Chapter 6

“I am sure it is not what you are thinking about.” Derick said.

“You know there is no way in this world that you will go to the dance with Celia as a date.” John said.

Derick was surprised that John got what he was thinking about, “I know it is not possible, but wouldn’t it be something if I actually go to the dance with her.”

“Yeah, it will be something, it could even be enough for me to come to the dance. But for your own sake, don’t think too much about something like that.” John reasoned with him.

“Yeah you are right” Derick agreed with him.

“That is good.”

The bell rang for the next period and the both of them went immediately for the next class.

School was over and everyone rushed home to start preparing for the dance on Friday. Derick and john did not plan to go so there was no preparation for them.

The both of them got on their bikes and started to ride home, first as usual, it was John who got home first, they said their goodbye and Derick went on to his home.

He arrived home and he was tired as usual, so he just wanted to see his mother and go straight to his bed. He walked to the door and opened it and right there was his mom standing in front of him smiling.

“Mom, what are you doing? He was confused.

“I have a surprise or you,” she replied going into the living room. “Well I got a text from your school, it was about a school dance that is happening on Friday.

Derick was so surprised she found out about it, he became even more confused and he did not know what to say.

His mother grabbed something from the couch and showed it to him, “I went out today and I got this for you.” She could not stop smiling.

What he was seeing was a suit, she was holding a suit and from what she said, a suit that she bought by herself.

“I…don’t understand.” Derick managed to say something.

One thing that went through his head at that moment was the fact that she left the house. Since his father’s death, his mother has not left the house, she only left the house for the burial but since then she did not go out again.

Derick noticed that his mother’s hair was normal, and she was wearing normal cloths which meant that she actually left the house, he was only noticing now because at first he was just surprised to see his mother at the door as he came in.

“You will be going to the dance so I thought of getting this for you,” his mother said. Derick could not believe how happy his mother was, he has not seen her like this for a long while. “You will be taking your girlfriend to the dance so I just had to get this on time.” She continued.

Now Derick started to understand what was going on, because of he told her that he had a girlfriend, it was only reasonable to take her to the dance. But the more he understood what was going on the more he felt devastated.

He had no girlfriend and he did not plan on going to the dance, he did not know what to do, he did not know the excuse he would tell his mother. He knew that any excuse even a reasonable one would break his mother and that was the last thing he wanted.

“You did not have to do all this mom.” He said.

“This is normally, you are going on your first dance, and you will be going with someone you care so much for. It is going to be so great. You know, me and your father went to our school dance together.” His mother said.

The more his mother said the more he could not handle it. He did not know what to do. He thought of just coming out with it and telling his mother everything but he could not do that because of what it will do to her.

“So tell me, do you like the suit?” She asked.

He hesitated, “I do mom, a lot.”

She dropped the suit gently back on the couch. Then she grabbed Derick hands and started dancing with him slowly.

“I am sure you will have a great time in the dance, it will be a day you will never forget it.” She said softy.

Derick began to go with the flow of his mother and started to dance with her. All his worries, everything he was thinking about stopped. He was happy his mother was happy, he was calm in her arms. He wanted to make sure he enjoyed the moment, because it was not every day that he is in his mother arms.

After a while of dancing, little tears started to come out of his eyes, because of the guilt he felt and also the fact that his mother was happy. His mother gave a little cough, and Derick got himself back.

“Alright mom, you will need to get some rest now.” Derick said.

“But I don’t want to stop yet.” She coughed.

“Yeah me too, but you have to rest.”

“Okay.” She agreed, “Take the suit to your room.” She added.

“I will mom.”

Derick held her and led her to her room, he put her down on her bed and put a blanket on her then immediately she fell asleep. He went out of her room and went back to the living room to pick up the suit.

He went to the living room, looking at the suit he swiped a little tears from his eyes and picked it up then went to his room.

He did not want to think about the bad side of things, he just focus on how he mother was feeling which was all that matter. He thought of thinking about everything tomorrow and finding a solution to it. He did not want feel anything else but happy for his mother.

That same night, Celia got home late as usual. She was in front her house, it was a big mansion with a big compound and multiple cars. She walked into the house through the front door.

The first person she saw was her father’s driver, she wanted to walk pass him but then he said to her, “Welcome miss Celia.” The driver said.

She did not look at him but she asked, “Is my father around?”

“Yes he is, he is in his lab right now but he is very busy so I don’t think he can see anyone.” The driver replied.

She did not say anything else to the driver, she just kept on walking. She was walking through the hallways, which was big. She got to her room and was about it enter, but then she looked at the hallway leading to her father’s lab.

She thought for something, then she left her room and started to head to her father’s lab. She knew what the driver said about her father being busy but she just wanted to take the chance.

She got to the lab, and the lab door was open so she just entered little but stayed close to the door. She could see her father working on something and he was really into it.

She hesitated, “Hey dad, I am back from school.”

He did not look at her, “Oh, welcome Celia. How are you? How was school today?”

“Well school was…,”

“Yes! He screamed out of excitement. “I am really busy now Celia, I am almost finished with my life’s work, why don’t you get some rest, when I am done with this I will come to you.”

“Alright dad.” A little tears came out of her eyes as she left the lab.

She went strength to her room, open her door, fell on her bed and started to cry.

Celia mother died when she was younger and it has only been just her and her father ever since. But after her mother’s death, her father went deep into his work, he got engrossed in it as a method to heal himself. And because of his work he started to neglect Celia and that kept on breaking her.

And this night, she cried herself to sleep which was a usual thing.

It was morning and a day before the school dance which made the day Thursday.

Derick just woke up and for some reason he felt good, he felt positive. After the moment he had with his mother, he could not shake the feeling, he was happy that his mother is not getting better mentally and he wanted to keep it that way.

He got off his bed and went to the shower, he took his time in the shower, and when he finished with that he brushed his teeth. He got out of the shower and went on to the wear his clothes. He grabbed his clean clothes but he saw the suit his mother got for him where he hanged it.