Silas went downstairs using the elevator. When he reached the floor where he was admitted, his mom and his godmother were greeted by him. He’s still holding the back of his head.
“Silas is something wrong?” Frances asked; Silas’ face looks like he’s hiding something. “Did you hurt yourself?” Clarina also asked. Silas answered them, “There’s a wicked woman in the rooftop. She mistook my action and attacked me with her bag”. Clarina looked, “It bruised” she said. Silas tsked, the woman hit him hard that’s why the pain is still there.
“Anyways, what are you doing in the rooftop?” Frances asked. Silas sighed, “I’m not trying to escape so don’t get me wrong. I just got curious because I saw it in the map. When I got there, there’s a lot of patients hanging around as if they’re chilling. And I also met a kid around Sheldon’s age” he answered.
“Do you find it relaxing to stay there?” Clarina asked. Silas nodded, “It’s all peaceful not until the woman barged in and interrupted my time bonding with the kid” he said.
“I’m grateful you quickly adapted the environment here. Make yourself more comfortable like the other patients you saw upstairs” Frances said and started opening her charts. She added, “I have to do my rounds, I’ll see you two in an hour” she said. Clarina replied, “It’s nice catching up with you, Frances” she said and they both waved goodbyes. Silas was the first to go inside and started to think about the woman earlier.
“Does it still hurt?” Clarina said while preparing a hot compress. “She’s not like a girl. Feels like she’s tougher than me” he answered. Clarina chuckled, “What did you do to make her attack you in the head?” she asked.
Silas leaned, “I don’t know. I was just playing with the kid and she smacked my head. I think she’s some kind of an addict or a patient in a psychiatric hospital” he answered and started compressing the bruise that the girl caused him.
He looked and stared at the window; there’s no other tall buildings except for the hospital where he is staying. The houses were like the ones in a province and it feels like one. The air is too hot compared to the vibe in the city.
“Can’t you still move on? Do you really want to go back?” Clarina said; her attention focused on Silas who’s daydreaming about the past. He sighed, didn’t manage to give a single glance to his mother. “Can I go back? I mean, they said I should not go back” he answered. Her mother faced the book she’s holding, “You know what this book says?” she asked.
Silas glanced at his mom, “What? That’s the novel you’ve been reading repeatedly since last year” he answered. “You’re right; and it’s in a different language. I think you can relate to this one so I’m telling you some of its line” she said. Silas’ eyebrows furrowed out of curiosity.
“It says here, ‘If time allows, hopefully I will be allowed’. Is it related to your situation, now I’m letting you think of your own debunking with those words” she replied.
Silas looked away and said, “I hope so”. The drizzle poured even the sun is shining brightly, “Maybe the patients upstairs were disturbed. The sudden drizzle ruined their day” Silas said and his mother replied, “You know rains are blessings, right? And it’s been a while since it rained here. It’ll totally make the night cold” she said. Silas scoffed while watching the raindrops scrolling from the window, “Cold nights aren’t comfortable for everyone” he said and continued watching the skies.
“Stella! What were you thinking?!” Dina – Stella’s mother said. Her father carefully held her mother’s arms to stop her raging anger towards Stella’s decision. “Did you just say, you want to convert your religion?” Mr. Zhou asked. Stella is in tears; shaking because of nervousness from her mother’s words. Stella nodded; her mother sat down in confusion; her hands were tangled in her hair.
Dina calmly talked, “Stella, I’ve been raising you with that religion. You can’t just decide because you’re devoured by your emotions!” she said. Stella felt shivers on her spine when her mother said, “Or maybe, you badly wanted to be close to that man Xavier told us?” she added.
Stella’s tears rolled down rapidly, “Is that what you think of me? Desperate to love?” she asked her mother. Dina stood up and started raising her voice, “Then explain to us why did you come up with this decision?! Did Xavier influence you? I think he didn’t, he’s more capable than you!” she said.
Stella faced her mother eye-to-eye, “I want to covert because I don’t think I’m living with this kind of faith here. You insisted moving in this country where I can’t see myself continuing my devotion” she answered. She stepped back when her mother attempted to slap her cheek. “Are you saying that it’s me who made you like this?” she asked and lifted down her arm held by her
husband.
Mr. Zhou prevented that to happen and said, “Hon, can we talk about this first? Stella has a point. Besides, she’ll be the one to dictate her own future and not us”. Stella’s mom breathed heavily, “Let’s not talk about this here” she said and went upstairs. Stella sat on the floor, tears still coming down from her eyes. Sister Hua touched her shoulders, “Don’t think that you wronged them. Let them decide first before you do the action” she said. Stella replied, “Sister Hua, it’s just that, the way she talks is more painful. I can’t believe she compared me to Xavier. And she made me feel that I am hungry for Silas’ attention”.
The elevator tinged and showed Kristen sending Ji An to her room. She knelt down, “Ji An remember to not talk to strangers” she said but Ji An insisted, “But Brother Silas is not a stranger anymore! We got close and you misunderstood it!” she said.
Kristen looked away, “Alright, let’s say you two are close but what if he’ll kidnap you?” she asked. Ji An frowned, “He won’t do that. Kidnappers won’t enter the hospital with a dextrose on” she said and ran inside her room while sulking.
Kristen sighed and continued to an office. She abruptly opened the door. The doctor asked her, “Are you having a bad day again?” she asked. Kristen sat down on the office’s couch, “No mom, Ji An is probably sulking at me again” she answered.
Frances sanitized her hands and held Kristen’s. “Where are we going?” Kristen asked. Frances answered, “I will show you to your godmother Clarina. It’s been a while since you saw her, right? And her son is handsome; you two will look good together!”.
Excitement filled Frances’ eyes while Kristen is still taped on her conflict with Ji An. They went two floors above and took a long hallway. They stepped in front of an unfamiliar room. Frances knocked and quickly, the door was opened and they were greeted by a woman
who’s around her mother’s age. “Clarina, this is your granddaughter, Kristen” Frances introduced. Clarina wowed, “You’ve grown so fast! Last time I saw you, you’re still in preschool” she said.
“Is Silas inside?” Frances asked. Clarina nodded; the VIP room where they are staying looks like a tiny house enough to accommodate the other two. Kristen sat down on a couch; eyes wandering around the room’s design. “Wait here, I’ll call Silas. You two will make a good pair!” Clarina said and went on the bedside.
Kristen asked, “Mom are you really setting me up?”. Frances chuckled, “Only if you two will agree” she answered and waited with excitement. Kristen saw in her view the presence of her
godmother walking with a tall guy behind her.
A guy wearing a black hooded jacket and with a plaster in his hand. His face is covered with a mask but his eyes were looking at her with a mysterious glare.
Kristen stood up, “You’re the one in the rooftop earlier!” she said after recognizing Silas’ eyes. Silas answered back, “Yes, and you’re the one who smacked my head with that stupid bag of yours!” he said.
Clarina held her son’s arm and whispered, “How could you curse and yell at your godmother’s daughter?” she asked. Frances asked Kristen, “You caused the bruise in the back of his head? What trouble did you get involved again?”. The two stared at each other with much hate. Both holding their ravaging revenge for each other.