hey... can anone comment this...
This is a stroy i will submit for a short story contest and i am no good in checking my grammars...
sorry for the long story...
I saw a sea of people filling the hall before me with a camera or phones by their side. They were of different ages from the small curious playful toddler in front to the old calm bearded man seated at the right corner of the hall.
I stood before them with a body firm and ready. My forehead began to sweat and I bit softly to avoid embarrassment. I move forward to the sea of people preparing myself as the announcer, a chubby woman in a green dress announced to the crowd:
“May I present to you all, for our final-”
But I ignored her and gaze my eyes to the people in turn stared me back. I stared from person to person from row to column and hence despite of my short effort, he was not here. I should have known it from the start. Why should I have wasted countless night trying to insist him? By the time the announcement was finished I gave a sigh before starting my performance.
________________________________________
It was a cold bright late afternoon and the sky was coloured in scarlet. The wind was strong blowing the yellow leaves into the pathway and the water rustled into the beaten rocks of Oriental Bay.
I held my case tightly as I walked my tired body to the nearest bus station. It was a long day and the only thing that I wished for was to huddle my pillow in the comfortable darkness of my own room.
“Good afternoon, Iclisa,” I turned around and saw Cordelia rushing towards me wearing a thick fat jacket that made her look like a snowman. “How was the practice?”
“It was good. Ms. Norton told me that I will be the last to be presented.”
“That’s amazing, Iclisa. I always say ‘the best for last’”
“Oh that’s easy for you to think, Cordelia, I now have to practice double the times I had practice before! You think that’s amazing?” I blurted out.
“Hey, calm down, Iclisa. Don’t need to be angry.”
‘Sorry,” I sighed as I lowered my head, ‘I’m just so tired.”
‘It’s okay. Say do you want to go to a party tomorrow? It’s my boyfriend’s birthday and I was hoping you could come. It will be fun, I promise.” She insisted me but despite of that and the point that she was one of my closest friends, I rejected.
I felt sorry but I had never been to a party and why would I go to one now? I do not know what is suppose to happen there and second is that I simply cannot be bothered to one. I apologize for my decline and she gave a disappointing sigh asking her own self to when can I come to a party for all I know, she has been bugging me about this for years.
________________________________________
“Good evening,” I greeted him as he came inside the door with a tired look on his face as I watched the television.
‘Good evening,” he said jadedly as he looked around the house and ended his sights to the dining table, “You made dinner.”
“I thought you were hungry? Are you hungry?”
He nodded casually, “I am, thanks. How was your day?”
“It’s good.” I turned off the television to face him, “I met a friend today. She invited me to a party but I rejected.”
‘Why?”
“I simply cannot be bothered. I’d never been to one so why bother now?” I answered back. He looked at me with worried eyes before he headed off to the dining table placing his suitcase and his jacket unto the floor.
There was an uncomfortable silence between us for a moment. He ate his dinner while I stared at him trying to get a comment.
“I’ll be having a presentation by next week.” I finally said.
“Sorry, I can’t be coming. I got a meeting with Ms. Mil about a power point to the council on the same day.” He responded quickly.
‘But that is at day time, my presentation will be at night time.”
“Sorry again, Iclisa, my boss told me that I needed to escort them to a dinner after the power point. I had told you that our company will be partners with a Chinese company and in all due respects, I needed to be there to welcome them.”
“But you told me that you’ll be there, remember…” I stood up trying to insist him while he ate undisturbed, “You promise me that after you arrive very late from my last presentation.”
“That was different, Iclisa. I needed to work overnight to pay off some debt my company owned.”
“But…”
‘Iclisa, look,” he glared at me with his fork pointing to my face, “I am sorry if I cannot come to your presentation. I really wanted to but I am busy. I had given you a number of opportunities including your violin. I cannot always be there, Iclisa. So grow up, you are no longer a kid.” Those last words mocked me as I bit my lip in torment.
“Can you at least listen to what I had accomplished?” I asked him as I prevented the tears that are raging behind my eyes. He stared at me for a moment with his mouth full as he raised his right arm in response. I nodded back and took out my violin and give it a go. My eyes were close in concentration as the music filled the room. It was like gold and silver mixed together.
I opened my eyes for a short moment watching his response but all I get was a man staring down at his plate with his mouth full with lies.
________________________________________
‘So how was practice?” Cordelia asked me charm as we walked through the bay.
“It’s good,” I simply said staring blankly at the orange sky.
‘You’re really not spoiling me, are you Iclisa? Each day I asked this of you and everyday I got the same response, ‘it’s good’.” She chuckled as she rummages through her pocket and took out a pair of tickets she showed to me. “Here, I bought two tickets for me and Fred. There is no way that I will miss my best friend’s performance especially is she is keeping the whole performance a secret.”
“Thanks,” I muttered not knowing what to say.
‘What’s wrong, Iclisa? You don’t act like this- well you do- but not like this. Cheer up; you got a performance on Friday. I don’t want my little Iclisa seeing so sad and lonely…” she gave sarcasm and chuckle to her own self.
“Shut up, Cordelia. It’s not about the performance. It’s just my about your dad.”
“Your dad,”
“He does not want to come again. I can’t understand. It’s been the 5th time that he missed my performance…,”
‘Don’t fret yourself, Iclisa. You’re dad must have a reason. They all do-well except for me- but most of them have. Besides he must have a good reason not to come.”
‘Yeah, he’s going to dinner with some Chinese guys on some fancy restaurant. Oh that’s reasonable.” I said sarcastically.
‘Hey, at least, he’s doing it for business and-”
“I know that he is doing it for business! That is all what he says to me! Business, business, business, I am sick and tired of listening to business. You may be right that it’s for work but at least he could give a try to understand me. I may be his adopted daughter but that does not mean that he has to treat me like a grown woman.”
“Iclisa…”
“You know what he said to me one night, Cordelia? He told me to grow up and stop acting like a child! I just don’t understand him. I should have not agreed to be his adopted daughter in the first place if this is the outcome!”
‘Iclisa, don’t say that. He loves you. He just does not know how to say it…”
“Then let him then….from what I know, he never cares about me. NEVER!” I shouted as I sat down on a bench behind Frank Kitts Park. I never know how long I have stayed there or whether that I am willing to go home to face him. I just do not understand. I do not want my life to be shattered again. I do not want to feel that saddened expression again. Yet here I am with this state, wretched and lonesome. I just want to pass it. Imagine it to disappear and thinking that it was one silly old dream.
________________________________________
“Good Evening,” I greeted him as he came home late evening. He looked at me with surprise as I sat by the sofa huddled. He stared by the clock to see the time. 12:45,
‘Iclisa, what are you doing here? You should sleep. You got school tomorrow especially with you’re-’
‘You’ll come won’t you?” I asked him instantly biting my lip softly and lowering my head.
“Iclisa, I…You…” he stood there dazed leaving the door open.
“You’ll come won’t you?!” I repeated the same question. This time I spoke louder and my tears wallow out to my cheeks.
‘Iclisa, I told you already before. I cannot come. I’d got-”
‘I’m sick of tired of reasons, dad! It’s always reasons I’m hearing. You had never come to any of my performance! Why, dad? Is work much important than your own daughter? Or was I just adopted for the sake that I’ll clean the house for-“
‘Look here, Iclisa!” he blurted out mockingly “Stop all of this nonsense. I did not adopt you for the sake of having a servant.”
“Then what is the point of adopting me when you cannot even treat me like a normal girl! I’m just sick of not seeing you on my performances, dad! I’m just sick!!!” I poured out my hearts and let out my eyes filled with tears. My breathing was in gasps and my body became weak.
‘Iclisa…” he said softly across the room before he took slow steps towards me.
“You’ll come won’t you?” I repeated and he stopped looking at the ground like some poor dog that had lost his home. I stared briefly at him for a moment before he responded me with a slow sluggish shook of his head. I clench my teeth not believing that even after what I said; he still remained to his reason. I did not wait for him to come to me. With both anger and sorrow, I rushed out of the house and went outside to the lingering cold.
