Rebel

Chapter Three

I brush past the Violet girl in the floral dress and hurry home. Mother doesn't like it if I stay out late, especially if I'm spray painting. I think she's just paranoid after what happened to my Father. He wrote a very popular book on equality and so many people agreed with his political views. However, the government found this as a threat, so they arrested him. After a few months, we found out that they had starved him and tortured him to death. We had mourned his death with the little money and spare time we had. After his death, the Violets took his book off the market and burned the existing copies of it. My Mother was the most affected by this because she knows how much his ideas meant to him and the people in our nation. I was disappointed for a while, but I accept that he is gone and will never come back. My brothers, however, have a hard time moving on. They are a few years older than me but they live in a different place, where there is equality for everyone. They think Father was fighting for something that could help so many people. They would do anything to have him back and fight next to him. But they will never have that chance.

The last thing my father said to me before he was arrested was something I do not understand to this day. "Ventus, I need you to believe. Believe for me. For all of us. I want you to always remember this. An idea can never be destroyed. Not unless you give up on it. Don't give up on my idea. Please. I will always believe in you..." I had never cried since that day. I cannot give up. My father will be here, as long as his idea is alive.

I have been painting since I was very young. I come from a community of artists so painting comes naturally to me. But I only started to spray paint my opinions onto public places since my Father died. I expected the Violet girl to tell her fancy government parents of what I was doing. I was so scared when I noticed her out of the corner of my eye. I took one glance at her, examining her long floral dress and fancy braided hair, and determined that she was a Violet. I was so sure she would get me arrested like my Father was. But she didn't. She just stood there and watched me paint, with an awed expression on her face. She watched me with those amused stormy blue eyes but I was too engrossed in my artwork to pay attention. When I finally finished, I held my breath and looked at it. It was okay for something that was rushed, but it definitely wasn't my best. What I liked the best though, was the message. I spoke from my mind, which is one of the few things they could never take away. Then the Violet girl did the unexpected.

She came up to me and stood extremely close. I could smell her expensive perfume wafting off her dress. She leaned close to my ear and said something I would never imagine. "Your message has a meaning. A purpose. Unlike our system, you do things for a reason. I just wanted you to know.. you've been heard." She huffed afterwards, and her cheeks turned red in embarrassment. I was awed in her gesture. It warmed my heart that someone who grew up with such high standards would even say something like that. She even agrees with me. But the feeling only lasted for a split second. It seems as though she could sense my mood change because her eyes widen for a second.

Somewhere in me is a forgiving person, who didn't care about the past about others but their present actions. A girl with a caring heart who could relate to people's situations. She can sympathize with others emotions. Such a wonderful person she is. But if I ever met her, I wouldn't know who she is.

"I don't want to be heard." I say in a cold tone. My face hardens. "I want to be listened to." With that, I walked away.