My eyes were droopy as soon as I hung up the phone. I looked at the clock. It was already 12.30 am and I had just finished my revision for a test. My body felt aches all over and my bed was calling up to me. I washed up and laid comfortably on my cozy bed. The chilly night turned warmer as I fell asleep, but it was not long before I jumped up from my bed; feeling uneasy about something. I was then wide awoken and fresh.
I grabbed my phone to check the time - it was 4.30 am. I wondered why was I feeling so worried when my eyes were evidently worn out from all the studying I did before that. Just then, as I laid back down on my bed, I had a little flashback in my mind about the short phone conversation I had with my mom earlier.
"Ain, I need you to tell me the truth," said mom, who was in the kitchen at that point of time, probably too lazy to walk over to my room.
"Yes mom. I'm very sure Dad didn't call her yesterday. He told me they aren't contacting anymore. Would you just believe me, for once?" I lied.
Dad had been contacting Aunt Jane, a lady who had always tried to break my family apart. It was disgusting how Dad could fall for her, and for that, my siblings and I secretly hated him. Mom had given him the care and love that no other wives could provide for their husbands. There was no end to this problem; we all knew that from the beginning. Dad just would not stop talking to Jane that it began to feel as though he was obligated to do so and we simply could not understand him.
My train of thoughts was too much for my already tired brain to handle, and not long after, I fell right back to sleep. It felt like only ten minutes until my slumber was being interrupted yet again. However this time, it was because of the loud screams and banging which were coming from my parents' room. My sister woke me up anxiously and we instantaneously hurried out to see what was going on. It was Mom and Dad quarreling. It should seem normal by now, but this one was a little different.
As my sister and I rushed out from our room, we saw Dad trying to run away as Mom begged and pulled him away from the direction of the door. I shouted for my oldest brother, as he always had control over situations like this. My dad was nearly in the state of hysteria, tying to push away both Mom and my brother as they tried to stop him from leaving the house. I blocked the door while my sister calmed him down, asking him to take a seat. He sat down and the tension of the house decreased as everyone were trying to console Dad, who was sweating profusely.
"She just called to ask about my condition. I told you, we have nothing going on. You just refuse to believe me!" Dad wailed.
Mom glanced at me as though I was the cause of it. I sat next to my sister on the sofa and watched as my parents talked things through. I felt my body stiffen and I could not move a muscle. My dad was sick and his movements were restricted, but he still refused to listen to us when we asked him to cool down - I just could not understand the whole situation.
"Why did you lie about Dad not talking to her anymore?" My sister whispered beneath her breath and then continued, "we all know she's still calling him. Mom just wants to know the truth."
I thought telling Mom would be a bad idea. She definitely would not want to know the truth, but lying to her would hurt her even more when she finds out. The dilemma I was put in was too much and I could not possibly settle it all by myself, especially not when it was 5 am when that happened.
The pillow I hugged which was initially warm, turned icy cold. I felt my body turning colder as though blood was no longer circulating my body. My mom noticed my face turning pale, so she asked me to get a cup of warm water for Dad, while she continued to talk things through with him.
As I passed the cup of warm water to Dad, I tried to glance at Mom, but she looked away. However, I could still capture the pain that was in her eyes.I looked down, still feeling the numbness in my limbs. I glanced at the clock. Half an hour had passed and my sister and I were still sitting on the sofa.
Dad entered the room to go back to sleep while my mind was still filled with ruckus. Mom was still rooted to the chair, staring into the empty space, probably thinking of what to do next. The dim lights around us turned even darker. Mom threw the phone onto the ground and it felt like the ground was breaking apart.
"Ain, you should have just told me the truth. I'm truly disappointed in you." Mom said to me in a very soft voice - trembling and weak.
"I could not let you hear me say that I knew they were still in contact. I don't want you to find out either." I said calmly, feeling the fear in every word I said.
I guess it was too late. Mom felt even more furious when I said that, and I could see the disappointment smear all over her face as she entered her room.
A few hours later, it was time for school. I could not find Mom and my siblings had gone off to work. I walked to school, eyes filled with tears, asking myself where could Mom be. She did not even bother to tell me what really happened. She just left and did not return. I did not speak to Dad for days. I was too young to understand the situation, but I knew for sure that my siblings were there for me and always will be. The three of us strengthened ourselves to walk this journey together, without Mom. If only I had told the truth; Mom would still be here with us.
Days turned into weeks and Mom finally returned home. Upon seeing her, tears filled my eyes and I rushed to hug her tight. She kissed my forehead, asking for my forgiveness.
"No, Mom. I should be the one who is sorry. I promise, we will always be here for you." I said while hugging her.
The lesson was learnt. I would never lie again.
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