Sereia's POV
I sat in my car, with the doors locked, as I parked in front of my childhood home.
It's been a while since I've been here.
Besides a few neighbours making small changes to their houses, nothing much has changed.
The small, white wooden house was still there, slowly deteriorating. The grass around the house was high and there was trash all over the yard.
My father hasn't cared for the place in six years.
I watched a few thugs eye my car, some I grew up with and the others seemed new.
I took a deep breath before unlocking my car and stepping out.
As I walked to the house, memories flooded my mind.
Memories of Violet and I playing in the front, memories of my father teaching me how to ride a bike, memories of planting flowers with my mother.
Oh, how I used to love flowers.
I would go to the local store and buy buckets filled with them.
Dad cursed me out a few times and complained that I was wasting the money we already didn't have.
Back then, I didn't understand.
Life was so sunny and bright. Now it's cloudy and dark.
Sunshine.
A few of the neighbourhood kids used to call me.
Now I'm sure if they looked at me, they wouldn't have a clue who I was.
Even if they did, they wouldn't want to use that nickname anymore.
I was far from sunshine.
I knocked on the door before my mother opened it.
A big smile appeared on her face before she hugged me. "Baby, you made it."
I surprisingly hugged her back.
I just wanted a hug.
The man who used to comfort me is the reason why I need a hug.
He keeps leading me on and when I try to move forward with him, he pulls back.
I know that he feels sorry for doing it to me, but being sorry won't help.
My life is already shit. I don't need it getting worse.
I'll just do what I planned on doing; ruin him and Olivia.
I've reached this far in life without a man and I sure as hell won't change that now.
"Come in," she said as she pulled me in.
I was immediately met with a bunch of cocaine and heroin on the living room table.
"Mom!" I shouted.
She smiled. "Do you want some, baby?"
My whole body began to shout yes. "No, I'm clean."
I forced myself to look away. "Where is he?"
She held my hand as she led me to my father's bedroom.
I sighed when I saw him with a bottle of beer in his hand while watching TV.
"Look who is here to see you," my mom said as she held his hand and he turned to look at me. "Go on, say what we practised."
I expected his response to be your sister could've been the one to come visit or I don't want to see a disappointment right now.
"I'm glad you came," he said, which caught me by surprise.
"I'm sorry for what I said last time," I looked down as he turned off the TV.
"Don't be, I deserve that. No man should talk to his child like that," he answered. "I'm sorry."
Who is this man? Does dying really change you?
"Sit," he weakly requested before coughing.
I did as he requested and sat down.
"I love you Sereia and I shouldn't have said that it should've been you," he barely managed to say as he gasped for air. "Every time I see you, I'm reminded of how much I failed you and your sister."
"I'm sorry that I hit you."
"Dad please," I said as I tried to keep the past behind us.
"Violet told me what was happening to her. I was ashamed that I didn't tell you," he said. "She said that she was forced to allow people to eat off her naked body while the Campbell daughter threw things at her."
"The reason why she didn't get into any of her colleges is because the Campbell daughter somehow managed to prevent her from getting in anywhere."
"She said all her old classmates thought she was a joke and kept spreading information about her everywhere she went."
"What?" I asked as my heart broke. "When was this?"
She never told me any of this.
"She wrote a letter," he said. "I couldn't make you see it. You were so sad and young."
Tears filled my eyes but I refused to cry.
"When those Campbells came to pay us for our silence I told them no. I said I would go to the police, but they threatened you."
"They said you would end up just like your sister, not being able to get into college."
"I'm glad I made the right decision," he weakly smiled. "Look at you dressed up in your business attire."
I tried to smile at him, but I couldn't.
"I shouldn't have picked up that beer bottle that night," he reflected. "I should've been there to comfort you. You were only 18."
Tears fell out of his eyes. "I was there, but I wasn't with you. I shouldn't have had favourites. I should've love you equally and I'm sorry."
I wiped away the tears which threatened to leave my eyes.
"It's ok, I'm fine," I said.
It wasn't a full lie and it wasn't a full truth.
I am fine. I am better than how I was back then.
"Get someone to take care of you and give you the treatment you deserve," he said and I nodded. "What about that young man that put me in my place? The rich man."
I shook my head. "He's my boss."
I left out the fact that he was married to the 'Campbell girl'.
That confession alone might send my father to instant death.
"That's too bad," he frowned. "He seemed to really care for you."
He coughed again and his blinks were slowed.
"Get some rest, dad."
I stood up and made sure the fan was at its highest.
We never had AC before and I guess with Violet, Mom, and me gone he never really cared for it.
He closed his eyes and my mother dabbed the sweat on his forehead with a cloth.
She was as high as a kite right now, but she still took care of him.
I walked out of the door and entered my old bedroom.
My bed was unmade from when I rushed out the night my father hit me, and the flowers, which were now dead, I had bought were still tossed on the ground.
I dusked off my bed from the cobwebs which had accumulated over time before sitting down on it.
My room was bright yellow with rainbows painted all over it.
Violet had added that small detail.
You can't have sunshine without rainbows.
She would always use that saying and I didn't understand why.
It didn't make any sense, but I still allowed her to paint the rainbows.
It made her happy and I got to spend time with my older sister.
My eyes landed on the box hidden under a pile of clothes.
I furrowed my eyebrows as I tried to remember what was in there.
Eventually, I stood up and picked it up since I couldn't remember.
When I removed the lid, bittersweet memories hit me.
It was filled with lingerie, makeup, hair dye, even my first vibrator.
This was the box that started my womanhood.
This was the box that changed 18 year old Sereia to 24 year old Sereia.
I was so sad and clueless.
I had no mom or older sister to guide me.
Whatever I did, I guess I did it right because now I look like a sex goddess.
I say the last part very humbly.
I was so afraid my father would find this box when I was younger, but thankfully he never did.
Even if he found it, he would've been too drunk to care.
I covered the box and returned it under the clothes pile.
Suddenly, I yawned due to tiredness from a long day of work.
I then turned off the lights before laying down on my childhood bed.
...
Vote!