Abony's POV.

The sunset fell while a wonderful virtual space turned golden. A silent wooden house with a red tile roof stood next to the stream; ordinarily, my surroundings made me flutter. Carrying a heavy backpack, I got home from school.

After five years had passed since my mother left, I missed her while I could not remember her clear face. Usually, my father went to work until late at night and had no time to take care of me.

Ensuring my father would not be home at this hour, I had thrown my backpack on a wooden chair before climbing up the trap in the ceiling. Taking the drawing kit which spending all my pocket money on, plus the thing my mom gave me, I hid them in this jam to confirm my father could not find out.

Without hesitation, sitting under the canopy of a big tree when the stream murmur in front of me made my heart skip a beat. I looked at the hill with a shining smirk and began to draw, bright colors gliding across white paper. In conclusion, sweat started to fall after I had finished my mother with a smiling picture.

“Abony, what are you doing?” The hoarse voice cried out in anger.

“Dad... W-why are you going home so early?” I trembled when my heart was going to explode into pieces. Stood in the distance, my father looked at me with dark circles under his eyes and approached me as fast as a spark. After he gathered all my drawing tools into a pile, the small fire from the Zippo lighter burned all. Consequently, the fire grew, ashes of all my love, life, and breath.

“Stop, please, dad. I'm begging you... Don't... please...”

Despairing engulfed my soul with the fire in my teary eyes. I lost control and jumped into the fire to save my heart; Yet, my father clasped my hand with my melancholy, and the sunlight burned my skin while his calloused hands squeezed my dreams.

“You are a bad guy! Mom left all because of your evil.” I shouted aloud.

Accordingly, I bit into the tanned arm hugging me, my father cried out in pain and loosened his guard taking me the opportunity. I ran into the house, went to the bathroom, and locked the door. The house was as small as a nose and did not even have a private room, consequently, the only option hidden place was the toilet. Knocked on the door from outside, and my father said loud:

“Open the door! Abony.”

“Leave me alone!”

Sitting crouched in the damp room where a cockroach cold crawled pasts, I did not panic as lifeless eyes. I hated myself for not being independent; As long as financial dependence, that day would not be able to be free. Freedom! Something I desired craving all this time. Since my mother left, I could no longer hold a paintbrush.

The phone rang before my father picked it up.

“Why hasn't this hour come yet? Everyone is waiting for you.” The voice came from the phone.

“I'll be right up,” father replied.

Curious, I put my ear to the door that listened to any sound outside until making sure my father exited. Unlocked the door, I crept out and sat on a wooden chair when the parrot danced in the iron cage much as tilted her head to look at me as if to comfort my pain.

"Thanks, Chi-Chi." Fed her, I smiled.

*** Mr. Linus’s POV.

Abony, she was my life, who was so stubborn, I guessed normal it was a teenager behavior. Going back to the construction site, everyone was waiting for me so I could not interrupt work. Arranged each brick and put cement as I got this job since she left. A colleague praised me for my profession then I could only laugh. Immediately, I turned away because my eyes kept stinging without understanding why.

“You are a bad guy! Mom left because of your evil.”

Identical to my ex-wife that her eyes were too sharp.

Notwithstanding, reminding myself that do not care.

But why did I feel like a thousand knives piercing my heart?

“Aaah!!!”

“Brother Linus!!!”

My head was dizzy while someone bellowed some shrill sound.

I was falling.

Did my life end like this?

My joint as if broken, slipping and falling from high, people on the construction team surrounded me. The ambulance horn sound and the loud siren made me disgusted.

My eyes began to blur then I lost consciousness on the land.

***

Abony’s POV.

Curled up on my wooden bench when the wind blew on my hair. Hearing the door pull, I jerked awake.

“Abony, your father fell on the construction site,” someone said.

Time seemed to stop while my eyes dilated. Obviously, I understood why Mrs. Denise knows about it; She traded vegetables in a wet market where all news would come to her ears. But the more important point, my father went down, subsequently, I began to worry about that grumpy old man.

Blood-relationship was such a goddamn thing!

“What are you doing there? Come on, taking the money and going to the hospital.” Mrs. Denise continued to shout.

Grabbing a chair, I darted to the ceiling like a squirrel, reached into the jam, and pulled out a savings envelope of us. In the hospital, I met my father thanks to the assistant, my heart stang when I saw the wound on his forehead.

“Dad, are you alright? ” Relaxing my eyebrows.

“Not bad. Thanks to your insolent.” My father stroked my silky hair and patted my shoulder.

“I'm sorry...” Tears fell down my cheeks and my little fingers clutched his strong but thin arm.

“Promise me. Abony. That you will never draw again," my father whispered.

“Alright...” My eyelashes flutter.

The space dropped into quiet and swallowed away my craving for a dream. This time neither did I want to upset my father nor argue with him. But one thing I am sure, this promise was not the end of my journey to follow my passion.