“Now you know why I hate your dad,” Jason said, staring at Kiera in his same rigid manner.
On the other hand, Kiera is sitting immobile on the chair, with her eyes centered at Jason. All kinds of thoughts are mumbling through her mind, reminding her of the incident of the past.
“This house where I brought you today is the house where I was born, is where I used to live with mom and dad, is the house where I snuggled in my father’s arms for the last time before his death on my birthday.” Jason continued with his voice filled with sentiments, his mind reliving all the happy times he spends here, with his family.
Jason turned his face towards Kiera, who is still stationary at her place, gaping at him.
“Just in one night, I lost the most important person of life, all because of your father and his carelessness,” Jason said more to himself than to her. “Why does it matter to you anyway, Kiera you’re someone who has never seen a day of suffering in their life? ___ How do you know the feeling of losing someone so dear in your life,” Jason repeated.
“I’m sorry,” Kiera mumbled, breaking her silence after so much.
The two words that came from Kiera’s mouth caught Jason’s attention. “What do you mean?”
Jason’s eyes stare fiercely at Kiera, the memories of that night, which he tried so hard to forget, is still as fresh as it was in his childhood.
“Jason, I’m sorry…,”
“Sorry, is that what you have for your father’s wrong deeds,” Jason ranted, clutching Kiera’s shoulder in his grip, staring at her furiously.
“Jason…, I….” Kiera blubbered
“Stop…, I don’t want your sympathy,” Jason said, not liking Kiera crying for him.
“It’s not sympathy, Jason, and I don’t know what happened that day or how it happened,” Kiera said with a sigh. “But, I’m sorry, if my father is the reason behind your suffering, the death of your father.”
Jason looked at Kiera with appreciation or surprise. He doesn’t know. But the girl he hated so profoundly is thinking about him. It’s a surprise to him. “But why are you apologizing to me?”
“I don’t know,” said Kiera. “But, if my father is the cause of all your suffering then as his daughter… I have to apologize to him.”
Jason’s eyes scanned Kiera as he loosened his grip on her shoulder. He never imagined that the girl he was thinking of pushing for her father’s crimes, will care about him. “Kiera, you don’t have to…, you know what just go, leave me, I’ll send you the divorce papers to sign, then you’ll be free to live life, the way you want to,”
“Jason…”
“Just Go….,” Jason yelled, looking at Kiera, who was standing still at her place. “Leave me please, why can’t you understand, Kiera. I want you to leave.”
Kiera looked at Jason, his face no longer holding the neutral appearance he used to carry. But in Jason’s eyes, Kiera can see pain, suffering.
No one can see, Jason somehow has never grown himself from outside. He might be a powerful man, a successful businessman, but inside he is still the seven-year-old child who stops growing. The trauma of that night left a permanent mark on his mind and soul deeply. Inside, Jason is still the seven-year-old, mourning over the death of his father.
And somehow, Kiera can see the pain because, in her past, she was a victim of the same yore that Jason was. But the only difference they both have is that Kiera has her dad by her side, supporting her to forget the trauma and move on with life. But Jason has no one to help him, support him, make him forget that pain hurts him every second of his life.
“Please, leave me alo.. ne…,” Jason cried, punching his fist into the wall, drilling a hole into it. The punch tore the skin on his knuckle, making Jason’s hand throb painfully. But for Jason, the pain, nothing compared to the pain he’s suffering in his heart.
Kiera stood immobile in her place, watching Jason with her mouth slightly open, with her eyebrows raised and pulled together. Her face looks like a mixture of being surprised and frightened together.
Perhaps Kiera can see it or not, but the pain and trauma of her childhood, lying under her heart, struggling ‘neath, striving deep within his heart, wanting to come out like an inferno that can not only destroy him but can also destroy anyone close to him.
For anyone who sees Jason like this, he can never imagine he’s a powerful businessman with billions of assets on his head. But right now, Jason looks like a child all alone, vulnerable, crying over the death of his parents. Finally, the sentiments, the pain, the struggle that was lying beneath his heart like anger hate, his coming out from his eyes like tears. The emotions that were ‘neath his heart fighting to come out are finally coming, even if it’s after two decades.
It’s not a lie when someone says, ‘Sharing your grief with someone can help reduce it.’ But only if the person is someone you really trust.
********
Kiera couldn’t imagine, nor has she ever seen Jason like this vulnerable. The once-powerful man is now weak, crying, fighting from his past.
Watching Jason like this, Kiera couldn’t stop herself but sat down near Jason, holding her hands out, touching his shoulders, trying to provide some support to him.
Feeling the touching of Kiera’s hand, Jason glanced up, studying her. Kiera is the same girl whom he hated so much for his father’s wrong deeds. The same girl whose life he tried to ruin. The same girl who is sitting beside him, trying to console him.
Jason couldn’t stop himself and wrapped his arms around Kiera. He somehow knows Kiera is the only one who can help him console his sentiments. In his mind, he remembers how the touch of her arms and her singing helped Aria forget all pain.
“Jason,” said Kiera, reacting upon Jason’s sudden reaction of hugging her.
“Please, don’t leave me…,” he cried, as the child inside his mind spoke. “Please…,”
Kiera couldn’t find any words to speak and nodded her head, hugging Jason tightly.
Jason leaned on Kiera’s shoulder, crying his heart out, while Kiera, caressing his head and back, trying to provide Jason comfort in any way possible.
Jason leaned on Kiera’s shoulder, crying his heart out, as Kiera, caressing his head and back, trying to provide Jason comfort in any way possible.
Seconds, minutes pass, but Jason couldn’t find he couldn’t find the strength to separate himself from Kiera’s arms. Never in his life, the comfort, the happiness like he finds with Kiera just in a few days Kiera, changed every aspect of Jason’s life. To Jason, Kiera is his guardian angel, with whom he finds comfort in life, with whom he is not afraid to share his vulnerable experience in life.
And just as Jason, who couldn’t find the strength to separate himself from Kiera, same Kiera couldn’t help but try her best to console him even if she has to hug him all day and night.
Both of them stayed like this, inseparable until Jason calmed his emotions. He doesn’t know how to define it, but sharing his pain with Kiera made him feel like a heavy burden has been lifted from his shoulder. The grudge that he was holding near his heart for decades has finally been making him feel alive.
Kiera stared at Jason, whose eyes directed on her. “You okay,” she found her voice and asked Jason, wiping the tears from his eyes.
Jason nodded his head at words, holding my hand in his hand. “Thank you for being with me even though I did so bad with you and your father,”
“We are humans. We all make mistakes.”
“I’m sorry, and we know that I correct everything and make everything like it was before,” Jason said, caressing my cheek. “You are too good, and too bad.”
“I’m not as good as you think of me, Jason.”
“You’re, and I’m wrong for punishing you for the sins that you didn’t even know about, and for starters, I’ll divorce you, free you from this unwanted relationship.”
Kiera smiled and nodded her head at his words. “Friends…,” said Kiera.
Jason, confused by her words, looked at her with bewilderment.
“What?” said Kiera. “Not my husband, but you can’t even be my friend.”
Jason laughed at her words, for first he laughed from his heart. “Friends,”
“And for your information, I befriended you because of Aria,”
Jason laughed, he knows how much she likes Aria, and Aria likes her.
“O’ I thought you started liking me,” Jason said, acting sad.
“How, pity?” Kiera responded, pinching Jason’s cheeks.
Both Kiera and Jason laughed at each behavior.
It’s a surprise how in minutes, both of them turned the most depressing environment in Jason’s old house into cheerful ones.
Holding, grudge against someone, revenge against others sometimes hurts you more than the ones you really want to harm.
Jason learned his lesson with Kiera’s help, The girl he hates. And this is just the beginning of a new story, the start of lifelong friendship, a bond that is bound by love.