Lilian burst into the house with a cheerful face, followed closely by Jeremy who wore a forceful smile. Maria who was in the kitchen, peered into the living room when she heard Lilian calling her.
“You are back,” said Maria, walking to the living room. “Anything interesting today?”
“Yes. I’m going to the graduation party with Ryan,” said Lilian joyfully. She took off her cap and untied her hair, revealing the fading red strands of her hair.
“That’s....good,” said Maria hesitantly as she exchanged look with Jeremy. Lilian instantly sensed the heavy atmosphere revolving around her.
“I thought you like him,” said Lilian softly, thinking that Maria might opposed to the idea of her dating Ryan.
“I do, really,” Maria reassured. “But...,” Maria turned to look at the corner of the living room. There were a few packed boxes neatly arranged there. There were also a few other empty boxes waiting to be filled. Lilian felt a sudden surge of uneasiness. She looked around the house before realising many of the decorations and items had been missing, most probably already packed into the boxes.
“We are not moving again, are we?” said Lilian, shaking her head. She took a few paces backward, looking from Maria to Jeremy for explanation. Maria looked extremely guilty. She gazed at Jeremy with her forehead wrinkled. She was speechless.
“We are going to move out by tomorrow,” said Jeremy clearly. “I have been transferred to Canada,”
“It’s going to be my graduation in just three days. Can’t we just postpone it until then?” said Lilian incredulously. She was not buying this. She had compromised a lot since she was small. She would not take this nonsense again.
“I’m sorry, dear but the order is clear,” said Jeremy heavily. There was hardly any guilt in his voice, or at least that was what he intended to do.
“The order?,” laughed Lilian sarcastically. “Are we living in a military era? Are you? I can’t believe this. You just think about your job all the time. You never care about me,”
“That’s not true, dear. We care about you. A lot,” said Maria quickly, holding out her hand to hug Lilian but Lilian backed away.
“I’m not a 10 year old anymore, who you could reason with hugs and kisses,” she hissed ominously. Every time she glanced at the boxes at the corner of the living room, she could feel her heart shattered even more.
“Something is not right. What are you guys not telling me?” snapped Lilian, her voice demanding and she was serious.
“We’ll make a deal,” said Jeremy hastily. “We move out tomorrow but we’ll be here for the graduation. It will be like coming back for a visit,”
“You don’t understand me at all,” said Lilian furiously. She wore her baseball cap back without tying her hair and stormed out of the house. Maria darted towards her but Jeremy caught her arm first.
“Let her clear her head first. She will be fine. We have to finish up the packing,”
Maria highly doubted Jeremy’s word but said nothing as she saw Lilian’s figure disappeared at the end of the street.
****
A man was waiting inside a highly-tinted car parked just opposite Jeremy’s house. The man saw a girl wearing a baseball cap storming out of the house, heading to the small town. A woman looked out as the girl walked off from the house with a worried face. She closed the door a few minutes later.
The man looked at his partner beside him. Both of them were wearing a mud green long jacket with an emblem pinned to their collar. His partner nodded once.
The man took a cellphone from his pocket.
“Captain, we have located the family but the girl had just left the house,” he said into the cellphone.
“She will be back soon,” a voice responded from the end of the line. “We strike when night falls. Inform Commander Phrixus about this. His team should also be ready.”
“We understand,” said the man. He started the engine and drove away from the neighbourhood.
****
It was almost dusk but Lilian did not feel like returning home. She still had not cooled down. Not even after three sundaes she had finished while sitting in the cafe. She just watched people come and go, wondering if there was anything she could do to make her parents changed their mind.
“Anything more you need?” the waitress suddenly appeared after Lilian finished eating the third sundae fifteen minutes ago. “More sundaes?”
Lilian shook her head. “Coffee will do. Thank you,” she said.
The waitress nodded and smiled before returning with a cup of steaming black coffee. Lilian thanked her again. She added two spoons of sugar into her coffee and stirred it. The thin vapour from the coffee escaped from the cup. She absent-mindedly followed the sight of the disappearing vapour.
She turned to look outside the glass window of the cafe. The sky had turned dark-bluish mixed with orange which still lingered at the west side of the sky. She sighed. Maybe she should return home now. As she wanted to turn to her coffee, she caught sight of a figure standing like a statue across the road. She could not make out his face because he was wearing a black hat which shadowed his face. The hat matched with the black coat he was wearing.
“Lily, is it?” a voice caught her attention. She turned to the source. It was a middle-age man with greying hair. He wore a formal grey business suit. His hazel eyes seemed to be smiling just like he was smiling to her now. Lilian knew her. He had come to her house once for a dinner party invited by Jeremy. This was Mr. Andrew Perkins, Jeremy’s immediate supervisor.
“Yes,” Lilian answered politely. She mechanically rose from her seat as a gesture of respect towards her father’s boss but Mr. Perkins just waved his hand.
“Oh, don’t bother to stand up,” he chuckled and took his seat in front of Lilian. A waitress came and he ordered a chicken sandwich and coffee. While Mr. Perkins was occupied by the waitress, Lilian stole a glance towards the figure she had seen just now but there was nothing there anymore.
“Fancy seeing you here alone,” said Mr. Perkins. Lilian turned her attention back to Mr. Perkins. “Is everything OK? Shouldn’t you be packing already?”
That’s right. Mr. Perkins must have some explanations on her father’s transfer. She knew Mr. Perkins was a very kind person. Always so polite and understanding, so maybe she could ask him about his father.
“I don’t feel like packing,” Lilian said sourly. “May I ask you something?”
“Of course. Fire away,”
“Why do you transfer my father? I mean the company keeps transferring my father almost every year. I’m tired of moving around. When I finally gained foothold here and thought we would settle, he is transferred again,” Lilian let her heart out to Mr. Perkins, half-hoping that his father’s boss would reconsider the transfer order although she knew this would be a very personal matter.
“My dear Lily, I thought Jeremy already discuss with you beforehand,” he said with a puzzled expression on his face. Lilian was caught in confusion for a moment. “He said that you were going to the college in Toronto, so he asked for the transfer to make sure that he could be close to you.”
“Well, I did get an offer from there but I had not made up my mind yet. I mean, my graduation day is only three days away,” Lilian felt suddenly suspicious about this.
“Oh, I’m unaware of that, Lily,” he muttered. “Jeremy never mention about that. I’m very sorry. Maybe you should talk to Jeremy.”
“Do you mean that he purposely ask for the transfer?” Lilian asked for confirmation.
“Yes. I mean all the transfers before this was made on his request. The General Manager of the company had already issued a notice that Jeremy would have an exclusive right to transfer anywhere he wanted,” Mr. Perkins explained over his newly arrived sandwich and coffee.
Lilian was bewildered. Was Mr. Perkins saying that his father had lied to her all these years? If so, what was his motive? Lilian’s mind was buzzing with questions but how hard she thought, she could not find any reason that would justify Jeremy’s action.
“Thank you for telling me this, Mr. Perkins,” said Lilian sincerely to Mr. Perkins who was eating his sandwich. Mr. Perkins just nodded. Lilian gazed out of the glass window, unaware that Mr. Perkins was looking at her with a pitiful look.
****
The street seemed empty. Lilian walked quickly to her house. Occasionally, she felt that regret of refusing Mr. Perkins’ offer to send her home.
“You should talk to your father, Lily,” Lilian recalled Mr. Perkins’ words just before they parted outside the cafe after he insisted to pay for all her sundaes and coffee. “Whatever he does, he must do it for your own good. I had known him for two years and I know he genuinely loves you and your mother,”
Lilian sighed. The prejudice which was monopolizing her heart now was threatening to ruin her relationship with her parents. She could not let it be.
Suddenly, her cellphone rang with a cheerful ringtone. She looked at the cellphone’s screen. It was a text message from Ryan. Her spirit lifted. But as she was about to open the inbox, the battery went out. She grunted out of frustration and hurried home.
As she arrived at her house, she felt a sudden tinge of uneasiness crept into her heart. She looked up. The house was dark. Were her parents out? Usually, her mother would leave the kitchen light on at the very least if they had gone to bed.
She went to the door and turned the doorknob. It was not locked. The door creaked opened as she pushed it cautiously. It was dark but the glow from the moonlight which crept into the living room illuminated the room.
Lilian’s heart pounded fast. She turned to the corner of the room. She could make out the packed boxes neatly arranged there. The living room was almost empty except for the main furniture and the carpet at the centre of the sofa set. She stepped further into the living room.
“Mom,” she called, her voice broke the silence of the quiet night. “Dad, are you home?”
Somehow, she heard a muffled noise which came from the kitchen. She stretched out her leg to start to the kitchen but all of a sudden, someone caught her elbow and she could feel a cold piece of metal against the skin of her neck. She gasped.
“Don’t make a sound or I’ll tear open your neck,” threatened the voice. It was a man but she dared not turn. She could see a gleaming sword placed just below her chin.
Seconds later, several figures emerged from the kitchen. Two of them were Jeremy and Maria who was held like hostages by the other figures who were wearing long jackets which colour she was not sure of because of the lack of light.
“I’m sorry I failed to protect you, Lily,” said Jeremy ruefully.
“I told you to shut up!” hissed one of the figures who was holding and pointing a gun at Jeremy.
“Please let her go. Don’t hurt her,” sobbed Maria. “She doesn’t remember anything,”
“Mom, dad, I don’t understand. What is happening here?” asked Lilian impatiently, forgetting the threat she was facing from her captor.
“So the rumours are true, then. I might as well kill this girl because she has no use to us anymore,” said her captor, possibly smirking. Lilian’s heart pounded faster.
“Commander,” another voice appeared. “The order is clear. The girl has to be brought back alive,” said a young man who had just walked into the house.
-End of Chapter 3-
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