Chapter~002

~Even the most beautiful of souls sometimes lose themselves in the chaos of pain~

I was drifting in and out of consciousness,the light streaming though the crisp white lace curtain in my bedroom visible through my closed lids. I could hear the faint sound of leaves falling upon the earth from the trees right outside my wimdow .The wind sweeping my curtains inwards allowing the light to imvade the tiny room.

My feet padded onto the soft carpet flooring my room, my toes sinking into the soft cotton fur as I reluctantly left the cocoon of my bed. I blindly found my path to the bathroom holding on to the walls to guide me. Stripping every piece of clothing on my body til left bare . I engrossed my mind to the feeling of tepid water streaming down my body into the tiny silver drainage outlet on the tile floor of the curved shower glass panels .

***

Feeling refreshed and rejuvenated I trotted down the hallway ,a knitted sweater covering my upper half while dark cotton leggings embodied my lower half.

I glanced into Tris's room to find her bed meticulously made ,her windows wide open including the sliding door leading the balcony .I frowned in confusion when looking upon the grey suitcase laying by the door with her grey pleather tote bag on top.

The hospital had called yesterday to confirm that her father had passed away and Tris and her aunt had agreed to have the funeral this weekend in their home town.

I glanced at the suitcase before I quickly vacated her room ,shuffling down the stars towards the kitchen where I could hear the sizzling sound of a boiling kettle.

I entered the kitchen ,rubbing my eyes gingerly as I smelt the overwhelming scent of strong brewed coffee.

Beatrice had recently lost her mom ,due to illness .Her mother had always been adventurous maybe a little bit too much at times .She was always in a different country hiking or mountain climbing .She had always treated me as her child and her passing felt like I was losing my mum all over again.

Beatrice deserved so much more than to be constantly broken .She did not deserve to watch all her loved ones live and die before her eyes .I had never had a sibling but to me she was my sister. The only reason I'm still sane. She was my pillar of strength and the person I would die for without question.

I remember the moments when she would wake me up from a bad dream. The times when she would pull me into an embrace ,her finger tips trailing the expanse of my back .She never questioned or forcefully tried to get me to open up to her instead she would hold me close to remind me that I'm not alone.

I trotted towards her slouched form squashed between the corner of the beige cabinets .I felt like I was approaching a different person .The aura surrounding her eerie and cold. I froze ,coming to a standstill next to the sink .I could almost taste the sorrow in her heart .

I was conflicted between comforting her and giving her space. She has always been there for me and I was hesitant and mostly confused on wht to do.

"Tris?"

"Tris?"

Silence .

I did not understand her silence towards me .I would do anything for her .She saved my life and restored my soul in the process .

"Tris is everything okay? What's wrong? Is the anything I can do?" I rumbled spewing question after question my nervousness clear in my trembling voice.

"He's gone"

I could not find it in me to say anything. I stood still in the middle of the kitchen unable move. I had no idea what to say. I did not know how to comfort her because I did not want to tell her that all would be fine because I didn’t know that. I could assure her that things would get better because the is a chance it won’t.

I slowly moved closer the slight shuffling of my socked feet drowned by the steaming of the kettle. When I got close enough I wrapped my arms around her tight and lowered myself to the tiled floor pulling her down with me.

I could feel the shivers running through her body. The silent sobs leaving her lips and the rapid pattern of her breathing frequently felt with puffs of warm air on my shoulder.

I could feel the rapid almost uncontrollable beating of her heart against. It was similar to a anxiety attack. I caressed her back soothingly moving my hand in circular motions.

I did not realise that I had began to cry myself until the cold tears fell onto my lips.

“He promised” Tris muttered lowly in between a sob and an intake of air. “He promised he would not leave me...” Choked sobs filled the once silent room. She had lost her father and I had lost mine for the second time because that’s what he became to me.

I remember the times when he would take both me and Tris to lunch and talk the waitress’s ear off about his daughters and how beautiful they were.

He ,despite our different ethnicity , had always referred to me as his daughter. Even when he was in hospital and I went to visit he would always shout at the nurses for asking him if he knew me and wether I was really his daughter.

“Remember when he reported that nurse for asking for my ID when I asked to see him” I mumbled ,the tears still falling from my eyes.

“He was so pissed” Tris replied removing her face from it’s hiding place on my shoulder a faint smile on her face. “He called her a racist snow cone... whatever that is”

I smiled a little. We both needed to cry in order to recognise and accept that he no longer was. The was nothing else we could do except hold on to each other tight because we both knew that that is what he would have wanted us to do. We stared into each other’s eyes as we let the memories we had of him warm our hearts

“ Absolutely legendary”

Amberia