this. We weren't close; we weren't sisterhood goals like people wanted us to be. Me and Lys-now we only have each other.
"Eve, Evelyn, is that you?" A mom approached me in the park. "Hi, yes, I'm Evelyn, and you?" I asked.
"I'm Sandra; remember me? I was your mom's friend in high school."
"Mrs. Sandra? Ah yes, I remember you ma'am" I replied.
"Why are you in Manhattan? Where's your mom? It's been a long time since I've seen you; to be precise, we last met at your birthday party, Lyn."
"That would be your meeting mom; my mom died a week ago in a car accident that also claimed the life of my father."
"Oh dear, I'm so sorry; I didn't expect Laura to leave so soon."
Mrs. Sandra and I dissolved into grief; we cried and hugged. I told her everything-how I am now in Manhattan and why we finally decided to move to Manhattan.
Deep down in my heart, I wanted to ask her about mom and Harry, the love interest who became a thorn in mom and dad's side.
"Mrs. Sandra, do you know Harry? Your high school sweetheart?" I asked in a doubtful tone. I wanted to forget it, but my curiosity was aroused, and I wanted to know why.
"Of course, Lyn, Harry is your mom's ex-boyfriend; they were a famous couple at school; everyone envied their story, me too, as her friend Laura spent more time with him than with her friends. But we loved their romance; they were so compatible."
I don't know what I was feeling, but as my father's blood flowed through my body, I felt a mixture of anger, annoyance, and questioning. I couldn't show it other than by daydreaming and averting my eyes as Mrs. Sandra told her story.
"Lyn, forgive me."
"No, Mrs." My daydream broke. "It's just, do you know if they still communicate often?" I asked Mrs. Sandra
"What do you mean? All I know is that Laura and Harry broke up after we left high school; Harry was busy with his move to LA, and your mom went to study in New York. Why, girl, what's wrong?"
"No, nothing."
I said goodbye to Mrs. Sandra, and we exchanged WhatsApp numbers to communicate. "Son, I live a few blocks away; I hope we can visit each other later," Mrs. Sandra said.
"Okay, Mrs. I'll call you later."
