Chapter 10
2293 Words
Chapter 10
Atticus didn’t saw Dalton that day until he got home. He’s thankful that he didn’t see him. His day was great and he doesn’t want to let anyone ruin it.
He was so excited to see his father. After he cooked their meal he waited for him but hours passed and his father is still not coming home. When Atticus decided to wait on his room he read some topics that they are going to study tomorrow. Atticus did not realize the time, when he looked at his cell phone it’s past 10 pm.
Atticus went to the kitchen to drink water but then he heard a noise.
“Papa?”
He asked while smiling he heard the door opens.
“Oh! My son, my coward son,” his father said.
Atticus smile fade when he saw his drunken father lying on the sofa. He immediately go to the kitchen and like what he always do he will boil water and make his father a coffee.
“Pa, where have you been? I’ve been calling you a lot of times.” He said.
He removed his father’s shoes and put him a blanket.
“I was out… I told! I am working! Didn’t I tell you that i***t?”
Atticus closed his eyes. Maybe this is the reason why he doesn’t have the will to study because the only person that’s important for him is telling him hurtful words. He’s not encouraging him to study even thought his father always tells him to study hard and don’t waste money.
His father is discouraging her.
“Pa, I will not go to school.” He said then he removed his eyeglasses and put it on the table.
“What?” His father asked and get up.
Alfred was looking at him sharply. His eyes were like daggers looking at him.
“I don’t want to study anymore! I don’t want to continue to study! A lot of students at my school is mocking me! Calling me weak, coward and an i***t and the worst part is you my father was like them1 you are calling me like that too! You are not encouraging me to study you are the reason why I am like this! You are the reason why—
Atticus stopped from talking when his father punched him on his face.
“Shut up! Shut up, Atticus! Do not blame me because you are coward! Because you are weak and an i***t! Blame yourself because you become like that! Why are you blaming me huh? Am I teaching you to become weak? To become a coward and to become an i***t?!”
The voice of his father is so loud and he is so mad but Atticus had enough. Everyone is the same, even his father.
“You don’t love me. You are treating me this way because you are blaming me when mom died.” He said.
Alfred punched him again and Atticus fell down the floor. He can taste the blood on his lips. He’s not crying. He will never cry again in front of his father.
“I am done with my miserable life. I am done with this.”
Atticus had a great morning, he had a good conversation with his father last Saturday, and he was so happy that he wished for it to continue.
“Atticus! It’s Saturday but that doesn’t mean that you will wake up late! I have work today, clean the house and buy foods from the grocery. I left the money at the table!” his father shouted.
He immediately gets up from his bed when he heard his father. He run out of his room and he found him on the sofa looking at his cell phone.
“P-Papa, I thought your work is just weekdays? Aren’t you going to rest today?” he asked.
His father just glanced at him, “Our boss picks some men to work today, he will pay us double and I am one of the workers he picked.”
“O-Oh, then, do you want to eat first? I will cook!” he told him.
Alfred just shook his head, “No need, I already drink coffee, that’s enough. I left the money on the table, after you get your eyeglasses make sure to buy foods at the supermarket.”
When his father took his bag and go out he walk towards him.
“T-Take care, Papa!” he said.
Now that he proved that his father will be back from his old self he’s done with everything. What kind of father will tell his son hurtful words like this? What kind of father is he? He was always beaten by him when he was drunk.
“I thought you’ve changed after you give me money and after we had a good conversation. Now I realised that whatever happens, you will never treat me as your son that you will never accept me because I killed mama, because I am the reason why she died.”
Atticus run away from their house. When he left he remember all the miserable moments of her life. Since he was in elementary he’s always a victim of bullying, even when he was in high school and now that he’s in college a lot of students doesn’t want him to be their friend because of the fact that he’s weak and coward.
No one wanted to be his friend because they will just put their life into mess if they did.
“I don’t want to live! I wanted to die! This is not the life that I wanted!” He said.
“The coward was applauding with us. Did he really think he passed the exam?”
“I don’t think he could pass even an activity, Sasha.”
“He’s stupid!”
“Look at his eyeglass. So thick! He is a stupid nerd!”
“Whoa, you got 85? Did you cheat?”
“Did he really got a score of 85, Sasha?”
“Whoa, let me see?”
His classmates took his test paper and he saw how it torn.
“Oops,”
When they returned the test paper to him, it was divided into three. Atticus tears fell and he heard his classmate’s laughter.
“We are not sorry for what happened to your test paper, i***t Atticus.” Sasha said
“Everyone treated me like I am a trash, only Miss Gianna and the old woman did good things on me.” He said to himself.
Atticus run as far as he could at their house. He will not going back, he will never ever going back to that house again. His father can handle himself, he’s still strong he can have another family if he wants; his father just proved to him that he can live without him in his life.
Yes, He was born weak, a coward; he can’t defend himself even in a simple argument. Atticus is not smart; he doesn’t need to be but the fact that he failed two subjects twice made him think of himself as stupid. But he’s not that stupid, he proved himself that. He lack of self-confidence because his father’s words, because the only person he has thrown him hurtful words and hurt him physically.
Atticus’ father--Alfred was a drunkard while his mother passed away when he was 4 years old. Life wasn’t easy for him; he’s waking up to survive a day. His life at school was a mess, there were bullies everywhere. They made fun of him and worst was some students at their school beat him.
He doesn’t want to live anymore and he’s so sure of that. Atticus doesn’t want to continue his miserable life.
“If only I was born smart, strong and brave no one would do that. They will get my attention and I will have a lot of friends. Who would make friends with a loser?” he told himself.
Atticus ate the egg and the sweet potato. He needs to obey his father or else he will beat him again if he return and knew he didn’t go to school. Even if it is hard he will still choose to go to school because his father will beat him if he stays at home.
“Aaah!!” Atticus shouted at the Cayaan Bridge. He’s now crying. No cars, no vehicles on the road and he’s just there crying because of what happened to his life.
“I never wanted to be like this, I never wanted to be weak. I wanted to be strong but I can’t even defend myself when everyone was talking bad at me.”
Atticus remembers the old woman he helped.
“Don’t give me that sad look, Hijo! I am a strong grandma; my husband taught me how to be strong when this time will come. Before he passed away he taught me the greatest lesson of being alone.”
“That, when everything leaves you must not stop your life you must keep moving. Continue to look for the beauty of the world. It will going to be a hard battle being alone but living in this beautiful world was worth it.” She said
She is old and she lives alone in this huge city. Atticus smiled and throws all the trash in the trash bin. When he was finished the grandma offered him money.
If only he’s like them, if he has a strong personality and self-confidence like them he wouldn’t end up like that. He pity himself.
“Mom, we will going to be together. I’m sorry, I can’t live here peacefully, my life here is not worth it and people here don’t need me.” Atticus said.
He was depressed, he was lost. All he wanted to do is to end his miserable life.
It was a rainy night. Atticus laughed; the sky accompanies the pain he feels.
Atticus’ left their house because of too much pain and he knows that his father would not go after him. He went to the Cayaan Bridge and shouted all his resentment. Why does he have to go through all of this?
Has God forgotten him?
Did he forget that he exists? That’s why he’s suffering right now?
He feels too much envy for other people because they live happily. Why can’t he do that?
Atticus looked down and he saw the strong current of the water. He’s sure if he jumps that is the end of everything for him.
“No one will know what happened, maybe my body will be at different places before I will be found. Will my father get sad? Or he will be happy because finally, his weak, coward and i***t son is no longer living with him?” Atticus said and laughed.
He doesn’t want to continue his miserable life; He doesn’t want to suffer for so long. He wanted to end it.
He was already standing on the edge of the bridge and his eyes were closed. He was about to jump when heard the voice of Dalton his classmate.
“Someone! Please! Help me!”
W-What?
When Atticus looked where that voice is coming from he saw Dalton. He was shocked at what he’s seeing.
Dalton was shouting for help he saw Dalton was being eaten by a black book. His half body vanished and he was holding on the bridge.
“What the? W-what is happening to him? I-I should get out of here.” Atticus told himself and he’s ready to leave when Dalton saw him.
“Atticus! Atticus! Help me! Help me please!”
That was the first time Dalton pleaded, and he didn’t expect the he will say please on him. But no, after what he did, Atticus will not going to help him.
Atticus was about to turn his back and runaway but Dalton shouted again.
“If you will help me, I promise! I promised that I will never bully you again, that I will keep you safe at school and no bullies will come at you!”
Atticus heard that loud and clear.
“I-I am going to kill myself soon, I am not going to school again, I don’t need his help anymore.” He said to himself.
“Atticus!!! Help me!!!” Dalton shouted.
Because he was startled and he didn’t know what to dom Atticus ran and help Dalton.
“Thank you, Atticus!” Dalton said when he was released by the black book.
He was about to say something but what happened was unexpected. Dalton was released by the book and he was pushed by him.
“What the—no! Dalton! Why did you—
“i***t as always Atticus! Now die here!” Dalton said and runaway.
Atticus shouted for help but Dalton runaway and left him. The black book absorbed him and took him to another world.
- Writer
