Hearts and The Heartless
Chapter Eight: Changing Things
“HONEY? EMILY?” the voice echoed through the hallway. Emily got up, hurried herself to the voice. When she reached into the living room, there’s no one there except her father, Murray.
“Murray, hi. What…what are you doing…here?” she stuttered, her hands quickly wiped the tears away.
“Emily, you’ve been crying?” Murray approached her daughter, only to find that her eyes went red and puffy.
“No, I’m happy. I remembered something, Murray.”
“Really? Oh, well honey, this is great! Let’s sit down for a while. Tell me what you remembered.”
They sat down on the white-sheet-covered sofa and Murray placed his grocery bags down on the floor.
“What’s that?” Emily asked, pointed her mouth to the bags.
“Oh, I forgot to buy you some food before we got here. Don’t mind that, now tell me what did you remember?”
“I…I remember I used to go to the lighthouse over there,” she pointed, “…with River.” She continued.
“Do you remember me?”
Emily stared at him.
“I remember you at the hospital,”
“Dammit, you don’t remember me as your father!” Murray stood up furiously. Emily on the other hand was stunned. Then silence fell awkwardly between them. Neither Emily nor Murray was brave enough to say something.
“Daughter, I…I’m sorry. I shouldn’t do that. I mean, what the hell was I thinking? I expect you to remember your 28 years of life in just one day. I’m sorry.” He sat down again, held her hands tightly.
“I’m sorry too Murray. That’s all I remembered.”
Murray smiled. He pulled her head closer and kissed her forehead.
“Nevermind. Take your time, honey. Now, let’s redecorate your house.”
Emily hesitated; she sat motionless on the sofa while Murray had disappeared into the kitchen with the grocery bags. What are the consequences of redecorating this house? Will she ever see River again? Was she just imagining stuff when she saw River getting ready for work, making breakfast to her, and kissed her? The kiss was real; she could still feel the warmth of River’s lips, her spine still tingling just by thinking about it.
“What do you want for dinner?” shouted Murray from the kitchen and it made Emily jumped slightly.
“I…I…anything would be fine, Murray.” She answered.
“Well I got some chicken pie, frozen pizzas, fruits, pancakes and waffles.”
Emily froze. What happened to those pancakes and waffles River made this morning? She dashed into the kitchen and found Murray was organizing things in the refrigerator.
“Man, this house needs some repairing jobs to do.” He spoke into the fridge while Emily was eyeing the table, looking for waffles and pancakes on a plate which River had shoved to her hours ago. There was nothing there.
“Emily, you’re lucky the electricity still running in here, and the water too I see.” Murray added while turning on the faucet on the sink.
“Well, why shouldn’t they still be running in here? River lives here, right?”
The old man stunned, he looked intently on his daughter’s eyes, and then sighed.
“I mean, he might still need them, whenever he gets back, right? Where did he go anyway, Murray?” she continued, whereas Murray was rubbing his eyes gently.
“Emily, listen to me.” he spoke, but when he saw Emily looked bewildered, he sighed again.
“River…is gone.”
Emily frowned.
“Gone? What do you mean gone? I can see that he’s not here, well, he might be at your house, looking for me, or he’s still at work, or…”
“Emily, he’s dead.”
She stood there, barely moved and mouth opened.
“No, no, he can’t be. I spoke to him, Murray. I spoke to him when I woke up at the hospital. I walked with him in the park, I saw him this morning making me breakfast. We kissed, Murray!”
Murray pulled Emily into his arms, hugged her tightly.
“That was your imagination, sweetheart. Probably, you’re missing him right now.”
Emily broke apart, and started to raise her voice.
“No, how can I imagine things? I don’t even remember who he is, until you tell me! I really saw him, Murray, I really did, how can he be dead?”
Murray tried to give her a comforting smile, and believe all the things she just said.
“I’m sure the doctor will have some explanations.”
Emily broke down to her feet again, could not believe that she just lost a person in her life. Eventhough she did not know River that much, but she felt so comfortable being around him. The kiss, it was so real, there is no way a dead person could do that.
“Now, I want you to stop worrying, and we’re going to rearrange the house,”
Emily looked up to her father.
“Emily, you can try to remember things again even without his help.”
But River did told her that he was here to help her remember. He told her how special she was, she could not forget that. Murray wouldn’t buy that anyway.
“Murray, hi. What…what are you doing…here?” she stuttered, her hands quickly wiped the tears away.
“Emily, you’ve been crying?” Murray approached her daughter, only to find that her eyes went red and puffy.
“No, I’m happy. I remembered something, Murray.”
“Really? Oh, well honey, this is great! Let’s sit down for a while. Tell me what you remembered.”
They sat down on the white-sheet-covered sofa and Murray placed his grocery bags down on the floor.
“What’s that?” Emily asked, pointed her mouth to the bags.
“Oh, I forgot to buy you some food before we got here. Don’t mind that, now tell me what did you remember?”
“I…I remember I used to go to the lighthouse over there,” she pointed, “…with River.” She continued.
“Do you remember me?”
Emily stared at him.
“I remember you at the hospital,”
“Dammit, you don’t remember me as your father!” Murray stood up furiously. Emily on the other hand was stunned. Then silence fell awkwardly between them. Neither Emily nor Murray was brave enough to say something.
“Daughter, I…I’m sorry. I shouldn’t do that. I mean, what the hell was I thinking? I expect you to remember your 28 years of life in just one day. I’m sorry.” He sat down again, held her hands tightly.
“I’m sorry too Murray. That’s all I remembered.”
Murray smiled. He pulled her head closer and kissed her forehead.
“Nevermind. Take your time, honey. Now, let’s redecorate your house.”
Emily hesitated; she sat motionless on the sofa while Murray had disappeared into the kitchen with the grocery bags. What are the consequences of redecorating this house? Will she ever see River again? Was she just imagining stuff when she saw River getting ready for work, making breakfast to her, and kissed her? The kiss was real; she could still feel the warmth of River’s lips, her spine still tingling just by thinking about it.
“What do you want for dinner?” shouted Murray from the kitchen and it made Emily jumped slightly.
“I…I…anything would be fine, Murray.” She answered.
“Well I got some chicken pie, frozen pizzas, fruits, pancakes and waffles.”
Emily froze. What happened to those pancakes and waffles River made this morning? She dashed into the kitchen and found Murray was organizing things in the refrigerator.
“Man, this house needs some repairing jobs to do.” He spoke into the fridge while Emily was eyeing the table, looking for waffles and pancakes on a plate which River had shoved to her hours ago. There was nothing there.
“Emily, you’re lucky the electricity still running in here, and the water too I see.” Murray added while turning on the faucet on the sink.
“Well, why shouldn’t they still be running in here? River lives here, right?”
The old man stunned, he looked intently on his daughter’s eyes, and then sighed.
“I mean, he might still need them, whenever he gets back, right? Where did he go anyway, Murray?” she continued, whereas Murray was rubbing his eyes gently.
“Emily, listen to me.” he spoke, but when he saw Emily looked bewildered, he sighed again.
“River…is gone.”
Emily frowned.
“Gone? What do you mean gone? I can see that he’s not here, well, he might be at your house, looking for me, or he’s still at work, or…”
“Emily, he’s dead.”
She stood there, barely moved and mouth opened.
“No, no, he can’t be. I spoke to him, Murray. I spoke to him when I woke up at the hospital. I walked with him in the park, I saw him this morning making me breakfast. We kissed, Murray!”
Murray pulled Emily into his arms, hugged her tightly.
“That was your imagination, sweetheart. Probably, you’re missing him right now.”
Emily broke apart, and started to raise her voice.
“No, how can I imagine things? I don’t even remember who he is, until you tell me! I really saw him, Murray, I really did, how can he be dead?”
Murray tried to give her a comforting smile, and believe all the things she just said.
“I’m sure the doctor will have some explanations.”
Emily broke down to her feet again, could not believe that she just lost a person in her life. Eventhough she did not know River that much, but she felt so comfortable being around him. The kiss, it was so real, there is no way a dead person could do that.
“Now, I want you to stop worrying, and we’re going to rearrange the house,”
Emily looked up to her father.
“Emily, you can try to remember things again even without his help.”
But River did told her that he was here to help her remember. He told her how special she was, she could not forget that. Murray wouldn’t buy that anyway.