The Search for Freedom

Kaila

From the window of my bedroom, I could see that dusk had quickly arrived. While the darkness began to show, the moon and stars started to shine. It was already night, but I could recognize everything inside my room, for it was awash in the silver moonlight which would only disappear if I closed the windows.

I could see the solid dark shadows that indicates the carriage house and the stables. The moon, like a thin wafer of pale lemon, hung impaled upon the slender shaft of a solitary pine standing on the grassy hill, but now covered with snow. Everything below seemed luminous, glowing dreamlike in the cold moonlight.

The hither and thither movements of the cold air chilled me, so I closed the windows and lowered the pink drapes. I turned on the lights, took my pink backpack and notes to the desk, and answered my assignments. Though I had a wealthy family, I would never reckon with the servants and tutors. I wasn't an ambitious girl; I just wanted to live a simple life like anyone else. I also hate those maids who followed me wherever I would go. The people around seemed putting me inside a cage, that every small movement I made, they captured it.

My mom owned vast land she inherited from our ancestors. That land was the whole town where we currently reside. Meanwhile, my father was a notorious man in the city because of his numerous businesses and companies. Though I was their only daughter, I'd never aspire to inherit their wealth; I just wanted to live a simple and peaceful life. Many people believed that having a lot of money would lead someone into danger, and I was one of them. After I finished my homework, I fixed my things and put them back inside my backpack. I donned my pink sneakers and went downstairs. I counted every step I took and collided with whatever I could, to find some solace. I continued to the living room and sat down on the couch.

"Amara? Amara!" I called my personal maid who hurriedly got near to serve me. "Can you please turn on the TV?" I laid down on the couch.

Amara had been working for us for over five years. She was already twenty-four, and I was treating her as my elder sister since I didn't have either sister nor brother. I only had parents, and I didn't know how to live without them. "Kaila, just tell me if you need something, I'm going to the kitchen to prepare your dinner." Amara left me and continued to the kitchen.

Flash report: "A wealthy couple named Clark and Aya Breaks were found lifeless inside the Sunshine hotel. The police are now investigating the heinous crime. We are conveying our condolences to the families and friends of the couple named Clark and Aya Breaks."

"Mom? Dad?" I jumped out of the couch and shouted with mixed emotions.

The servants ran towards me and saw what was on the television. They tried to soothe me, but my tears dripped down the floor. No words could express how I felt, and no scale could measure how much I wept. I was both sad and mad: sad that my parents were gone and mad to those merciless inhuman who killed them.

"Please bring me to my parents; I need to see them now!" I ordered.

"Sorry Kaila, but we can't bring you there now, especially since we don't know where they brought your parents' corpse. Maybe we can go there tomorrow morning?" Amara guessed. "It's already night, you should go to the dining room and eat your dinner."

I didn't mind Amara. My rheums would not stop dripping. I didn't know what to do, what I only knew was that I wanted to see my parents. Many hours had elapsed, but I was still lopsidedly lying on the couch, hiding and pressing my face against the couch. It was just yesterday when we were so happy. I could not believe that everything would turned into memories.

"Kaila, please eat your dinner. Nothing will happen if you'll only lie there," Amara advised. She was about to say something when I interrupted.

"Just leave me alone!" I shouted. "I want to see my parents!"

"Okay Kaila, I would leave you here because I'm also drowsy. Just go to the dining room if you want to eat." Amara walked out of the living room.

I stood up and turned off the television and lights. If I could also turn off myself, I already did that, so that I could not feel the pain. I sat down on the couch once more, waiting for daybreak so I could see my parents. I could not believe that they would die so easily as that, because they had many guards who were always with them.

While stifling myself, there were many questions crossing my mind. Such as how could I live without my parents? How could I manage everything without their help? How could I give equity and justice for their death? Perhaps it would be better if I died too.

I was trying to stop breathing, but I could not really waste the opportunity to live in this cruel world. I could not prevent myself from breathing, because I lacked the courage to do that. I knew that ending my life could not solve the problems. I suddenly jumped off the couch and cried, "Don't leave me alone!"

The whole living room suddenly turned light. I saw Amara and the other maids who were going towards me. I could see mercy and care in their eyes which seemed to tell me not to give up. I sat down again on the couch, and Amara also sat down beside me.

"I believe that you can, and I will never leave you even whatever happened." Amara tried to convinced me as she made me laid down.

I laid down on the couch with my head perched on her legs. She also leaned on the upper part of the couch while the other maids went back to the room where they were taking a rest.