Erina's Curse (ENGLISH VERSION)

Chapter 27

'I will leave my heart at the door

I won't say a word

They've all been said before, you know

So why don't we just play pretend?

Like we're not scared of what's coming next

Or scared of having nothing left’

I stopped playing my guitar when I saw my mom staring at me. “Why did you stop?” she asked as she sat next to me on the bed. “Continue please.”

‘Look, don't get me wrong

I know there is no tomorrow

All I ask is

If this is my last night with you

Hold me like I'm more than just a friend

Give me a memory I can use

Take me by the hand while we do what lovers do

It matters how this ends

'Cause what if I never love again?’

“You really have a very beautiful voice, Leila,” mom smiled at me while she caresses my hair. I tried smiling but she might have seen through me because I could see in her eyes that she’s worried again. “Are you okay, baby?”

“Mom…….” I let go of my guitar to hug her more.

“What is it, baby? What happened?”

“S-Silas…….”

“What about him? Hmm?”

With just the mention of his name, I started crumbling again. I started feeling the pain more. The more I miss him, the more it hurts.

“I-I hurt him…… and he hates me now,” I tried making a full sentence, but I still sounded groggy because of the sobs. But the way mom hugs me even tighter just means that she totally understands. Which made me even cry harder.

Despite everything that happened, I’m just really thankful that mom is here. Because I couldn’t imagine myself along in this situation. I’ll be forever grateful that the heavens decided to grant one of my wishes at an exact time. The time where I needed my mother the most.

“Are you sure? Did he say that he hates you?”

“He didn’t need to say it, mom. Because the way he treats me is enough.”

“What do you want to do now?”

“I don’t know mom. I really want to answer that question but no matter how hard I rack my brain for answers, it wouldn’t give me one.”

“Leila, maybe your brain doesn’t know the answer, but your heart does,” what she said made me stop sobbing. I don’t know if what I’m thinking is what my mom means but if it is then she just made one hell of a point.

“What do you mean, mom?”

“What does your heart tell you? Because if I were to decide, I would want you to quit this industry. The entertainment industry is very cruel, and it makes me worried whenever I think about my little girl playing in this kind of field.”

“I-I just want to breathe mom. I just want to breathe and not be watch by thousand pair of eyes. I-I want to rest.”

“Then rest, baby. You’ve done enough work already. Why don’t you just come with us?”

From the day my mom landed in this country, all she wanted was to take me back to China with her. And I want that too. I want it so much. I crave for my family so much. But what about my family here? If I leave, they will suffer, and all my efforts will just be for nothing. All my sacrifices to spare them from cruelty will be thrown into complete waste.

“Mom?”

“Hmm?”

“If everything falls apart, if no one needs saving anymore except for myself, I’d gladly go. I’ll fly out of here and be with you. I promise.”

“I love to hear that honey but why wait? Why wait for you to get hurt even more? I just want you whole Leila. I’ve seen how your eyes shines so bright when you were still with us, and I would never want to see it completely dim. Please choose yourself honey. Choose what makes you happy.”

“I will mom. I will.”

“Let’s wrap up this drama and can you please let me hear the song you were playing a while ago again. I haven’t heard that before,” mom looks confused while looking at me.

“I wrote it last night because I couldn’t sleep.”

“You can’t sleep? Do you want me to get you milk?”

“It’s okay mom. Anyway, do you want to hear the song?”

“Of course! Maybe I can sing along too. Since you know…...you got that talent from me,” we both laughed as she said that. We both know that my father is the better singer.

“Are you sure mom?” I tried teasing her.

“Let’s just pretend that I’m the one talented because your father’s not her.”

“Okay!”

As I strum the guitar, mom automatically smiled at me and encouraged me to sing more.

‘I don't need your honesty

It's already in your eyes

And I'm sure my eyes, they speak for me

No one knows me like you do

And since you're the only one that matters

Tell me who do I run to?

Look, don't get me wrong

I know there is no tomorrow

All I ask is

If this is my last night with you

Hold me…’

I thought I’ll be staying in the house for much longer, but we were called in an emergency meeting in the company the next day. As for me, I don’t really know if going out of the house is a good or a bad thing. I want to go out because I missed breathing fresh air and I miss the streets. I miss the consistency of my day whenever I am needed for work. Because nowadays, all I do is sleep and eat. Ans sometimes write songs. But that’s it. And I’m not going to lie, I’m a little bored already.

But also, I don’t want to go out of the house because I’m scared. I’m scared of the people who really hates me right now that they can even hurt me physically. I’m scared of their words that can pierce my heart deeper than what a sword can do.

So, I don’t really know. But since we’re already here, then I’ll just go with the flow.

For today’s appointment, mom decided to accompany us in the company. Angelo is with Uncle Loui so it’s totally fine. I don’t know what happen but one second I was just having a fun talk with the girls and then one second a rock came flying straight in the windshield of the van. An immediate stop was made by the driver which pushed us in front suddenly because of inertia. We were already in front of the building and was supposed to go inside through the parking lot, but a hoard of people came to the vehicle to stop us.

People started knocking very loudly on the windows which scared us even more. They started calling people from the inside, but I was just so stunned that I could not do anything but stare at the people who were angrily banging the door.

“What the f**k are these people’s problems?” I heard Kesha shouting while dialing something in her phone.

“Sir Leo? Yes, yes! We’re inside the f*****g van and these people are not going anywhere! Oka, but please hurry. They all look like psychotic animals trying to get us out the door--”

I wasn’t able to hear what Kesha was about to say because my mom hugs me to her chest and covered my ears. After the shock, I started trembling because of the fear. I fear for myself but what I fear more is the thought of these people hurting my family, my friends.

I didn’t know how long but guards came rushing towards us and tried to clear a path for us to walk in and be able to enter the company building. I didn’t know how they did it, but a path was cleared and so, we were instructed to go out and quickly enter the company. And that’s what we did. But some things didn’t go as planned as always.

“Leila!”

I saw how a rock was thrown and hit Leila’s head. A commotion immediately began as we came to her aide. I saw blood. Lots of it and I couldn’t help but to cry more.

I wasn’t aware what was happening anymore. “Stop...… stop it…...please.”

All I knew was that I heard an ambulance and then Leila was carried and put inside it. I was grabbed by someone and we got inside another vehicle and the next thing I know; we were already in a private room in a hospital and there was Leila in the bed.

“How are you feeling?” Raqi asked Leila who looked really pale but still got the guts to smile.

“I’m fine you guys. You’re all just overreacting,” she answered while still smiling widely.

I stood up from one of the sofas and slowly walked towards her. Her eyes immediately met mine which made my tears suddenly fall. “Hey Erina! Why are you even crying? I’m really fine! I’m not dead or something,” she even had the guts to joke.

“I’m sorry,” I started sobbing as soon as I uttered the words, I’ve been dreading to tell them.

“Hey……. I’m really okay. Why are you saying sorry?”

“I’m sorry to all of you. I’m sorry because you’re suffering because of me. It’s supposed to be just me, but here you are. In a hospital, hurt because of me. please forgive me,” I haven’t even finished speaking but the girls immediately went to my side to hug me. Leila held my hand because she couldn’t get up to join the group hug.

“It’s not your fault Erina. Do not ever think that all of this is because of you. You’re our friend, and if you need us, we’ll always be here,” Sassy said as she wiped the tears streaming down my face. Which is funny because she’s crying too but she chose to wipe mine.

“We are one Erina. We’ll never leave you. You have us. Always. Remember that,” Raqi added.

“I’m hurt because of people with close minds, people who doesn’t understand the situation. I’m not hurt because of you, okay? This is not you,” Leina said as she squeezed my hands even tighter.

And I believed them. Because I love them, and they love me. and because I want to be with them for a long time too. But when the company decided to cut me off, I couldn’t help but feel confused. Because I’m finally free from the chain. But am I really leaving my friends in that hell hole?

And maybe I was really selfish. Because at the end, I chose the easy way. I chose to leave. I chose to hide from the terrors that haunts me in this place.