Leave Me If You Dare

Inhaling the summer air in Capital Z again. After 6 years, she thought she would not set foot in her birthland ever again. Wearing her baseball cap and big rimmed black sunglasses, she walked inside the arrival area in the airport vigilantly. That feeling that someone was watching her behind even though she tried to cover her face. Even Farrah who’s her closest friend would not easily recognize her.

Though she was trembling inside, Arabella had prepared herself mentally, emotionally, and spiritually when she was on the plane. It took her 3 days to arrive in Capital Z with two connecting flights. She had chosen the cheapest way of traveling so she opted to book connecting flights and also to appease her tension of getting to Capital Z directly.

The air in Capital Z gave her so much familiarity with everything. The happy moments and the unexpected shift of her life. She still felt hurt and horrified whenever she went back to that tragedy of her family in the past.

Bill Sky.

She hoped not to see him ever again. Luckily, she successfully kept Adam in a safer place with Damien. There’s no way Bill would know that he had a son and her son is alive. She would sacrifice not to be with Adam for a while just to keep him away from his monster father.

How she missed Adam now. For 3 days being separated from him, she felt suffocated and she felt her heart was lifeless and troubled. She was thinking what he was doing right now, his cute chubby smile whenever he was happy, his round greenish pleading eyes whenever he felt sorry, his resonating giggling and chuckling whenever she tickled him and how he acted like a brave gentleman whenever he wanted to stand a point.

She couldn’t help her tears to fall when she remembered her son. She gently wiped her tears behind her black sunglasses while walking to the exit direction dragging one luggage in her hand.

“Mommy? Mommy! Mommy!”

Arabella stopped.

Undoubtedly, she missed Adam so much but why she heard Adam?

Is she imagining things at this very moment?

It’s impossible! It’s just her imagination. Adam is in country Y with Damien. There’s no way Adam would be here inside Capital Z airport.

Arabella continued walking shaking her head to get rid of her impossible imaginations. She should focus on her mom and not be caught or get any attention from people she had met before. Avoiding them was the best way to spent time with her mom peacefully. She had to make up those 6 years that she was deprived to be with her. Hopefully, she would have a smooth visit and a well time spent with her mom’s remaining days.

“Mommy! Mommy! Mommy!”

Arabella stopped again. At this moment, she didn’t believe that she was just imagining things. That was Adam’s voice and she heard it clearly for the second time around. Her knees instantly softened while she panickily turned around to find her son among the busy crowd.

Just when she was about to give up on her thoughts, someone hugged her legs from behind. Arabella was stunned. She quickly turned around again and was surprised to see Adam.

She was not imagining things!

It’s Adam, her son.

He was wearing his complete cub scout uniform and his school backpack. She knelt while she was holding her breath. She had mixed emotions upon seeing her 5-year-old boy. She wondered if Damien was with him but there’s no person behind him.

“Adam, why are you here? Is Uncle Damien with you? How… What… Why?” Her shock and worries were mixed up that she couldn’t withstand it. She felt liked she was going to explode and go crazy seeing her son.

“I am here to protect you and grandma, mom.” Adam replied seriously with two arms folding in front of him.

“What?” Arabella still couldn’t believe it. Of course, she was very happy to see him, but how could he travel alone? And what about his safety? What if Bill would find out about him? Arabella’s nerves were palpitating as she didn’t know how to feel and what to do.

“I’m sorry, mom.” Adam felt his mom was troubled by his sudden presence. “I can’t just do nothing if you are going to be in trouble. Please don’t send me back to Country Y, please. I also want to see grandma.” Adam added with a pleading voice and his round eyes were full of sincerity.

That time when Arabella asked his permission to leave the country and go to Capital Z for her Aunt Lira, he sensed a doubt through her mom’s expression as he already memorized how her mom’s face conveyed emotions. Sometimes, he just pretended to agree with her to make her happy.

That time, after they had their breakfast, he was not playing at all but he was just calmly sitting on a corner listening to his mom and his Uncle Damien’s conversation.

“No. You can’t go there alone.” Damien exclaimed.

“Damien, please understand. My mom would not live longer. She needs me there as her daughter. You are the only person that I can trust Adam. Please.” Arabella had to convince Damien otherwise she would have a big problem. She can’t bring Adam to Capital Z.

“What about if that ex-husband of yours will torture you again? Can you defend yourself?” This time, Damien’s voice was angry but with a little control not to be heard by Adam.

“I promise. I will be very careful this time. Do not worry about me as I can handle myself. I will come back quickly. Okay?” She was true to her words. Without Adam, Bill could not use him to blackmail her. Arabella had to pacify her boyfriend’s worries as Damien was just so concerned about her safety.

After a long hesitation, “Okay. Just promise me to come back here whole and safe.” Damien said with full of sincerity in his eyes. He then hugged her tightly sending his tender warmth to her.

“Did Uncle Damien know that you are here?” Arabella held his hand and dragged Adam in the corner. She didn’t want to get the crowd’s attention.

“Yes.” Adam smiled now as he felt her mom would not send him back to country Y. “I wrote him a note.” He added calmly.

“OMG! Adam. I think Uncle Damien is very worried right now.” Arabella quickly got her phone and turned it on. Her phone chimed repeatedly and all texts were from Damien.

She quickly called Damien without reading his 20 messages. He must be very worried.

“Damien, I just touched down and turned on my phone.” Arabella was so embarrassed about how Adam brought trouble to Damien.

“It’s fine.” Damien said calmly without any trouble in his voice.

Arabella was surprised. “Did you already know?” She had not mentioned Adam yet but Damien had known it.

“Yes. He texted me that he’s already with you.” Damien replied.

“Oh! I am very sorry for all the troubles Damien.” She looked at Adam who had pleading eyes. She wanted to scold him but his eyes made her heart softened.

“No problem. Let’s just be happy that he’s safe. What a tough guy.” Damien softly chuckled. “I will be there, don’t worry.” Damien added.

“No. Don’t bother. I had caused so much trouble in you. I don’t want to trouble you again with my matters, okay? Just please wait for us there.” Arabella refuted sincerely.

“Who am I to you then?” Damien asked directly with a trace of disappointments in his tone.

“Of course, my… my boyfriend.” Arabella felt him. “I am sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you.” She hated herself for being so insensitive.

“Then expect me to be there. I love you.” Damien hung up the phone first without waiting for her reply. It seemed a long-distance relationship worked differently.

Feeling wronged, Adam held Arabella’s hand. “Are you okay, mom?” He asked.

Arabella looked at her little boy and she couldn’t help but feel proud of him. She then knelt and hugged him again then she kissed his cheeks. Holding hands, they exited the airport.

At first, Arabella planned to go directly to her mom but with Adam, she had to change her plan.

“How did you buy your ticket?”

“How did you get on the plane alone?”

“And why are you wearing your cub scout uniform?”

Inside the taxi, Arabella couldn’t help asking him unstoppable.

“Please don’t spank me if I will tell you the truth, mom.” Adam was wearing his pleading look again. As genius as he is and as charming as he is, it’s very easy for him to ask someone as his companion on the flight.

Arabella looked at him fiercely that made Adam scared. Then he lowered his little head.

“Okay. I promise I will not get angry with Adam Jones.” Arabella raised her right hand in front of him to prove her promise.

Hearing her, Adam was back to his vigor again.

“Mom, don’t be shocked. Okay?” He chuckled softly.

Arabella nodded but she felt something was not good.

“I… I used your credit card to purchase my direct flight ticket online.” He added with a smile.

Arabella’s jaw instantly dropped. She wanted to cry about how much that direct flight cost. Now she regretted that she got Adam a passport and she blamed Capital Z for being a free-visa country. Her purpose of getting him a passport when he was 3 was for them to easily escaped or hopped to another country when things in a place would get messy. In that way, she had no problem transporting Adam to different places.

Never she expected that Adam would use his first passport going to capital Z.

Soo ironic.

“But how you got to the plane alone? Aren’t you scared that you might not see me in the airport and you get lost?” Arabella’s fear was still there. She couldn’t afford to lose her son.

“Mom, can you please chill a bit? Here. Drink some water.” Adam got her school bottle from his backpack and gave it to her mom. Her anger dissipated immediately after seeing her cute little schoolboy.

Arabella drank the water with a soft chuckle. This was Adam’s first long-haul travel and alone, maybe he was also scared that he wore his cub scout uniform. By wearing this, he seemed to feel fearless.

What a brave little man!

“Mom, if I get lost, it should be worth it just to find you.” Adam then placed his tired head on her shoulder.

Tears instantly dripped down her eyes. Did she save the whole world before that she was so lucky to have a son like Adam? Or her tragic life was paid for by Adam. Whatever it is, she was just so thankful to have Adam as her son.

With him, she found her peace again.

All her questions and worries were all gone. Even though Adam was acting tough, he is still a young little boy and she knew his son had been through a lot today. She gently stroked his head to sleep and massage his little hand.

Hearing Adam was soundly asleep on her shoulder, Arabella gazed outside the window of the car.

It’s been a long time.

Capital Z is still a busy city.

There are so many improvements after 6 years with additional skyscrapers everywhere. It’s very different from Country Y.

Capital Z is a very big city and Country Y is just less than one-fourth of it.

Arabella heaved a heavy sigh. She hoped everything would be smooth especially she had Adam.

6 years was long enough to be forgotten by the people she once knew. Hopefully, fate would not play tricks on her again. She could not allow Adam to be involved. She would do anything to protect him from his father.

Bill should not see Adam or everything would get messy again.. This time, she didn’t know if she still had a chance to survive if it involves her son.