Troubled Weekend
1286 Words
Waiting to return to the original residence has been almost 2 o'clock, I paid the car, to their own building, the heart can not talk about anxious, anyway, it is the weekend, late will be late, but the headache owed her 4016 dollars, this moment even if I sold me can not get so much money.
Reaching my building, I was stunned and then furiously livid. My belongings had been moved to the hallway, some of which, including a pair of black leather shoes Elise had given me long ago, were now wet from the rain.
I dropped my umbrella and ran upstairs, key in hand.
Once inside, I kicked open the door and yelled angrily into the living room, "b***h, come out here!"
After calling out three times with no answer, I kicked open the door of her room, only to find it empty.
Seeing the tidied room and remembering my belongings soaked in the rain, I was even more infuriated. I threw her bedding on the floor and flipped the mattress, scattering pillows and blankets everywhere.
...
After my hysterical outburst, I lit a cigarette in Lris's room to calm down.
Lris appeared at the door, holding a mop and a bag filled with various household items – she must have just been to the supermarket.
She glared at me. I grabbed her by the shirt and pulled her into the room with such force that she dropped the bag and mop, scattering everything on the floor and turning the once-spotless room into a mess.
I dragged her to the window and opened it, showing her my belongings getting soaked in the rain. "Are you insane? Why did you throw my stuff out in the rain?"
Lris freed herself and replied coldly, "You didn't show up, so I had someone move them out for you. Is there a problem?"
"I got delayed. What's the big deal about being a little late?"
"Promise what time is what time." Lris retorted, her eyes firm.
"You're fu*king unbelievable!" My fire intensified and I raised my hand in a motion to whip her.
I expected her to flinch or close her eyes, but she just stared back at me, unblinking.
I lowered my hand and said through clenched teeth, "You better move everything back in here, I'll pretend this never happened."
"I won't do it," Lris said, her eyes welling up but resolute.
"You won't, huh?..."
I threw the bedding and blankets out of the window in a fit of spite and retaliation.
As the items fluttered down in the wind and rain, they seemed like forlorn, innocent victims, reminiscent of deep, unresolved scars. I watched, somewhat dazed and regretful. I shouldn't have been so impulsive, so harsh with this stubborn woman. Maybe it was the sight of those rain-soaked black leather shoes that triggered me, the painful twinge in my heart. In their rain-streaked remnants, I saw the dead love between Elise and me.
...
The bedding and blankets finally settled on the ground after fluttering in the air. I said to Lris, somewhat guiltily, "Now we're even."
As my words fell, tears streamed down Lris's pale face, her lips quivering as she looked at me.
Surveying the havoc-wreaked room, guilt suddenly overwhelmed me. Still glaring at her, I said, "I know you disdain me, look down on me. Yes, I'm poor, a loser, but that's no excuse for disrespecting me and my belongings. You're a woman, and today I've extended you the courtesy of a gentleman by only throwing out your bedding and blankets. Next time, it might be you I throw out!"
I took out the bank card she gave me yesterday from my wallet, placed it on the table, and continued, "I've withdrawn 4,016 dollars in total. I can't repay you now, but I promise to do so as soon as possible."
Tears swirled in Lris's eyes. "Scoundrel, all of you are promise-breakers..."
Surprised, I looked at her, unable to articulate my feelings. After a moment, I said, "I'm leaving. I will repay you, even if it's late. I'm not the promise-breaker you think I am."
Lris didn't respond, her gaze still filled with resentment.
...
I left, unsure if Lris continued crying, but knowing that staying in that mess of a room must be difficult.
As she had said earlier, I indeed was a scumbag, and as Le Yao had labeled me, a beast – unable to control my emotions, acting impulsively and carelessly.
I hailed a taxi and moved my belongings under a pavilion to shelter from the rain. I didn't know where to go next. The little money I had wasn't enough to rent a place, and staying in a hotel wasn't a long-term solution. The only person I would consider borrowing money from, Fang, had cut off contact with me after my recent disregard for his advice.
All these years, I only turned to Fang for loans, treating him as a close friend, never minding showing him my downtrodden state, unlike with others.
It felt like the world had suddenly abandoned me!
...
Lighting a cigarette, I sat on a stone bench in the pavilion, gazing absentmindedly at the passing vehicles. My life shouldn't be like this, yet for the past two years, I've lived as isolated and helpless as the silent buildings in this city. It all traced back to that woman. I knew I would never get another chance to hold her hand in my life, but I remained stubbornly unable to jump out and away from her tenderness.
The wind made me shiver, so I dug out a scarf from my bag and wrapped it around my neck, finally blocking the relentless chill.
For the next hour, I just sat there, lost in thought and smoking, until the sky began to darken and I felt a real desire to be rescued.
My phone rang suddenly, jolting me. I wiped my face and pulled out my phone. It was a call from my dad.
He was a stern and straightforward man, working in the procurement department of a medium-sized state enterprise for 15 years. He started as a deputy chief and, incredibly, never advanced beyond that in all these years. More astonishingly, despite the opportunities for kickbacks in procurement, he never accepted a single bribe. His integrity earned him the private nickname 'Old-fashioned Chief' among his colleagues.
Answering the call, I heard his emotionless voice. "Carl, I'm almost in Suzhou. I have an exhibition tomorrow and will stay at your place tonight."
I felt a surge of distress. This weekend couldn't get any worse. I couldn't let my father know I was penniless and homeless. He might be old-fashioned, but that didn't mean he lacked temper.
Thinking quickly, I said, "Dad, can you find a hotel near the station? I'm dining out with colleagues and will be late."
"You eat. Isn't your key under the doorframe? I can get in."
"I didn't leave it there; there have been burglaries."
But dad was persistent. "Then hurry back after dinner."
"Dad, you must be tired from the journey. Just find a nearby hotel. You don't like taking taxis, and it's rush hour now. You'll get squeezed in the bus."
Despite my excuses, he was unyielding and ended with, "Your mom knitted a sweater for you. I'll bring it over."
...
Hanging up, I was momentarily stunned. Then, realizing my predicament, I quickly shouldered my bags and ran to the roadside to hail a taxi, heading back to what was now Lris's apartment.
Whether she liked it or not, I had to stay there. If my father found out about my current situation, it would surely make him sick with worry.
- Writer
