Falling
Chapter 10
Basically my whole childhood has been a lie. All those years i spent, was with the wrong people. My life is falling apart.
Anne had left a long time ago. I was laying in my bed, staring at the ceiling. Gerard had called multiple times, but i didn't pick up. I wanted to be alone.
"Honey, Gerard is calling again. Can you at least talk to him? Tell him to stop calling." Dad knocked on my door. I didn't answer.
"Dad. Can i talk to you? I need some answers." I said finally. He opened my door and sneaked in.
"What do you want to know?" He put his hand on my lap.
"Why.." i bit my lip, "why would you lie to me like that? Why didn't you tell me?" I blinked away a tear.
"Well.. we planned on telling you. But the right moment never came." I looked at my hands.
"Where does she live? What's her name? Does she even know i exist?" I wanted to know everything.
"Her name is Sophie. And yes, she knows that you exist. She gave you to us. She was young and didn't plan on being a mother alone. You see, i left her for your mother.." I glanced at him.
"Step mother, sorry. And she... well i didn't know she was pregnant. So when she knocked on our door holding this little kid in her arms i realized what i had done. I ruined her life. Arianna felt bad too. It was not her fault. But she offered to take the baby. Sophie left you here. She visited now and then, but she felt guilty, she couldn't look at you. So, the visits eventually stopped." Dad sighed.
"So... she's out there somewhere?"
"Yes. I just don't know where." I stood up.
"I am going to find her. I need to meet her." I opened my drawer and searched for money. I looked everywhere, but i only found 300 dollars. That wouldn't last very long.
"Dad, i need money." He opened his mouth to say something but i snatched him off.
"You owe me this. You really do." Without a word he pulled out his wallet and gave me another 700 dollars. I don't know why he was carrying around that much money, but i didn't bother.
"At least let me come with you." He tried to sound calm but it came out as awkward and shaky.
"No, i need to do this myself. I'll start tomorrow." I shoved dad out of my room then i slammed the door in his face. I was not pleased with him.
The next morning i was up at 6 in the morning. I got dressed and headed for the library. I sat down at a computer and started searching for Sophie Williams. There were hundreds of people named Sophie Williams. Just my luck.
"Looking for someone special?" I turned around. A short, cute old lady with shaky hands and glasses at her nose smiled at me.
"Yes, i am. My mother." I smiled politely at her. She frowned.
"Mh.. what's your name sweetheart?" She waved at me to follow her.
"Charlie Sanders. I moved here not so long ago." The old lady nodded.
"You are from Alabama, aren't you? I can tell."
"Yes i am. I moved here with my dad."
"Ah yes, your mother died?" My stomach clenched.
"Stepmom." I corrected her.
"Oh yes, sorry dear." I smiled at her.
"I don't think she was from around here." The old lady shook her head.
"I think the best you can do is go back to Alabama and try there."
"Alright, thank you. Oh hang on!" I pulled out the silver necklace and gave it to the lady. "This is her." I said. Her eyes widened.
"That's your mom?!" I flinched backwards.
"Yes.."
"I know her. She was a student here. When i was a teacher. It was years ago, but i remember her. She was a clever girl, she knew what she wanted. Once she traveled to Alabama and met a boy. They had a summer romance, he was her first. When she got back, she realized she was pregnant. She wrote him a letter, telling him that she was going to keep it. After 9 months she delivered the baby and went to Alabama again. Only, the boy was engaged. The woman who he was going to marry, offered to keep the baby. Sophie was young. Everyone thought it was the best choice. She visited, but times got hard. She couldn't travel as much because she needed the money to pay for her studies. She would come over to me, crying about it. I always told her that when she was done, she could go and get you. But when she was finally done, 4 years had passed. The baby was now 6 years old. She decided to move to a different town, start a new life. And she did." I looked at my feet. All my life, i caused trouble. I was nothing more than a burden.
"Maybe it's better if i don't look for her. I just messed up her life. She's probably happier without me." I sighed in disappointment. The old lady shook her head and touched my cheek.
"No! You have to find her! Oh she will be so happy to see you. And.. when you meet her, tell her that Charlotte is missing her." I giggled.
"I will."
"She never said where she moved, but i think New York is a good place to start looking." Charlotte, i think that's her name, winked at me. I smiled and left the library.
When i got home, Gerard was in our living room talking to my father.
"What are you doing here?" I asked.
"Hey Charlie. Your dad told me about you and your real mom and i.." I cut him off.
"He what?! Why the hell would you tell him?!" I shouted.
"I'm sorry honey, i just thought that he should know."
"Who are you to judge whether he should know or not?" I calmed down, because Gerard looked scared to death.
"Charlie, i'm sorry but i got worried. I haven't heard from you so i figured something was wrong." I walked up to him and embraced him.
"Gerard it's okay. Don't worry." He smiled and kissed me. "But i need you to go home. I want a moment alone."
"Alright. Just, keep in touch. Don't be a stranger." He waved at me then left.
"So did you get any helpful information at the library?" Dad sat down on the couch.
"Yeah, i did."
"And..?"
"New York." Dad starred at me.
"Well there is no way in hell you are going to New York. No way!"
"I have money."
"You are not going."
"But dad i.."
"I said no!" His face turned red out of anger.
"You owe me this." I said calmly. He was quite for a moment.
"No. No, you are not doing this. There is no way. Nope." He shook is head.
"What?! How can you not let me do this! What the hell! Dad come on please!" I was begging.
"Go to your room." My dad just told me to go to my room. He never told me to go to my room. I must have really pushed his buttons..
"I'm sorry dad.." I looked at my feet.
"Now." I left the living room and headed for my room. I might feel a bit guilty for being so rude to him, but it wasn't going to stop my. I packed my backpack, collected all the money i could find and then jumped out the window.
Anne had left a long time ago. I was laying in my bed, staring at the ceiling. Gerard had called multiple times, but i didn't pick up. I wanted to be alone.
"Honey, Gerard is calling again. Can you at least talk to him? Tell him to stop calling." Dad knocked on my door. I didn't answer.
"Dad. Can i talk to you? I need some answers." I said finally. He opened my door and sneaked in.
"What do you want to know?" He put his hand on my lap.
"Why.." i bit my lip, "why would you lie to me like that? Why didn't you tell me?" I blinked away a tear.
"Well.. we planned on telling you. But the right moment never came." I looked at my hands.
"Where does she live? What's her name? Does she even know i exist?" I wanted to know everything.
"Her name is Sophie. And yes, she knows that you exist. She gave you to us. She was young and didn't plan on being a mother alone. You see, i left her for your mother.." I glanced at him.
"Step mother, sorry. And she... well i didn't know she was pregnant. So when she knocked on our door holding this little kid in her arms i realized what i had done. I ruined her life. Arianna felt bad too. It was not her fault. But she offered to take the baby. Sophie left you here. She visited now and then, but she felt guilty, she couldn't look at you. So, the visits eventually stopped." Dad sighed.
"So... she's out there somewhere?"
"Yes. I just don't know where." I stood up.
"I am going to find her. I need to meet her." I opened my drawer and searched for money. I looked everywhere, but i only found 300 dollars. That wouldn't last very long.
"Dad, i need money." He opened his mouth to say something but i snatched him off.
"You owe me this. You really do." Without a word he pulled out his wallet and gave me another 700 dollars. I don't know why he was carrying around that much money, but i didn't bother.
"At least let me come with you." He tried to sound calm but it came out as awkward and shaky.
"No, i need to do this myself. I'll start tomorrow." I shoved dad out of my room then i slammed the door in his face. I was not pleased with him.
The next morning i was up at 6 in the morning. I got dressed and headed for the library. I sat down at a computer and started searching for Sophie Williams. There were hundreds of people named Sophie Williams. Just my luck.
"Looking for someone special?" I turned around. A short, cute old lady with shaky hands and glasses at her nose smiled at me.
"Yes, i am. My mother." I smiled politely at her. She frowned.
"Mh.. what's your name sweetheart?" She waved at me to follow her.
"Charlie Sanders. I moved here not so long ago." The old lady nodded.
"You are from Alabama, aren't you? I can tell."
"Yes i am. I moved here with my dad."
"Ah yes, your mother died?" My stomach clenched.
"Stepmom." I corrected her.
"Oh yes, sorry dear." I smiled at her.
"I don't think she was from around here." The old lady shook her head.
"I think the best you can do is go back to Alabama and try there."
"Alright, thank you. Oh hang on!" I pulled out the silver necklace and gave it to the lady. "This is her." I said. Her eyes widened.
"That's your mom?!" I flinched backwards.
"Yes.."
"I know her. She was a student here. When i was a teacher. It was years ago, but i remember her. She was a clever girl, she knew what she wanted. Once she traveled to Alabama and met a boy. They had a summer romance, he was her first. When she got back, she realized she was pregnant. She wrote him a letter, telling him that she was going to keep it. After 9 months she delivered the baby and went to Alabama again. Only, the boy was engaged. The woman who he was going to marry, offered to keep the baby. Sophie was young. Everyone thought it was the best choice. She visited, but times got hard. She couldn't travel as much because she needed the money to pay for her studies. She would come over to me, crying about it. I always told her that when she was done, she could go and get you. But when she was finally done, 4 years had passed. The baby was now 6 years old. She decided to move to a different town, start a new life. And she did." I looked at my feet. All my life, i caused trouble. I was nothing more than a burden.
"Maybe it's better if i don't look for her. I just messed up her life. She's probably happier without me." I sighed in disappointment. The old lady shook her head and touched my cheek.
"No! You have to find her! Oh she will be so happy to see you. And.. when you meet her, tell her that Charlotte is missing her." I giggled.
"I will."
"She never said where she moved, but i think New York is a good place to start looking." Charlotte, i think that's her name, winked at me. I smiled and left the library.
When i got home, Gerard was in our living room talking to my father.
"What are you doing here?" I asked.
"Hey Charlie. Your dad told me about you and your real mom and i.." I cut him off.
"He what?! Why the hell would you tell him?!" I shouted.
"I'm sorry honey, i just thought that he should know."
"Who are you to judge whether he should know or not?" I calmed down, because Gerard looked scared to death.
"Charlie, i'm sorry but i got worried. I haven't heard from you so i figured something was wrong." I walked up to him and embraced him.
"Gerard it's okay. Don't worry." He smiled and kissed me. "But i need you to go home. I want a moment alone."
"Alright. Just, keep in touch. Don't be a stranger." He waved at me then left.
"So did you get any helpful information at the library?" Dad sat down on the couch.
"Yeah, i did."
"And..?"
"New York." Dad starred at me.
"Well there is no way in hell you are going to New York. No way!"
"I have money."
"You are not going."
"But dad i.."
"I said no!" His face turned red out of anger.
"You owe me this." I said calmly. He was quite for a moment.
"No. No, you are not doing this. There is no way. Nope." He shook is head.
"What?! How can you not let me do this! What the hell! Dad come on please!" I was begging.
"Go to your room." My dad just told me to go to my room. He never told me to go to my room. I must have really pushed his buttons..
"I'm sorry dad.." I looked at my feet.
"Now." I left the living room and headed for my room. I might feel a bit guilty for being so rude to him, but it wasn't going to stop my. I packed my backpack, collected all the money i could find and then jumped out the window.
Notes
So... when it is 6 in the morning is it pm or am?What did you think about this chapter? Did you like it? Or dislike it? Comment what you thought about it!
Awe thank you! I really appreciate it! :)
7/27/13