Your Pov

  Time is a funny thing.

  Sometimes it can go so fast, but at other times it goes by like a snial's crawl. Its called relativity, really. Einstein once defined relativity as sitting next to a pretty girl for two hours but feeling like its only been five, and sitting by a furnace for five minutes and feeling like its already been two hours.

  Right now, as I stared at the face of my biological mother, I felt as though I could stare at her for eternity but feel that it hadn't even been a minute. She was so much more frail now, something that made me uneasy. Looking at her thin fingers clutching her cup of tea, I felt stricken; she must have had gone through so much and yet I wasn't there for her. I thought I would feel angry at her if I ever saw her again, but right now, all I wanted was to be enveloped in her arms and sink into her familar hug once more. It would be the best thing on Earth to feel her warm arms, especially when I was still shivering and trying not to show it.

  We drank tea for a long time as silence overtook us like dark clouds overshadowing the burning sun. She sipped it bit by bit, something that hadn't changed. Tea is an elegant drink, so we must drink it elegantly, she had said many a time to me. I smiled softly at the memory, then at the present day her sitting opposite me.

  I didn't want to break the silence, because I ddin't want to hear about that man. That man whom I could no longer acknowledge to be my father. I didn't want to hear what he was now; a prisoner, or the same monster he had always been. I didn't even want to hear about what he had been the past few years. Already I was sick, and I didn't want to be sick mentally either. Some wounds leave permanent scars that can never be erased no matter what.

  It was her who finally broke the silence.

  "How have you been doing?" she said timidly, hestitantly raising her head to meet my eyes.

  I made no reply, stunned at first to hear her voice after so long. It had gotten huskier, but the pleasant note in it still hadn't left it. And even when I had gotten over that shock, I still kept silent. How could I reply her? Good, seemed too superficial; how could I summarise everything I had been through in only one word?

  "~~~~~~~~~~?"

  I stared at her, my name being called out by her yet another shock to me. I struggled to find the right words to express my life right now as I kept in my sneeze.

  "I've been ... getting by," I said.

  She looke so relieved after I had answered her.

  "How about you?" I asked gently.

  Instead of answering me, she gazed at me square in the eye.

  "He's back in jail," she said quietly.

  A red hot flame burnt in me the moment she said that. The very topic I had been hoping to avoid yet knew was inevitable. I turned my aching head away, saying, "It's none of my business."

  "You're right," she said, surprising me.

  "But I just thought you should know. He's well, been sentenced to life imprisonment," she continued.

  "So?" I said.

  "So I just thought you should know," she repeated, then added, "he can't hurt me or you again."

  And I knew that after I had left as a young girl, he had hurt her again. The sad expression on my mother's face told me just as much. She slowly took off her shawl, revealing ugly scars on her shoulders and collarbone. I inhaled sharply, witnessing the brutually of it all. My hands clenched into fists insticntively as my eyes roamed fiercely over these hideous marks of abuse.

  "It wasn't easy, escaping from him," my mother spoke again as she re-wrapped her shawl over her.

  "I still loved him you know, back then. But then the beating started again and I totally just lost my senses. It was so painful at first, but then you get used to it. A punch here, a kick there. You start to know when to expect it again. I started planning my escape. The next bus to take us to the city was arriving soon, so I started stealing money from him to sustain myself in the city. A dollar at first, then two. He never noticed. And when the next bus came, I drugged his drink with some herbs, then sneaked away. I thought I was free then, when the bus pushed away and our old house grew further and further away," she said heavily, and I felt appalled at the ugliness of it all.

  "But he found me in the city yet again. How, I never knew, but he was raving mad when he found me. You think you can leave me, you ing ? Those were his exact words," she recalled, and I saw the dark shadow cross her eyes. But she shook her head, clearing them, then carried out with her story.

  "So the abuse started all over again. I never thought to tell anyone, I was too frightened. Until one day he took out the gun. And that was when I knew he could and would kill me, one day. I went to the police myself, and nearly died doing it too. He chased me down and threatened to kill me. Right there and then in the bus, he started pummelling me. He'd lost it. In the end he was restrained, and I went with a whole crowd to the police," she said, taking in a deep breath. She kept silent for a long time, but I sensed it was not the end of the story.

  I was right.

  "That wasn't too long ago. When I saw him being taken away, it was like a huge weight being lifted off my shoulders. He wasn't who he was anymore; he was a raving lunatic. When he was put behind bars in front of my own eyes, I never shed a single tear. I only looked him straight in the eye, silently telling hi that he could never hurt me anymore, never, ever, again. That was my quiet triumph," she finished, and in her eyes I could see silent glory.

  I could bear it no longer. I went to her, then put my arms around her, feeling the familar warmth all over again. IT was almost as though I had recovered from my cold, so warm she was. She had been through far too much, and I was just so, so proud of her. I felt her embracing me as well, and we stayed locked together for a long time. When we finally broke away from each other, both our eyes were coated with tears. She smiled at me through her tears as she wiped my own away.

  "I'm so thankful I found you, it was all thanks to the police," she said, making more tears stream down my face as I hugged her once again.

  "I'm glad you did, too," I said.

 ====================================================================================================

YES I KNOW I HAVEN'T UPDATED FOR A WHILE BUT OH WELL HERE'S AN UPDATE.

(:

 Enjoy!

Love y'all!

Jess, aka glitteryy <3

Comment Replies :

pokedeyes -- HAHAHAHAHAH, its okay! WOW, now you have exams? Good luck for them, do well! <3

Yploverholic -- Nope x.x

SBLING -- Asdfghjkl! I'm glad you think so! <3

rockerchickz -- Awww, thanks so much! <33333

kwin_shine143 -- LOL, so many of you thought that, but I already mentioned they both died, remember? :/

jaejae077 -- Maybeeeeeeeeeeeeee. (: And awwww, thanks! (:

E_magine -- No problem m'dear! XD

lee_xuan -- YES SHE DIDDDDDD> :D

winterbling -- Now you know what happened? Awww, your comment totally touched my heart heheheh! Thanks dearie! <3

onkeyjongmintae -- I kinda summaries that in one sentence (police police!) hahahahahah (: *drumrolllllll* (: Thanks for your support love!

tjtblue2000 -- YESYES, thank you sooo much! <33333333 I'm glad you like the surprise (:

Sammery -- MUAHAHAHAHAHA, enjoy it as always my dear! <3

BleuumScarlett -- Yep, hard is definitely right >< HAHAHAHAH, I laughed at your comment (: Well, now you know! (:

shineeloveroverload -- Ahahahahaha, no that did not happen! LOL. And hmmm, imma take that into consideration! XD You're too cute :3

placebograce -- I LOVE YOU GRACE! <3

Aichany -- Awww, that was so sweet, the happy part. I'm really glad! (: Here's an update! <3

MandeeGee -- Thnak you, I'm so relieved! <3 That's partly revealed heheheheh. XD

NinjaLunara123 -- :D Coming soon!

mickey_mouse -- Alright, I got the messgae! (: AWWWWWWWW I LOVE YOU SO MUCH! So thankful for your support (: Good luck for your exams love, fighting! <3

WinterRose -- Hmmm, thanks for that, I really didn't notice, but let's just take it that she's got low immunity and falls sick ahahahahahah. NOPE SHE DIDN'T FAINT. Yet. Maybe. Idk. HAHAHAHA. I hope I don't disappoint you again! ):

ILoveTaeZy -- LOW IMMUNITY LOW IMMUNITY! (hahahahah :/)  Previous house (: YAY WE CAN PARTY TOGETHER! XD Here's zee update! <3

19900408 -- Wow nice username! :D MUAHAHAHAHAH, i love you already! Enjoy the story! <3

Mae-chan -- I laughed at that hahahahah! Yes, but crazy = <3 (heh :/)

jjongisluv -- AWWWWWW I SWEAR I TOTALLY LOVED YOUR COMMENT, HONESTLY! I wish it could be featured too LOL. (who doesn't want their own story to be featured? ):) But that's not so important as making sure that my exisitng readers are loving the story (: Yes I agree with you, everyone is different so it's rather hard to portray the girl as my readers, but I still hope you enjoy! <3