Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Short Story: Called Out of the Dark

She huddled in the corner of the room. Her small hands clutched her ears tightly, shutting off the berating in the living room and the monstrous sounds in her head that cursed the miserable life she did not choose to be living. The air in her lungs could not flow in and out properly and her lungs clamped in on her fast beating heart. Her vision narrowed to nothing more than a deep black tunnel that stretched to the end. She was so afraid; she shut her eyes so tightly she could see red through her eyeballs. The unnerving trauma cast a shadow over her life and terror gripped her soul. She felt everything around her caving in on her and wished for death to consume her right there and then.

“Take this wretched life away from me!” she yelled at the top of her voice, and collapsed into a motionless lump on the sweat drenched floor.

She awoke with a shiver and felt a dry lump on the side of her mouth. Unable to see in the dark, she could only smell her own sweat, urine and what was that familiar smell? Ah yes, blood. Dried blood. That was what was caking up on the side of her mouth when she fell unconscious on the floor and knocked the sharp edge of the lamp table. She put a hand on her heart and was surprised at both the silence outside in the living room and the slow, constant beat of her heart. She almost smiled when she shook her head hard to make sure she was not dreaming. No, she was not. She was breathing and living – in the dark.

“If only my husband was still alive – none of these would be happening to me,” she lamented to herself.

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A tribute to my aunt who lives in torment and neglect following the demise of her husband. Once the humble wife of a rich car dealer, she now lives her daily life in shambles and abandonment, reliant on support to get around, or for most part of her miserable, slow-crawling days, lies on her side, reminiscing the once good life she had when her husband was alive, by her side, money in abundance, and no one disrespected her. She cries each time I visit her, but the pain and emotional wreck it leaves me after each visit stops me from seeing more frequently than I would like to. I need greater strength to love and care for one in such desperate need. For now, I can only write of her sorry tale.

6 comments:

BIG Faith said...

I know how you feel...
The imprisonment of one's mind is more powerful than the physical one that holds just the body, not the soul & mind...
There's little outside people can do, as there is much to do on the inside of her mind...
Often the imprisonment bounds them up so much, family & friends find their hands tied up almost magically as they reach out to help...

Angeline Tan said...

Hi BIG Faith, thanks for dropping by. Appreciate you sharing your thoughts.

You're right, my aunt is imprisoned in her own mind, and that's because no one told her she is bigger than her self-imposed imprisonment, and given her physical limitations, she is rendered even more helpless.

The thing is, I could help, by visiting her more often. But I am reluctant myself. I am too selfish to face up to my own fears, afraid that my emotions get a better of me.

BIG Faith said...

We all need a vision from God whenever we reach out to help. In my own mind's eye, I could only see her despair, her imprisonment, her self-torment, her almost unwillingness to let go of her darkness as if it is some kind of a security blanket... But, maybe with God's eye, we can see the light at the end of the tunnel, the end of her torment, the beginning of her life, the wonder of God working in us, while through us:)

Angeline Tan said...

Thanks for your encouragement Faith - for pointing me in the right direction, that is, to look at the situation thru God's eyes and His purpose.

By the way, do you happen to be someone I know?

JasonOng said...

Beautiful story my larling. Write more k? :)

Angeline Tan said...

Jason: I remembered when you first read it, you went "ewww", so graphic/morbid. Hahaha ;)