Esclave

Smoothing down my dress and moving a hand through my wind blown hair, I put on a smile then knock at the door, softly. Taking a step back, I wait for the door to open while fidgeting in my place.

It's been eight years.

I still can't believe that.

After waiting for eight years, I'm finally going to see them, talk to them, touch them and know that they still exist. Know that, yes, I've not lost them forever. Know that, yes, I'm not alone.

I can't help the smile that breaks out on my face when I recall the conversation I had with my parents this morning. I had tripped over myself twice to get the call when Nana had shouted to tell me who was on the phone. I was bursting up with anticipation, nervousness and a thousand emotions in between relief and sadness.

After waiting for eight long years, they called me this morning and asked me to come back. And finally, I'm back in my country, back to be with my family, back to where I belong.

There's no going back now.

When I had heard my dad's voice on the phone, I'd got so emotional that I started crying, tears welled up in my eyes and silently rolled down my cheeks and I wasn't even aware, not until Nana wiped one of my tears away and smiled at me with tears of joy and relief in his own eyes. I know he missed them too, just like me. And he'd seemed so happy.... Especially for me.

I don't know what made my parents call me and ask me to come back. I don't know what made them change their mind. But you know what, I don't care, even if they have called me for the first time in eight years.

Suspicion tried to make its way inside my head and force me to find out the reason behind their unexpected request for me. But I pushed it away. The desire to see my parents again, ruled out the nagging in my head.

Now, I can only pray that I have made the right choice, even if it's a rash one.

But really, it's been so long since the last time I saw them that I've forgotten what their happy faces look like. I only have a vague image of their solemn faces in my mind. Nana never allowed me to even keep a single picture of them or look them up online.

Even though I wasn't allowed, I know that I could have sneaked a peek and nobody would have been the wiser. But I never did, 'cause I don't think I have enough courage to look at my parents, who had sent me away from them, without falling apart.

No one knows what kind of pain and loneliness I have been through in these past years. Depression and detachment were my only friends, when there was nobody to give me a shoulder to cry on. I never even had any friends, not that I ever tried to make any. But more so, nobody else was interested in talking to a sunken soul like me.

Watching other kids running out of the school, to find their parents waiting for them outside, would kill some part of me, day by day, slowly and painfully. I would always be the only one to walk back home all by myself.

Nana, due to his old age and back problems, could never even come to school for any of my functions, coming to pick me up from school is still a very far cry. So at last, I stopped participating in anything all together.

I was really into dancing, but I had to give that up too, because it couldn't keep my interest for long due to no support or encouragement.

I've known acute loneliness and knowledge of being all alone very intimately, for a long time now. I mean, eight years is a long time, isn't it? And after living in that dark corner of my mind for that long, I had gotten used to it. I had found such kind of peace in the darkness that it became like a drug for me and I was addicted.

I stayed there, consumed inside out by the deafening silence, lost in the sheer darkness and couldn't find my way out.

Not Until today, when they called….

I sniff and feel something wet drop on my hands, folded in front of me. I glance down. A single tear has managed to escape from my eyes and roll down my cheeks, landing on my hand softly.

Oh on, I'm crying, again!

I've become such a mess!!

I purchase out my handkerchief from my purse and hastily wipe my face clean of tears and push all those memories to the back of my mind. Thank Lord! I don't use any makeup, either I would have become more than a mess.

I take a deep breath then smile.

The past is in the past now, I should think about the future. About seeing my parents.

But my smile falters after a minute.

Why isn't anyone opening the door?

I knock once again…. only to meet with silence.

After a moment of no response, an uneasy feeling creeps its way inside my head and my heart beat picks up. Different explanations for no response start flashing in front of my inner eyes, each one getting worse and worse.

No, don't think that way.

I chide myself sternly.

After checking my watch for the seventh time, I get more anxious. It's half past 3 in the afternoon. It shouldn't take this long in opening the door, even if they are coming down from the second floor.

I knock again, this time giving the wooden door a firm pounding then wait for another few minutes.

Still nothing.

I frown.

Something's wrong....

I had jotted down the time when dad told me when I'd have to come. I was supposed to be here by 3 o'clock and I came here on time. I've been standing here for half an hour now!

What's the matter?

I look around the neighborhood.

The whole street is dead quiet. I haven't even spotted any kids with their bicycles or any nosy neighbour peering out of the curtained windows since I came here. Where is everyone? This street has never known to be a quiet one, the silence seems so ominous.

Worry starts chipping away at me.

Have they changed their decision? Do they no longer want me back? Have they shifted somewhere else? But dad would have told me if that was the case, right?

I clench my hands tightly and start pounding the door again.

“Mom? Dad? Can somebody hear me? Open the door, please. It's me, your daughter. I've come all the way back here for you both. I'm not going anywhere till I've seen you.” I suck in a breath through my teeth and try to control my rising panic.

How could they do this to me? I'm their daughter! How could anyone stay away from their own child for this long? And why did they bother to call me when they had not wanted me back? Why are they —

Suddenly, the door swings open.

“Oh God! Finally—” I am cut short when someone dressed in all red grabs my arm and pulls me inside before slamming the door close behind me.

“Let me go!” I take a step back while trying to free my arm from the man's grasp.

What's going on?

“Okay.” The man lets go of my arm, abruptly and I stumble back, barely catching myself before I hit the floor. Shit!

When I've caught my balance, I quickly make myself stand upright and find the red uniformed man staring at me, blankly.

“Who are you and where are my parents?” I ask in an unsteady voice while eyeing the blood red army uniform he's wearing.

There's something really weird about the way he's staring at me. His black eyes are devoid of any emotion, his expression is giving nothing away and he seems to be so…. far away from here even though his blank eyes are right in front of me, staring at me.

Something's really wrong with him.

Just to avoid his dead stare, I look around myself, taking in the interior of the house where I used to live eight years ago. Nothing has changed, except for a few new showpieces and some fresh expensive paintings. The house looks just as expensive and glamorous as it used to, eight years ago.

“My name is Banner. I'm your father's security guard. Your parents are on the second floor. I'll take you up there.” He says in his heavily accented voice, almost sounding robotic, before grabbing my arm again.

“Hey!” I try to tug my arm free but he holds fast. “What are you doing?”

“Taking you upstairs.” He states simply.

“I know the way. Keep your hands to yourself, please.” I tug my arm again.

“Alright then.” He lets go of me and this time, I don't wait for him to grab me again.

I bolt for the stairs.

I know exactly where my parents are.

I've spent most of my childhood here only and whenever I used to feel hungry or sleepy or needed my parent's company, I would find them only in one place at this time of the day.

In my great grandfather's study room.

But when did dad start keeping guards?

I thought he hated them and relied only on security cameras and alarms. Maybe.... he has changed in these past years.

My throat closes up on the thought of my father and I have to swallow hard to get rid of the painful dryness. Dammit!

I quickly climb up to the second floor and move straight towards the study room, deciding to catch up with everything else later. Firstly, I want to know what's going on here. I knock at the red door of the room but don't wait for permission before twisting the knob and shoving the door open.

But I don't step inside…. Because I'm frozen in place.

What the hell is going on here?

“Mom, dad…. what's going on.... why are you both…. what the hell!?” Words fail me as I gape in shock.

My parents are kneeling down in the middle of the room with their hands bound behind their backs. Their mouth is tapped and their eyes are bloodshot. They have been crying. Their swollen eyes and moans break me out of my shocked state and I jump into action. Forcing my limbs to move, I run inside the room to kneel behind them and hastily undo the ropes.

Good Lord… my gut feeling was right. Something wrong HAS happened here.

“voss, bun, ved aut of vere!” I look up at the turned faces of my parents when I hear their moans and words, muffled by the tape.

They are looking back at me while shaking their heads vehemently, their eyes pleading with me.

“Just a second. I've got you.” I untangle the heavy ropes from around their wrists, freeing them from the restraints.

“Go Rose, run, get out of here!” Comes out the first words from my parents mouth when I remove the tapes. I walk around to stand in front of them with a frown, to take in their tear stained faces in confusion and concern.

“What? Why?” I ask, baffled.

“Get out of here, Rose. Now!” Dad insists, urgently.

“But why, dad? Who did this to you? Are you both okay? Why are you worried about me? And why were you both bound like that!? What the hell was that robotic guard doing when all this happened!?” I grab my purse and take out my phone. “I'm calling the police right now.”

But before I can dial in the number, dad snatches it out of my hand and pulls me down to his eye level. “Listen to me, Rose. I didn't call you in the morning. I was forced to do so. I was never going to call you, believe me.”

His words feel like a slap on my face.

I stare at his desperate face in shock.

He still doesn't want me.

“But know that I love you. We both love you so much.” Dad wraps me in a tight hug as well as my mom and I gasp in surprise.

What….?

“There's a reason why we were keeping you away from us, Rose. A reason we can't tell you but it was the only way to keep you safe from them. We had run out of options when you turned 7, so we had to send you away. We were worried that they'll find out about you.” He wipes his nose on his sleeve and looks at me with pained and fearful eyes.

“Just know that I'm really sorry, 'cause I couldn't keep you safe. What I had feared the most has happened, they have figured it all out and they visited me yesterday. They had forced me to call you this morning, to get you back here so that they can take you away. I managed to somehow get them out of here but we don't have much time. I can't tell you more than this, it'll only get you in more trouble. Just trust me and leave. Don't go back to Nana. Disappear. Book the nearest flight right now and get out of the Country. Go anywhere and lie low.” He sobs in my neck one last time before finishing his sentence. “Never come back to us. Never.”

“But why dad?” I ask, my voice desperate and weak. Tears have already joined in my misery. “What is it you're afraid of? Who are they? Why would they take me?”

“We can't tell you, honey. It's for your own good.” Mom responds for dad when he continues to sob in my arms.

“Mamma.” I cry out and turn my head in her direction.

“Go, honey. Just leave. Don't look back and never let anyone find you.”

“But mamma—”

“No, Don't. Run, they'll be back soon. And remember not to use your real name. Always go by a fake name.”

I stare at my mother with rolling emotions. She has always been the stronger between dad and her. Whenever dad would fall apart, she would piece him back together.

I smile, my chin trembling.

I'm so proud of my mother.

Dad pulls away from me with a deep breath and stumbles up to his feet. I get up with mom and stare at both of them through loving eyes, wiping the tears from them when my vision gets blurry.

“I don't know why you both want me to disappear or from whom you're trying to save me. But if this is what you want then I'll go.” I hug my parents then grab my bag. “I would have never come back if I knew what was going on here and you both were forced to call me back but I'm glad for one thing, I now know how much you both love me.”

I walk over to the door and pause before stepping out of the threshold to see their devastated faces one last time.

“I love you both. Nana misses you both too.” They give me a wry smile.

“Sneak out from the back door. The guard who is downstairs, I've not hired him. I trust electronics more than humans.”

He hasn't changed.

I smile back.

And with a quick nod, I turn on my heels and disappear.