Let Her Go - Chapter 1

Let Her Go

Prologue

 

Back then, they were just two kids playing in the park. Boy with jet black hair trying (and miserable failing) to hush a little girl  (with a rather huge bruise forming on her knee) from crying.

“It hurts.” She cried.

“I know.” He answered. But what can a little boy do? When said boy was just a kid himself.

“I want Mommy.”

Taking a deep breath out of his little lungs, he answered, “I want mine too.” And yes, God he wants his Mommy back. In the far recesses of his mind, he thinks the whole situation is troublesome. But since he is expected to take care of her, he took her hand and promised to eat double dose of ice cream later in the evening. One legally after dinner, and one before.

“But Mommy said no sweets before dinner!” She protested, albeit, excitedly.

“I said I promise.” Was his only response.

He promised because it will make her smile. Because, try as he might, he can’t explain how her smiles could bring him light, warm feeling. Because she encompasses all that he can never be. Because he is a boy with a lot of burden and she is a light feather that can carry him through.

The first time he saw her, he was annoyed. But of course, he was still a “child”then. A child with parents and a white concrete house with a Golden Retriever. So his irritation to the said girl came out to be nothing but a cute little boy with a cute frown towards a blonde girl in pig tails who kept on tagging on his shirt to go butterfly watching.

Smart as he was for a boy of nine, he obliged. An hour and a hundred butterflies later, he decided that she has a  nice smile. And that, yes, he can manage the little trouble trouble that was her.

That was just two years ago. May be a month before he stumbled into their empty house with a relative nudging him inside his room to take a nap because he must be tired.

And yes, he was so damn tired.

So he did as he was told. He took a nap and boy was that a nightmare. He saw flashing lights, heard loud horn from a huge truck in front of their tiny car. The he felt his mom wrap him in a warm, protective embrace.

He woke up and shouted, demanding for his parents. No body could look him in the eye.

“I want Mommy and Daddy!”

When they said they “were gone”, he was forced to grow up.

Grow up quickly and accept things as they come his way. They sold their white house along with the memory of hi dad carrying him up all the way to his blue room. They took their Golden Retriever with a collar that his mom made, it says, “I am Trace’s”.

Well, now he no longer is.

Then when the little blonde girl sat in front of his brooding figure and said, “Mommy and Daddy said you will stay with us.” He was forced to accept that too. So he didn't protest when she took his hand in hers. He obediently complied when her parents sat him at the back of the car and he did not even look back or sideways at the rear view mirror to watch his fairytale disappear.

All the way, she held his hand. And when they arrived in his new (but unwelcome) home, she said, “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of you.”

He didn’t think he signed up for taking care of her too, but he liked it all the same.

“Butterfly!” He felt rather than saw her let go of his hand to follow said insect. That brought him out of his bitterweet memory.

He hates it when she lets go.

Angrily, he started “Iris, how many times did I tell you no to--- hmmmpfh”

It took him a moment to get some air back into his system. Then she saw a girl with  bright blue eyes stare at him as if she was torn between laughing and saying sorry. After a while she chose the latter.

“I’m sorry I bumped into you.”

She has the knack for saying the obvious.

“It’s Okay.” He stood up, brushing the invisible  dirt that was to indicate his irritation.

“My name is Charity.”

“...” He so much wanted to say, “I don’t care” but good manners prevailed and he just stayed quiet. Later in his life he will be told it was also as rude.

“You’re supposed to tell me yours.”

No need, because right then and there, Iris came hurling at his side shouting “Trace!”

Weird girl laughed and said, “Nice to meet you Trace.” The she went her way as if he was the weird one. Whatever.

He glanced at what’s important for him. Iris smiled sweetly like all the next five Christmases happens now. He only frowned. “How many times did I tell you no to---”

“Let go. I know. But look, I Found a butterfly.”

Apparently being interrupted happens twice. But he lets it slip because that is what he usually does. “Yeah. But you don’t listen anyway. Now let the poor thing off and let’s have our ice cream.”

”Yep! Let’s do that.”

Ice cream and butterfly is a good combination to forget the blotch that is on her knee.

And off they went, just two kids playing in the park and a weird girl by the name of Charity running up and about.

No one suspected the whole ordeal as a premonition. A big one at that.

Author's Note

:)