AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Everest
“DoyoulikeHappy, the clown, Everest?” He would ask me.
Each time I’d shake my head no, he’d force me to eat cake. He wouldn’t let me leave the room and if I was bad, he would lock me up in a cage. I begged him over and over, but even with my tears; he wanted me to smile.
“Be a good girl and I’ll let you come out of your cage. I’ll get you new clothes. Too. Come on, Happy’s little girl, give me a smile.” He smiles widely.
The tears don’t stop as I try my best to smile. Even as young as I am, I know this is wrong. Something isn’t right.
“I’m sorry that I threw up. I’ll be good. I promise. Please don’t put me back in there.” I beg.
“As long as you don’t call that man’s name again. He’s not your father. I saved you! He didn’t care about you or else he wouldn’t have died at all! He would HAVE SAVED YOU! Say it!” He grabs my face. “Say it, Happy’s little girl!” He yelled.
“He,” I sniffle, trying not to cry. “He… Papi would’ve saved me.” I cry.
“If he what!”
“If he loved me.” I finish while smiling, but the tears don’t stop.
“Everie…” Abuelita calls for me but I don’t want to leave my wing. I don’t want to see any of them because the looks on their faces says it all. They don’t like me anymore. Something is wrong with me now and they know it.
I tried to change and hide what was going on with me. Since he took me, I have been putting on a brave face. I couldn’t tell mom I was scared because then she would cry. I’ve heard her crying over and over for Papi. He’s gone from this world because of me. All because he tried to get me. He tried to reach for me but he couldn’t because He killed Papi.
There are things I can’t forget. How He looks at me with the painted clown face and smile and papi’s face as he tried to reach out for me while I cried for him, reaching out to touch him. The look of shock as papi was shot in the chest and him dropping to the floor. I didn’t understand the blood or anything else, but I almost made it to Papi, almost and then, just like that, my world went dark.
“Everie…” Abuelita calls my name again from the opposite end of my door. “Please, come out. Please.” she sniffles. “I miss you. We want to see you, baby.” she says to me, but I shake my head. I can’t do it.
My mind goes back to Mom’s words with Grandma.
“How can you look at her after everything? She doesn’t eat, speak or anything. Every little touch makes her scream. I’ve gotten her every help I could! That’s what her father would want me to do, but I don’t know how to do this, Elana. Every time I look at her, I see him lying on our street like some dead animal. He wouldn’t have died if he wasn’t trying to run after her like that! We could’ve called the cops!” she yells.
“He did what any father would do for their baby girl. Eduardo would’ve gone down fighting.” Abuelita says with a sad smile on her face.
“How can you say it just like that? He was your son! Don’t you care?”
Abuelita stands and points at mom with her cane. “Because he was my son, that’s why he ran after his child like that. I raised my son to always protect his children if he died in the process. I’m afraid to even die and face him because it took us 6 months to find my grandchild. His 6-year-old, last born that he cherished and loved with everything. How can I face my son when my baby girl won’t even come to the door to see her Abuelita? How can you not even go to her? You are her mother and instead of sitting here crying about my son to me, you should go see the gift he left you behind. Even in death, Eduardo found her for us.” Abuelita has this faraway look in her eyes. “Just go to her. Even for a while.”
“I will… when I’m ready.” Mom says, but she never came.
Abuelita put me in speech therapy so that I could learn to speak properly again without feeling like I would be punished for it. I stuttered a lot, I would cry trying to get my words across and I couldn’t stand anyone touching me if it wasn’t Abuelita. The family dog couldn’t even cuddle with me as much anymore because everything spooked me.
“If he loved me…” those words leak through my dreams and wake me up. I groan as Walt’s arm tightens around my waist as I attempt to move.
Shaking my head, I leave Papi where he belongs, buried in my memories. After getting the proper therapy, there was one thing that I knew; papi loved me. He died because he loved me.
“I need to go to the bathroom.” I whisper, trying to move Walt’s arm.
“You’re not going to try and run away from me?” Walt teases and I can tell by the tone in his voice.
“No.” I scoff. “I’m just going to the bathroom.”
“I’m timing you.” He says, and I roll my eyes.
Standing up, I face away from Walt.
“Thank you.” I whisper.
“Everie, you don’t have to thank me for doing what you need. I’ll always do that.” Walt says.
“Don’t say that. Please, don’t.” I walk away as I hear him getting up and shut myself in the bathroom, locking the door.
