I wrote the first part of this short story a month ago, never find myself to finished it. It’s more like I cannot see how this is going to finish to make sense. But I guess I already finished in my head. It’s only been a month, but I found myself in a completely different position with different train of thoughts. If I were to write this short story all over again, I couldn’t write the words I once did. Nevertheless, I guess I should finished this story for a story not finished is not a good story.
“Ba không phải là một người cha thực sự. I was such a fool, you know. I saw you suffering all these years and I turned a blind eye upon you. I wanted a bachelor life, away from the loveless marriage, I wanted freedom so I left you behind in the pursuit of my own happines” said Father
“You have raised me, taught me between good and bad, show me how to live, provided me with the best life possible” said Mai. After all her anger at Father, how odd it was to sit here, beneath the high, vaulted ceiling, and defend Father from himself.
They both starred at each other, looking as if there’s more to say but yet there’s no words spoken between them.
“I was meaning to ask, where are we?” Father broke the silence.
“I’m wondering myself as well, this place look strikingly familiar. Wait a minute, I know where it is. This is Suvarnahbhumi airport, we are at gate D6 the one I’m usually take to fly back to visit Camel” Mai mumbling to herself
“Interesting choice indeed” chuckled the Father.
“I’ve got to go back, haven’t I? “
“That’s up to you”
“I’ve got a choice?”
“Oh yes, ” Father smiled at her, “We are in an airport you say? I think that if you decided not to go back, you would be able to..let’s say… board a different plane”
“And where it would take me?”
“On” said Father simply
Silence again
“I think” said Father, “that if you choose to return, there’s a chance that you can overcome you fear for good. There’s a chance that you could embrace Camel that you should. I cannot promise it. But I know this, con, that you have less to fear from returning that you were before.”
Do not pity the dead, Mai. Pity the living, and above all, those who live without love, like your mother. Sad to say that her souls filled with money and power she could not see anything else than that. I’m sorry that I’m not there anymore to help you. However, by returning, you might be able to help other souls, fewer families to torn apart. If that seems to you a worthy goal, then we say good-bye for the present.
Mai nodded and signed. Leaving this place would not be nearly as hard as facing her mother every morning, but it was warm and light and peaceful here, and she knew that she was heading back to pain anf the fear of more loss. She stood up, and Father did the same, and they looked for a long moment into each other’s eyes.
“Tell me one last thing” said Mai, “Is this real? Or has this been happening inside my head?”
Father beamed at her, and his voice sounded loud and strong in Mai’s ears even though the bright mist was descending again, obscuring his figure.
“Of course it is happening inside your head, Mai, but why on earth should that mean it is not real?”