Misreckon

Chapter 11 - Recollections

Cora's father had arrived and escorted her from the office back into his car before thanking those within the office, and the security guard especially. 

Thankfully the security guard, who they learned was named Jake, brought Cora the keys for the bar as well as good news: the man had left the premise without any visible damages. Cora sighed and her father rubbed her back reassuringly. Upon entering the car, there was a silence that flooded the vehicle as they drove away. Both were absorbing tonights events. 

"Did he do anything to you ?" My father seethed. I turned from my position that had my whole body directed towards the door and observed his expression. His hands gripped the wheel tightly, his eyes were stern and darted onto the road. 

"No, luckily he didn't." I reassured him. His shoulders relaxed slightly and his hands loosened their grip on the wheel. 

"Look I know you're strong and I trust you to deal well in any situation, you did well tonight, but I would completely understand if you quit this job, so would Richard. Don't go back just because you feel bad for quitting Cora, its not like -" He began to rant but I cut him off. I already had a definite answer. 

"I'm not quitting. I'll just make sure I lock the door next time and keep my phone with me, just incase." I explained with certainty, looking at him. 

His narrow eyes looked at my own momentarily and relaxed, as though seeing me beside him had brought him peace. He sighed heavily. 

"You shouldn't have to do that though Cora, none of this was your fault. But after tonight I am reminded of your strength and cunningness. Plus, it's not like I can stop you from doing anything at your age." He joked lightly, attempting to ease the tensed atmosphere. I smiled at his attempt. 

"I need the money and yes, as you highlighted, I'm an adult and you literally can not stop me." I reinstated with with a light tone. 

"That settles it then. I'll call Richard and explain everything to him, i'll put it on the car speaker." He added. 

I turned away from my father and focused on the passing lights on the motorway, attempting to count each one but failing to do so every time my mind drifted off. When my father told Richard about the incident, Richard began sounding guilty and I heard him groan. 

"Richard it isn't anyones fault but the man himself. Please don't blame yourself." I interrupted, not wanting him to drown himself in the feeling of this being his fault. 

"You're very brave." He praised me, the static and lagging of his voice on the speaker made his words a difficult to decipher.

Unlike herself, Cora spent the full morning laid in bed and aimlessly flicking through her journal. She had soo much to say but nothing came out, her paper was blank and her pencil tip was sharp. She considered that it could be because she had already phoned Anaya about the event last night and gotten everything out of her system; she soothed Cora and comforted her with words until she entered a much needed slumber. She groggily turned to her side and huddled into her pillows. Her tired eyes widened as she saw a cup of tea on her bedside table along with some biscuits: her mother must have placed them there whilst Cora was asleep, before she had to leave for work. 

She wasn't hungry. 

A soft knock hit against my door, awaking me from my half sleep. I turned hastily to look at the sky through my window and thankfully sighed, seeing that it was still light and that I hadn't waisted a full day by sleeping. 

"Come in." I shouted lightly, adjusting my position in bed and sitting up. As I did so, I caught a glimpse of my pyjamas: a long bright pink top and black comfy joggers. I felt disgusting and told myself I would shower and find a different outfit after my father left. 

"Good morning ." He greeted me, coming into my room with a small smile. I rolled my eyes at his subtle joke, he was aware that it was no longer the morning yet I appeared as though I had just woken up. 

"Very funny." I rolled my eyes with a small smile. He lightly sat on the edge of my bed, he body turned, facing towards me whilst his long legs were placed on the floor. His demeanour seemed strange, yet calming. My head tilted lightly and my brows ever so slightly furrowed as I tried to make sense of his expression. He ruffled his dark hair and smiled, sheepishly. 

"How did you sleep ?" He asked me. I mentally groaned as it was clear that he had something else on his mind rather than the quality if my sleep.

"Like a baby. Dad what's wrong ?" I rushed, on edge and full of anticipation. He sighed and rubbed both hands on his knees, stopping momentarily to look deeper at me. 

"He won't bother you anymore." His words escaped his mouth, his face indicated a sense of regret when he told me this, baffling me all the more. 

"What do you mean ?" I asked, I had a slight clue as to who the person would be. The man from last night. But I knew not what he meant. 

"That man will never step a foot near you, you don't have to worry about him Cora, it's dealt with. Just trust as I say and don't ask -" He paused, his brows scrunched slightly as though he was deep in thought. 

"- just don't be afraid." He added, looking at me with a serious face. His blue eyes seemed tired yet focused, the way his eyes would occasionally droop down a little made me wonder about his sleeping pattern. He had once told me that prison gave him nightmares, so they may possibly the cause for such a tiresome expression. 

"Dad that's a lot to drop on me, especially since I can't ask about anything. How do you expect me to truly rest ?" My question came off calm compared to the true emotion behind it, anger.

Thoughts burst in and out my mind, some thinking that my father had talked to and warned the man, others were more gruesome and uncomfortable to allow a repeated entrance to my area of thought. 

He stood from his seated position and simpered. 

"All you need to know is that you don't need to worry about him. That's it Cora." His jaw tensed and released, taking out his phone and checking the time. Reacting blankly, he placed it back into his pocket and began to walk out my room. 

"I'm going to visit Richard at the bar and help him with some new security systems. I'll be gone a while." He explained, then shut the door quietly behind him. 

I paused, there was a buzzing of silence alongside the light hum of the wind that was eerily peaceful. My fathers words were a carousel in my mind, I wished he had just told me the hard, cold truth. Instead he had to leave me to my own devices and wonder whether my convict of a father was a murderer too. Such a thought seemed too hard to comprehend yet it made sense, his tired eyes could have indicated that he was up all night dealing with the man. I wouldn't have heard him leave as I spent the night listening and talking to Anaya. His calm and collected mood when taking me home could have been because he had, after our phone call, decided to end his life which allowed him to relax and not worry of him finding me. 

It all made sense yet I didn't want it to. 

Cora wasted away in her bed: she left the food provided by her mother untouched on the bedside table, her greasy hair up in a ponytail and her pyjamas that she told herself she would change out of, still hanging on her body. She deserved a lazy day because of her constant busy life, she was either at school, working, studying, doing homework, running, cleaning or journalling. It's as though she was running from having nothing to do, silence meant she would have to face her thoughts. Therefore being busy was her way of coping as she had become too preoccupied to delve into the dark maze her mind had waiting for her. 

I had finally had enough of being in bed and managed to unstick my body that was glued to my mattress, making my way down the flight of stairs and into the kitchen to quench my thirst. With each step, the hustle and bustle within the kitchen grew louder as I heard my parents sing and laugh whilst various pots and pans hit against the surfaces. I reluctantly opened the door, hoping not to be bombarded by their positivity as I was definitely not in the mood. Over an hour I spent beforehand, flirting with the idea of actually getting up for a drink. 

"Cora." My parents greeted me cheerily, their eyes darted at me the moment the door opened. My mother was chopping up a variety of colourful vegetables whilst my father mixed the pan full of chicken and rice. My mother wore her work uniform and my father had on jeans and a plain tee, I sometimes felt bad for my mother: not only did she have to wear a unflattering uniform but she was the only one with a true job. Even I felt bad for having a job, the tips I were given reeked of illegally sourced money. 

"Hi." I smiled lightly, it fell from my face soon after as I didn't have the energy to hold it up. In between my parents, I filled up a glass cup with water from the tap and turned, walking towards the door. 

"Come join us." My mother ordered in a sweet tone. My heart wrenched as I physically couldn't, I couldn't bare to be with the pair in this moment. The relationship between my parents and I hadn't been strong for years now, I couldn't explain to them how with each passing day, my heart grew colder to them. To everyone. There were times like this where I wish I could forget the past and live in the present, happily cook with them. 

"I've got homework to do." I shrugged and made my way out of the kitchen, away from the music and the smiles and closer to my place of comfort. 

A tear fell from my eye, a single drop onto the carpet in my bedroom. The salty liquid was all I could manage to form after the events and the stresses that had arisen. 

"You're okay." I reminded myself, dabbing under my eyes.