Chapter 5

Alicia sits all alone outside in the veranda, she sit on one of the chair outside, she is actually pressing her phone, she was checking on her mails, and she wants to know more about relationship tips.
She knew that she had fallen into her mother traps, and there is no way she could escape attending the ball even tonight.
But she has a slight problem.
She was not the usual socialite girl, she has no idea about social gathering, the last time she did attended a social gathering; she ended up running away from it, because she did commit a lot of errors.
Hence she is trying to do a little self-training, at least to minimize her mistake during the party tonight.
And that is not all.
She was now relating to an opposite sex, she is gathering knowledge about the do and don’t while in a relationship.
Alicia likes Stephen a lot, and she did hope that the feelings is mutual, hence she wants to avoid any mistake that might makes Stephen frowns at her.
For the fifth time, Alicia looks at the road for any sign of Stephen. She actually had been waiting outside anxiously for a very long time; she did a mistake not exchanging contact with Stephen yesterday.
First; in the plane, and then while she met him at the restaurant, and then this morning when she was invited to ski along with him. It was not her fault anyways.
This her first time having this kinds of feeling in her, hence it was foreign, that she lost tracks of herself a lot of time.
She does not have Stephen contact, hence she waits outside her for him, such that se can saves him the times of pounding on the door.
For the sixth time, Alicia looks across the road, but she is bound for disappointment, because there is not a sign of Stephen yet.
Alicia becomes disappointed, because she looks forward to the skiing together with Stephen, but as it is right now, it looks like he is not coming.
“He is not coming, he only make promise and fail to keep to it. Looks like she must have notice that I am too plain for his liking, hence he already finds someone more social than I do.”
That was Alicia thought as she sank into the chair.
She felt hurt in her heart, even she stops surfing the web, everything around her begins to aggravate her, and immediately she stands up to go back inside, maybe when she sleeps and wake up, she will wakes up from her fantasy, and she will be back into reality.
Alicia was just at the door, but she hears a call pull up on the road, but she was hurt to even mind the car that pull up the lawn, probably her mother car, or one of her neighbor car.
But that is not Alicia problem, she still felt hurt that she was stood up for no reason by Stephen.
“Hey Alicia, hope I am not too late.”
Alicia hears the sweet voice again, and she stops on her track.
“He really came, he came for me.”
Alicia heart begins to race, she even begins to sweat, her breathing becomes rapid for no reason, her palm becomes moist, sweat covers her body, she becomes anxious to even turns around to look if really it is Stephen or not.
Meanwhile Stephen did approach Alicia, he actually wants to embrace her, looks into her eyeballs once again, and then says to her the words he had been dying to said to her since he met her on the plane.
He only wants to embrace her and said to her I LOVE YOU, in soft and calm tone, couple with a emotion and loving gaze, and if possible the surrounding should be in a romantic atmosphere, with a candle light dinner, and a romantic music or any slow music.
Alicia can hear Stephen step as he approaches her. She becomes so anxious for no reason.
This is her first time going out with a guy,
This is the first time she was pick up by a guy,
This is the first time she is going on a date with a guy,
There are just a lot of first times right now; and everything are happening so fast for her to be able to comprehend them at a go.
And that was not all. After she was stood up, the guy she thought had stood her up suddenly appears like a knight in shining armor, his appearance occurs when she was shattered completely.
Hence the reason she is anxious right now. Still she knew that she must turn around to talk to Stephen, no matter how anxious right now, she must face her anxious and enjoy the moment with Stephen, hence she turns around, But then something she least expects happens.
Out from nowhere, she felt someone embrace her from behind.
Alicia almost blank out, because of the shock from the embrace, her hearth continues to beat at a fast tempo, and she keeps repeating the same words at interval.
“He really embraces me”
Stephen as well did not even bother to let go of the embrace, Alicia as well does not pray that the embrace ends, even though her mind was not settled, even though her heart was racing, still she did not pray that Stephen let her go.
Both stand at the door for more than five minutes, Stephen was feeling Alicia body heat, and Alicia was reeling in the happiness of her first embrace from an opposite sex.
Funny enough, the more minutes she spend in Stephen jot embrace, her racing mind begins to settle gradually, her heart no longer race for no reason.
She is now at peace, because she understands something so crucial right, and that was the fact that she was also on Stephen mind as well.
Alicia was still reeling in her happiness; she hears Stephen manly yet sweet voice behind her.
“Are you ready for the best moment of your life?”
Alicia understands Stephen question very well, hence she nods her head vigorously, she is ready to go anywhere in as much Stephen was there with her.
Stephen finally let her go, she held her hand, and he led her to the truck parked at the lawn, he opens the door for her, and she enters into the car, he closes the door after her, then he also enter from the other side, he start the car and he drives away towards Aleyska resort.
In about an hour later, Stephen parks the car at a safe place, he alights from the truck, and Alicia also alights too.
He already prepares all the equipment for skiing ready, he parks everything in a back pack, and it consists of boots, skis, goggles, poles, and other necessary things.
When all is ready, he enters the resort first, Alicia knew a thing or two about things like this, and she follows after Stephen into the resort. Stephen got a pass for them both, and they enter through the gate into the resort.
Outside the resort were all other things for fun, but that was not Alicia and Stephen destination, they came for skiing; hence the destination is at the back of the resort. Alicia is at Stephen heels all the time, and the duo has a lively and happy discussion.
All the time, Stephen keeps cracking jokes, and Alicia won’t stops laughing too, even the longs distance trekking is not that worrisome for the duo, and along the way, they met other people coming from the skiing area, there are some people also going for skiing too.
Alicia and Stephen exchange greetings with everyone they come across or met on the way. Because it is Christmas season, the roads was Christmas atmosphere, Christmas light was hanging on every trees, moreover most of the people are dress having a Christmas cap on their heads. Few minutes later, Stephen and Alicia reach the skiing area.
The ski area stretch out as far as the eyes can see, the skiable area is about six kilometer long, and the top elevation of the mountain is about Eight Hundred and forty meter.
Because it is winter season, everywhere was covered with snow, making it a good time for skiing.
Stephen turns around to Alicia, he said. “Here we are, are you ready?”
Alicia nods her vigorously.
Stephen place down his backpack, he begin to unloads the equipment one after the other, there are a lot things beginning from boots, to skis, to goggles, poles and the likes like that.
The duo does not need the clothing, because both were already well dress in thick clothing and plants
He helps Alicia get prepares, he tied the boots and skis to her legs, and then he tag her lift pass on her jackets, he also get prepares too.
“Okay, here we go”
Stephen pushes Alicia and she ski along in the snow fall, and he also ski after her.
Almost an hour later, both Alicia and Stephen are satisfied, and they sit down in the restaurant having snack for refreshment.
“How does it feel?” Stephen asks
“I feel satisfied a lot; I mean I stop doing a lot of thing a long time ago.”
Alicia had come to feel comfortable with Stephen around, hence she replies him in a satisfied tone; and from her expression, she really feel satisfied as she claims
“Who taught you to ski?”
Alicia frowns first, but she did replies. “My Father, every Christmas, she always come to Alaska, and one thing he always do together with me was took me out for skiing.”
“I guess he is dead right.”
Alicia nods her head, but her expression had change.
Stephen felt that there is something that Alicia is not saying; he also felt that Alicia herself does not know it yet.
“Alicia, you don’t look okay at all, what is it?”
Alicia drops her hamburger, she always wonder what happens to her, she always felt this empty hole in her, but what cause the emptiness is what she figure out, the emptiness is one of the reason she hate Christmas, the emptiness is one of the reason she had never celebrate her Christmas.
But all the while, no one had ever asked her what is going on in her mind, hence the reason she became withdrawn to herself, it is also one of the reason her self-esteem was also low.
“I don’t know why I loathed Christmas.” Alicia begins, her expression changes, her hands are spread in the air, she continues.
“I mean look around you, everybody is happy, why? Because Christmas is the beast season in a year, it is even my birthday, yet anytime I heard the word Christmas, it is like something is cutting my heart with a sharp blade………..”
“Alicia stop”
Stephen said with a commanding tone, he had notice that Alicia emotion is getting in the way, and if she continues, she might do something that she might regret in the future.
Alicia as well stops talking too, she also felt that her emotion is going up, it is one of those feelings she felt in the past, the kind of anger she always felt at the mention of Christmas or her marriage.
The last time she felt this anger was three days ago, when her mother call her to Alaska, and funny enough, she had not felt the anger for the past forty eight hour ago, even she felt that a burden was lifted a way from her heart.
She looks at Stephen in the eyes, and she realize something so crucial to her, the handsome sitting across her is the source of her new found feelings in her, he is the reason why she had been free past two days.
Alicia does not want to go back to been agitated, or the low self-esteem girl, she decides to seek for help from Stephen.
“Stephen, I need your help.”
Stephen nods his head, and he smiles, he said to himself.
“Now, we are getting somewhere.”
He focused back on Alicia, and he continues. “Alicia, you know you have my help any time, any freaking moment”
Alicia talks silently. “I do have my moment, and I don’t know what cause it, can you help me fix that?”
Stephen said nothing to Alicia, rather he stands up and he stretches his hands forward, he said.
“Come on, let me show you something.”
Alicia is stunned, she asks. “Where are we going?”
“My Home”
Alicia nods her head, she already trusts Stephen; hence she will go with him to wherever she led her to. And so the duo left Aleyska resort behind in Stephen truck.
Some minutes later, Stephen parks the truck at lawn of his house, but the house seems to look like it was abandoned for a very long time, she and Alicia alight the truck and he lead her into the house.
The house was empty, probably everybody in the house has left to celebrate Christmas outside the town, but then Alicia notice everywhere is covered in dust, thus Alicia asks.
“Where is everybody?”
“I live alone in the house.” Stephen replies while smiling.
Alicia was stunned. “What!”
“My parents were dead, Mom died about five years ago, and Dad about seven years ago.”
“I am sorry about your loss.” Alicia said in a sober, but a caring tone.
Stephen waves his in the air, he said. “Don’t worry about that.”
“But don’t you feel lonely?”
“I don’t usually stay here anyway, I come around only on Christmas, and most time, I stay with my father family.”
Stephen held Alicia hand, and he led her deep into the house. “I said I want to show you something.”
Alicia nods her head and she did follow Stephen in, she trusts him completely, hence she was not the bit scared of him in any way.
Alicia finds herself drag to one of the bedroom in the house, and even though everything was in dust, she can see a picture on the wardrobe. Stephen picks up the abandoned picture, he use his and to wipe the dust away, and he and over the picture to Alicia.
“That was my father with one of his business partner, he was a lawyer, and his death was unexpected, he was always there for I and Mom, and not even his busy and tight schedule could take him away from the family, his death broke me……………...”
Stephen turns around to watch Alicia, because he felt that she is too silent. But he is stunned when he turns around.
Because Alicia was holding the picture with much agility, it was like the picture was the most disgusting thing in her life, moreover her expression had change to that of anger, she was biting her lips, and stream of blood is visible on her teeth, even her fingernails dug into her palm.
Stephen becomes alarm, he approach her, but Alicia is not even aware that Stephen approaches her, rather her gaze still linger on the picture in her hand, and as her anger grows, her lips are shaking as a result of furiousness.
“Alicia, what is wrong with you?”
Stephen becomes worried, because no matter the times he talks to Alicia, he has no replies from her, and she has just turns to a statue all the sudden.
“Alicia, come to life please.”
Yet there is not a single answer yet. Stephen becomes frustrated, and he screams loudly.
“ALICIA.”
Alicia snaps to reality, and Stephen heaves out a sign of relief.
“What is happening to you?”
“Alicia suddenly broke to cries, she even smashes the picture on the floor, and the glass on the picture breaks to pieces, she points to the picture.
“It is him.”
Stephen becomes confuse. “Who are you talking about?”
“MY FATHER” Alicia screams loudly, her hands are in the air as she talks, and her cry also deepens too.
“You asked me why I loathe Christmas so much when we first met.”
Stephen nods his head, he remember that he did asked such question when he first met her on the plane to Alaska, he sense that she seems different to Christmas, but that time, she does not have an answer from her. Alicia continues.
‘It is because of him, he was always there when I celebrate my birthday, and he promised to always be there whenever I celebrated my birthday, he vow never to miss it, how dare him to die on my birthday, he stop coming for the past fourteen years. What kinds of father don’t keep their promise to their daughter? He is a horrible man, he is a liar………..”
Alicia begins to voice out of all of her frustration, she had always wondered the reason for her hatred for Christmas, but when she saw her father in the same picture with Stephen father, she came to a realization.
She stops celebrating her birthday ever since her father died, because if she could remember, he was always there for her, he would buy her gifts, he would take her to skiing, he would gave her lecture, he would teach her songs. Practically, her father is what made Christmas and her birthday a very memorable one for her.
But all of that stops suddenly on a given day; that was when she was just a fourteen years old girl.
She as a young teenager was too young to understand, the anger and sorrow remained etched in her brain up till now, such that till now, she had not understand yet, she was too close to her father, that she blame him for not been there.
Maybe as she grows up, she begins to forget about him; and the anger and sorrow she felt was buried deep in her heart, but the absence of her father cause her to drift away from Christmas completely, and she hate the season as the years rolls by.
But seeing her father picture right now, the memory buried deep in her heart arose, and she was angry at her father once again, because she remembers that tomorrow is another birthday, but her disappointing father will not be there.
Alicia does not stop ranting her head out. “He is a liar, he is a bad man, he misses her daughter birthday every years, I never ask much from him, just for him to be there when I sing my birthday songs, just for him to be there to sing Christmas songs for me…………”
Stephen does not even know what to say to stop Alicia from losing her mind right now, he is just looking at her as she rant her head out in anger, and right there, he watch Alicia turns around, and she runs out of the house.
Alicia did runs to the street, she does not even stop a cab, instead she runs all the way home, luckily for her, her home is just a few blocks away from Stephen family house. And even though she is angry right now, she still knew her way home.
She runs all the way home, into her house, and into her room. She runs past her mother who was preparing for tonight party.
When Lola sees Alicia run in, she is about to talk to her, but she can sees the traces of tears in her eyes, and the way she run in, Lola knew that something is wrong, she was a mother, and caring for her daughter comes first, hence she left what she was doing previously, she follow after Alicia into her room.
Alicia is about to bang her door close, but something held it from outside, she left the door, and she run to her bed, she covers herself with the bed sheet, she continues to sob silently under the cover.
Lola opens the door, she approaches her daughter, and she removes the cover on her head.
“Alicia, are you okay?”
Alicia does not reply her mother, she only continues to cry.
Lola becomes more confuse on what is happening, she sits down beside Alicia, she continues.
“Alicia, you can talk to me, I am your mother.”
What happen next stunned Lola, she left he with her mouth open wide in shock, beause Alicia suddenly threw herself on her, Alicia embraces her, and she buried her face on her shoulder.
This is so shocking, because she can’t even remember the last time that Alicia embrace her, Alicia had never embraced her, she is always around her father all the time, and even after her father death, it is always a misunderstand at every passing minutes or seconds. But here she is right now, Alicia really embrace her.
Lola did react, she held Alicia back, and she continues to pat her daughter back.
“Alicia speak to me, I am your mother.” Lola repeats herself, this time more caring than before.
“Mom, you will not leave me too right.” Alicia said while still sobbing.
Lola frowns. “No, I am going nowhere; you are my daughter, why will I leave you?”
“Dad is a bad man right, he is a liar.”
“No, your father is the best man I ever knew; he is a good father, and a good husband.”
“No, he is a liar, he promise to always be there on my birthday, but he lied and he stop coming all the sudden.”
Lola held her head in frustration and sorrow, for a minute, anger was building in her heart, but she knew she can’t be angry right now, she tries and compelled the anger in her.
She said in a calm tone. “Alicia, your father does not wish to stop coming for your birthday, he stop because he died.”
“Then he shouldn’t have promise me, he promise to be there, then he should have defy death, he should negotiate with death.”
Alicia has not stopped crying, rather she said every word tearfully, and it was the tears of someone hit with much pain.
Lola heaves out in frustration, she was confuse on what to say to convince Alicia, she held Alicia face, she looks into her eyes.
“Alicia, I promise never to leave you, and I will always be at your birthday.”
Alicia expression lightens up a bit. ‘You promise.”
“I promise.” Lola said while smiling.
Alicia nods her head vigorously. Lola asks Alicia to sleep, and like a baby, Alicia comply with her mother, and before the next minute, she is sleeping soundly, she even held her mother hand to herself, it was like she is scared that her mother will be gone when she wakes up.
Lola as well is calm and patience until Alicia is in dreamland, she manages to free herself from Alicia, she covers Alicia with the bed sheet, she takes one final gaze on Alicia, and then she walks away from the room.
Back downstairs, Lola returns to the dinning, she takes a drink, because she felt dehydrated for no reason.
“How is she?”
Lola turns around; she knew that it was Faith who just spoke right now.
“I don’t understand her pain, but she is angry at her father for dying, she is in pain because she felt betrayed because her father stopped coming for her birthday.”
Faith nods her head. “I knew already that it will come to this one day.”
Lola spreads her arms in the air. “I don’t understand myself again, I was so into my losing my husband that I fail even to realize that my own daughter is hurting, I fail to see that my daughter misses her father, I am not even there for her. What kind of mother I am?”
“Lola. Don’t blame yourself, everybody misses Thomas so much, even as her mother I still miss him too, we just fail to realize how much Alicia misses her father, a fourteen years old kid will not have a good understanding as we do.”
“What do we do now? The pain and sorrow had etched into her brain, and heart and mind and soul, even to her bone, and it’s been there for more than fifteen years, that the pain is now part of her.”
Lola said in a frustrated tone.
“Maybe, if he found a man who can love her as her father, she might come to terms with her father death in the end, and she will become an independent young woman in the end.”
Lola points forward and she said. “She does not even have a boyfriend yet.”
Faith also nods her head too. “Yes. Guess you have to carry out the party tonight, she will surely found someone she likes.”
Lola heaves out again, she stands up and head towards the kitchen. “Guess so then.”
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A total of 9 chapters

Chapter 5

订单