Stringed

Chapter 39 (Part 2): Goodbyes and Hellos

It was a quiet and cold night in my grandmother’s room. I was lying down on one of the couches inside.

Eric came in a few minutes ago and I told him to come back tomorrow. But he insisted that he would stay with me but I just told him its fine.

I just heard the even breathing of my grandmother.

I couldn’t sleep. Not when I know anytime, my grandmother would be taken away.

Then I heard the door creak open.

“Mother?” a male voice echoed the room.

Mother? Could it be my father?

“Andrew, oh and Shiela! Do come in!” my grandmother said happily. So she wasn’t asleep.

“Mother!” my father gasped and my grandmother shushed him, probably because she thought I was sleeping.

I decided to stay quiet.

“Oh, our Kate’s here too,” I heard my mother’s voice, it sounded tormented.

“Mother I’m sorry we took so long to come,” my father said apologetically.

I wanted to see what was going on so I tried to narrowly open my eyes.

Father was still wearing his business attire and so was my mother.

Did they rush all the way here from work?

Then I remembered that today was the opening of a new building made by our family.

But I knew they still had another ceremony this evening… Did they cancel it instead and came to see grandma?

“It’s okay. Am I not bothering your work?” grandma asked kindly.

My father shook his head immediately, “You were never a bother to us.”

What? Then why did he even send her there?

“I really wished you just stayed with us instead of wanting to go to the home for the aged mom,” my mother said sadly.

What? My grandmother wanted to go there?

I heard my grandmother laugh, “You know why I wanted to stay there.”

My father nodded, “That was where you first met father when you both were nurses.” My father laughed in nostalgia.

“But you two insisted on making Kate believe that you two forced me in there, why?” I heard my grandmother said sadly.

“It would be easy for her to think it was our fault, she was always mad at us,” my mother said with a bitter smile.

“Yes, even when she came to Paris with us, the hatred in her eyes was visible,” my father added.

What?

I didn’t know what to say.

“We both knew we were never going to be good parents so we just wanted her to see us as villains,” my mother said as she took grandma’s other hand.

I felt something sharp in my heart and my tears that I have been pulling back started to go all out.

I abruptly stood up, “How could you know already you’re not good parents when you two didn’t even try to be one?” I asked them. I was angry and hurt at the same time.

They all looked at me surprised.

“Kate?” my father spoke softly, he was surprised.

“We thought you were…” my mother trailed off.