Into the Light

Written by Frances Novelle David

She has suffered long enough. She finally finds her way into the light. 

CERISE sat on her bed with her knees pulled up to her chest. Upon her knees rest a book where she placed a piece of blank paper; pen poised upon the smooth surface. The scratching sound of pen against paper sounded faintly as she wrote the first few sentences of her letter only to crumple it and tossed it into the overflowing bin where it joined the other rejects. She let out a deep breath she wasn't aware she was holding and stretched her legs as she lay down. She closed her eyes and regretted it almost immediately as unwanted memories played like a silent movie in the darkness.

The first scene was that of the day she was born. It was not her own memory, of course but one conjured from her father's stories.

Her Mom was sitting on a hospital bed, cradling her to her chest. The older woman smiled down to her beautiful baby as she cooed, "Cerise," while pecking the baby's red lips and rosy cheeks. She had just named her. Cerise. Cherry.

The scene blurred and changed into another one. Fifteen years after the first scene. Ah, this one, sadly, was from her own memory. There was no way she could deny it happened.

It was one of those nights. Daddy was out the whole week on a seminar somewhere out of town and Mommy was late as usual, spending too many hours at work. It was almost midnight and she had decided to sleep when she heard the front door open and Mommy's hushed giggling reached her ears followed by a male voice she did not recognize. She stiffened when giggles became moans and thinking that the man might be hurting Mommy, she tip-toed out of her room to check. But she froze upon reaching the top of the staircase. Mommy was pushed against the wall, her arms around the man who was certainly not Daddy while they kissed. She may be young but she wasn't stupid. She covered her mouth with her hands but a whimper escaped her lips. Two heads snapped towards her in unison, eyes wide.

"Hunny," Mommy called out to her - for the first time in ages using an endearment again. For years Mommy treated her as though she didn't exist and now, in the most awkward of circumstances did she choose to acknowledge her daughter's existence again.

Mommy ran up the stairs and enveloped Cerise in her arms but she swatted them away while tears rolled freely down her face. There was a struggle as Mommy tried again and again to touch her whilst she refused to relent. Alas, Cerise's left foot slipped and she fell. The last thing she could remember was a blinding pain in her head before darkness took her.

Like the first one, this scene faded and changed into a new one. It was some time after that fateful night. She woke up in her room with a headache and it took her a few moments to remember what had caused it. She was not sure how long she had been unconscious but she was just glad to still be alive. Then she heard voices. Mommy and Daddy were fighting. She heard Daddy yelling, "It's all your fault!" over and over again while Mommy wailed like a hog being slaughtered. Wincing, she got out of bed and went out of her room. She got downstairs just in time to see Daddy leaving. She ran to him and begged him to stay but it was like he didn't hear her at all. Cerise sobbed helplessly as Daddy's car drove away. Mommy had stopped crying and went to her room, locking herself up. The next day she woke up early, dressed and left for work. She didn't even bother to say bye. So Cerise went to the kitchen and prepared herself some food. It went on like that for two years. Mommy treated her daughter like a ghost. It was like they were in the same place but not in the same dimension.

But tonight, it had to stop. She grabbed her pen and wrote on a fresh piece of paper, "Goodbye, Mommy. I love you." She folded the paper as she left her room and entered Mommy's quietly then placed the note on the bedside table, kissed Mommy softly on her forehead, and went downstairs to the front door.

She pulled it open and a bright light greeted her. She had no idea what it was but she felt like she should step through the door and straight into the light. She did and closed the door behind her.