Chapter 38: Chapter 38

Aviena's POV

"What are you doing, Uncle?" I asked angrily consciously. I immediately approached them. I tried to take Ruby away from Uncle but I receive a crisp slap from him. He pushed me too. I could immediately smell the alcohol from him.

"Do not meddle with this! I will discipline this child!" she shouted loudly at me before pushing me again as I tried to take him away from Ruby who was crying now.

My lips parted immediately when I saw how he slapped the child repeatedly.

"Papa," Ruby said. She wanted to get away from her father.

“Don't call me! I'm not your father! You inherited being a whore from your mother! ” Uncle shouted angrily. He was so mad when he tried to hurt the child again. I don't know how I'm going to get rid of him.

"Aunt! Grandma!” I shouted loudly as I tried to fight Uncle. He was always like this. Someone who uses his fist before talking with someone.

“What is it, Uncle? Ruby is your daughter! How can you manage to hurt your own child?!” I ask.

"Didn't I tell you not to interfere with this?" he shouted so loudly that he pushed me with all his might. I could still see how he punched Ruby in the stomach who immediately protected it. Ruby tried to crawl while sobbing.

"One more time to see you meeting your man, that's not all you will receive!" Uncle shouted angrily at Ruby who could hardly breathe from crying.

He would have released one more slap for me when River blocked him. He looks like he woke up because of the commotion. Even Grandma was shocked as she looked at us now.

Before Uncle could do what he wanted to do. It was already on the floor while River was holding his hand.

"Ruby!" Auntie shouted loudly when she saw her daughter. He immediately released an evil look on Uncle.

"What did you do to my daughter?" Auntie shouted loudly at Uncle.

“Fuck you! Don't ask me any questions, especially since you cheated on me!” Uncle shouted angrily at Auntie Puschia.

“Fuck you too! Are you the only one who can fool around?” Auntie asked angrily, still slapping Uncle, who is still being held by River until now.

“I'm just disciplining your daughter! She's still a child but already trying to flirt with someone!” Uncle shouted loudly. I was just watching them. I also don’t know how I’m going to react to these. Auntie used to be blinded by her love for that idiot husband of hers. The reason why she always covers everything her husband is doing. Even abusing me is fine.

I don't want it to happen to Ruby.

"You'll be punished for this, Uncle," I said seriously before approaching Ruby who was still crying. As soon as I approached her, she lost consciousness.

We immediately took her to the hospital. Auntie Puschia was also crying while looking at her daughter. The doctor talked to her while Aunt Madeth and I were just outside. Grandma is taking care of the kids now. She'll just be nervous when she gets here at the hospital.

"She's fine now, the doctor said that she just needed to rest," Auntie Madeth told me after she talked to Auntie Puschia.

I immediately took a deep breath and sat down on the bench here outside.

"I'll let Mama know, I'm sure she's worried too," Aunt Madeth told us so I nodded slowly. She left as well, leaving me and River here on the bench. Auntie Puschia doesn't want us to come in yet so here we are now.

“You’re shaking too, do you want to get checked? Does anything hurt?" River asked me as he touched me. I just shook but I couldn’t stop the tears from my eyes. Those memories from the past keep on hunting me. I just keep on crying constantly as I hugged him.

"You should get checked too," he said to me but I just shook my head. I just kept crying. I never knew that comfort would make me feel better.

When I calmed down, I was silently stunned as I looked down the hallway, as if I had returned to the past.

“When I was 5…” I broke the silence between the two of us but I didn't know how to begin what I was going to say. He was just looking at me, curious about what I would say but I realize that I’ll be dumping my trauma on him if I said all of those things.

“Is it fine to talk about heavy things?” I asked him. He nodded.

“I’m listening. I can always lend you my ears,” he said.

“My parents died because of an accident. Leaving me, Marieta, and Big Sister. Auntie Madeth took Big Sister, while Grandma took are youngest which is Marieta. She wanted to take us all but she already had too many grandchildren in the house. That's the reason why I became part of Auntie Puschia's family… At first, they were nice to me… ” I don't even know how to share what I feel but I feel like I needed to say this for myself.

“We were happy… they have a small peryahan that they make a living from… I often get a free ride and often have snacks for me not until Uncle starts to cheat. They always fight with each other… At first, they were still trying not to make their argument heard but it didn't take long for me to get hit. I… I… became Uncle's punching bag… When…” I didn't finish what I was going to say because I couldn't stop crying.

“When Uncle loses at gambling, he always tried to slap me or beat me up.… When he and Auntie were fighting, he almost threw the bottle of wine at me… Auntie knew everything but he didn't try to correct him… Instead, it's better for me to get his anger than for their daughter, Ruby… ”

“And when they are fine, they don’t want to see me to the point that they will lock me in… Not just lock… They will lock me in a roller coaster ... in the Ferris wheel… or even in different rides… until you get to the top… That's… That's the reason why I can't even ride some rides now… ” The reason why it always feels suffocating to try different and adventurous things.

"I always ask myself why do I experience things like that… If I do deserve to have a happy life… If I do deserve to have a decent one… Even if I'm not happy anymore… even if you just treat me right…"

"It stops… the abuse… It stopped when their peryahan started to be bankrupt and we all started to live in Grandma's house… It stop but… the trauma didn't…" I said softly while my voice was shaking.

“Up until now… when I remember it… It was still so clear to me…” I can't even stop myself from crying. I just felt River hug me because of that.

"I wish I met you earlier…" he whispered softly to me as he hugged me. I just cried constantly while he was with me. We stayed in that position for a long time until I finally calmed down.

I smiled slightly at him after I cried. The tears had dried up completely but the trembling of my body was still there.

He was just looking at me like I'm a fragile thing he needed to take care of. I just let out a wry smile at him before I averted my gaze. Every time I remember all of that… I feel terrible. I don't feel like I'm really loved.

We were quiet there. I didn't talk at all. He didn't force me to speak either. I just realized that I had fallen asleep on his shoulder.

I just woke up to the noise of Aunt Puschia.

“I will definitely imprison that animal! I will not let that idiot escape on what he did to my daughter,” Auntie Puschia said. Aunt Madeth was the one she was talking with.

I looked around. I'm in Ruby's room now. Lying on River's thigh. I slowly stood up. I immediately saw Ruby who was just staring at the ceiling. She didn't look at anyone right now.

"I can contact my lawyer for you if you want to," River told them. They immediately agreed as I just stared at Ruby now. I feel bad for her. Even if I experience things like that, I never want someone to experience the same because I know how painful it is.

"Do you want to eat, Ruby?" I asked Ruby. She only looked at me for a moment and immediately returned her eyes to the ceiling.

Whoever talks to her, that's just what happened. She doesn't even eat if she isn't forced to. It was as if she had completely lost her life. She's been like that for a few days. I can't leave her when I know that somehow I can still help her. Even in just a small way.

“Ruby…” I called her while holding her hand.

“Do you want to go to a therapist?” I asked him. Auntie butt in because of that.

“What are you saying, Aviena? My daughter is not crazy!” Auntie shouted loudly at me.

"It doesn't mean you're going to therapy, you're crazy, Auntie," I said, shaking my head at her.

“Don't think that my daughter and you are just the same! He doesn't need that!” she shouted loudly at me.

"If you really care for Ruby, you will help her regain herself, Auntie," I said shaking my head at her.

"I'm the one begging you… have mercy on Ruby…" I said. I just don't want Ruby to have a nightmare every single time… I just don't want it to happen anymore. She deserves to be at peace. And that… apply to me too. I would like to start a new one… now that Uncle is gone… I want to get therapy for myself too. I want to be a better version of myself for my Family and River too.

"I can always help if you want to, Auntie," I seriously said before standing up. Ruby just kept staring at the ceiling. Occasionally tears could be seen in her eyes.

"I'm sorry…" Auntie said weakly when I'm going to leave. I stopped there. I heard her sob as she knelt down.

"I'm sorry for everything, Hija… For everything, I've said… For criticizing you even though I really don't really contribute to your life… Forgive me for everything, Aviena… Maybe my karma is really starting now,” she said to me crying. I was just stuck on where I was standing. I never really expect her to say sorry to me. I don't expect anything from her but hearing her saying sorry feels so good. It feels good.

"I don't want to lose my child, Vena… Help us, please…" she said while continuing to cry.

"Help Ruby get back to normal, Vena… I'm begging you, please…" she said so I slowly approached her before nodding.

“I will, Auntie…”