Bittersweet (English)

CHAPTER 14

“Oh, man! Should she be home by now?”

Mykel murmured under his breath after repeatedly knocking at Kaye’s front door. The only source of light in this pitch-black sky was the outdoor lamps from the neighbors. No moon, no stars. If someone new was to see this view, they might have thought that they were inside a black hole. 

He paused for a while and tried to analyze Kaye's possible stop overs. The cafe should have been closed at six in the evening. If she took her bicycle, it would only take her fifteen minutes to reach home. And if she was to drop by somewhere, the stores were completely closed since seven in the evening. No other places should be open right now. He was confident of that knowledge considering this was what always happened every year.

“It wouldn’t take her hours if she was walking. And who in their right mind would walk in this weather? D*mn, where is she?” 

He questioned himself as he tried estimating her time of arrival. He had been waiting outside her doors for a while now and he was growing impatient. Today’s an important day and everyone should already be busy preparing for tonight’s celebration. So where was she at? 

Mykel looked at the sky and the houses surrounding him. 

"Should I take it that you want me to die in this cold because you're still mad?" Mykel continued with his monologue. He must be going nuts because of the freezing temperature.

It's a good thing he decided to fully cover himself before leaving his house. Or else he would be trembling of the cold by now. The breeze coming from the seaside made the town colder compared to any other place in the country. Even the fishermen were on time out because there were ice formations on some parts of the ocean. It could cause some serious damage if they were to take their chances. 

It wasn’t something new to the residents of this town. They had endured irregular seasons ever since so everybody was prepared somehow. There was even a time when they experienced total darkness for weeks. It happened when he was a toddler so he barely has any memory of it. But for the adults back then, it was terrifying a terrifying experience. But then they discovered it happened way back so they were appeased. Throughout their town’s history, the season had always been erratic. 

"How can someone so adorable when she was a kid would turn out to be rigid?"

Mykel recalled the times when they were still kids. Kaye would tend to follow him around like she was so captivated by him. At some point, he had thought that their feelings were on the same page. But then they reached adolescence. Kaye started to stop playing with him. She would often get annoyed and he would then force her to join whatever he was up to. 

Their childhood was a fun memory. It made him aware of things that he was sure of now. How he wished they could turn back time and play again by the beach or somewhere. No worries. No troubles.

He rubbed his hands together to warm himself. The little friction was at least helpful to keeping him warm. He was using mittens but he can almost feel his cheeks hardening due to the low temperature. In a matter of hours, he could end up being an ice cream already. He grunted in frustration. Flashes of moments ago crossed his mind. 

“Damn you, Missy.”

He cursed his sister for pressuring him so much that he abruptly left their house to talk to Kaye. Like a child being told off. 

‘What?! What do you mean you have no idea?’ Missy raised her brow as she turned to him after asking about Kaye’s plans for the holiday. She almost spilled her tea as it was unusual for him to be unaware of something relating to Kaye. 

He shrugged while he reached for the cloth to dry his hands. He just finished washing the dishes. ‘Well, let’s just say we haven’t talked in a while.’

‘And why is that?’ The furrow on Missy’s face went deeper. She was looking more perplexed after hearing his response. It was as if it was the first time he had spoken of his troubles.

‘We’re both working adults so life is busy. Don't talk like you don't understand.'

“The h*ck! You pass by her house every day. Aren’t you seeing her before she leaves for work? You better ask her now, j*rk!  Are you telling me you'll leave her alone at this time of the season? No one has to celebrate the holiday alone.’

And of course, he was overpowered by his feisty little sister. The way Missy talked to felt like he didn’t have much choice either but to concede. Sometimes he would forget whether he was the older one or her. 

However, he hasn’t seen Kaye in a while even during the mornings when he usually returned home from the station. Like she was purposely avoiding him. 

He sighed in frustration and cold. After Missy’s flaring words, he couldn’t respond anymore. Though honestly, he was going to talk to Kaye anyway. He was just waiting for the perfect timing to do so. He wanted a reset. It was awkward the last time they were together. He couldn’t gather up the courage to face her. His confidence was wavering. 

Rather, he was hurt.

He took out his phone to check the time. It was already past ten in the evening. He has been waiting for her for almost an hour now. Was she still at the cafe? It would be impossible for her to stay over at Jenny’s place since she was out of town to visit her sister for the holiday. Geraldine should also be on the mountainside where their plantation was. 

He gripped his phone. The thought of calling her phone passed over his mind numerous times. But he felt embarrassed calling her out of the blue when they haven’t talked in a while. It wasn’t his childishness taking over. It was rather his pride that was stopping him. He wasn’t that thick-skinned to not feel any pain.

He stared at his phone once again. He was getting worried as he hasn’t seen signs of her going home. He didn’t want to contact her friends either. They might think something was up for him not to contact Kaye directly. He could get in trouble for that since he was bad at making excuses. 

“Urgh! Whatever!” 

He almost broke his phone with his strong grip. He found Kaye’s contact number and dialed it. It wasn’t time to be prioritizing pride. 

Kaye’s phone was ringing yet no answer. Uneasiness filled him. Something was wrong here. He dialed again and noticed something strange. 

As he stood there outside her door, he can hear something from the inside. He cut off the call and the sound coming from the inside stopped, too. The annoying sound of the wind was making it hard for him to perceive the sound. 

He rang her phone again. He wanted to confirm his guess. And he was right!

The moment he dialed her number a faint sound started to buzz on the other side of the door.

What the h*ck? Was she at home all this time?

Knowing she was just inside ignoring everything, annoyed him. He was getting worked up over nothing. He was starting to get pissed. Pissed at her for ignoring him. And pissed on the d*mn cold.

But things get weirder when he looked at the gap on the bottom of the door and there was no light coming through. None of the rooms inside her house was lit up when he looked around. And she was answering neither her phone nor the door. 

Bolts of electricity ran through his body upon realization. The pounding on his heart won’t stop at the thought of Kaye doing something outrageous. Or worse, someone broke into her house using the back door or perhaps the windows on the upper level. 

They didn't have any reports of thieves or ransackers for months. And who would attempt to steal on this cold night?

He started banging the door but to no sign of Kaye or any movements inside. Fear was seething through his skin. 

“Spare key. Yes, the spare key!”

He frantically searched for the spare key Kaye had been keeping. If she still kept it in the same place, it should be at the back of the outdoor lamp.

“Yes!”

He was so relieved he even kissed the cold metal. He was about to insert the key to the keyhole when he heard something on the other side of the door. He pressed his ears against the door to make out the sound. It was like the sound of nails scratching on the door. Then suddenly, he heard Miko barking on the other side. He must have heard him calling earlier. Finally a response!

He immediately opened the door using the spare key. Of course, he was worried! What has she been up to all this time? If Miko was fine, then no stranger intruded the house. That hope at least lessened his fears.

It didn’t take him a second to open the door. As expected, Miko was waiting for him by the entryway. He was skipping around him all excited. He twirled and barked at him repeatedly. Like he was trying to tell him something. 

He switched on the bulb as soon as he entered her doorsteps. His mind was put at ease after seeing nothing wrong with the interior of the house. No sign of danger or whatsoever. 

He crouched down and rubbed Miko’s smooth fur. The little guy was so relaxed as he raised his head with a partially open mouth. His tail wagged excitedly seeing a familiar face. 

“Now, where is your mum? Why’d she leave you alone like this?”

He moved around the house looking for Kaye. She wasn’t in the living area, kitchen, nor her office. He was aware that he was trespassing but he was anxious about the entire situation. Something might have happened to Kaye for her not to attend to her door or her phone.

“Well, I guess she’s in her room,” he murmured turning to Miko who was staring intently with wide round eyes. 

All that’s left was the second floor where her room was. 

The upper floor was just as dark. He had to be careful with his steps midways or else he might end up on the landing below. The stairs sure had lamps on the wall but it wasn't enough to guide him all throughout. 

He was beginning to think if this was a good idea. After all, Kaye was avoiding him not long ago. Some Christmas won't make her feel otherwise. 

However, Mykel hasn't had the heart to leave her alone like this. Even without Missy's intervention, he would have come to her. He was just too busy thinking of ways to get back on track. No matter how stubborn she was, it would never change the fact that he loved her anyway. Her stubbornness was also a part of her charms.