Chap 5

5.

The car continued at a moderate speed. Clara shifted her gaze towards Joe, hoping to catch a glimpse of his smile, but she couldn't find it. Instead, she saw Joe's lips tightly sealed, as if harboring anger.

Clara glanced out the window, biting her lower lip, sensing a bad omen. Joe might scold her.

Her intuition proved right when, on a quiet road, Joe halted the car, pulling over to a secluded spot.

"Don't meddle in my personal affairs! What do you know? You're just a teenager, don't act mature and embarrass yourself. Not only that but what you did also makes me ashamed in front of Vivian! Understand!" Joe explained, his eyes piercing Clara.

Hearing Joe's words, Clara fell silent. Tearfully, she lowered her head. It was the first time she had been scolded, and it hurt even more coming from Uncle Joe, the man she admired wholeheartedly.

"Anyway, I don't like your foolish actions!" Joe scolded, unaware that Clara was crying.

Clara couldn't hold back her sobs; tears streamed down her cheeks. This was the first time she had experienced Joe shouting and reprimanding her.

"Cursed!" Joe muttered angrily, punching the steering wheel. Roughly, he rubbed his face. He had no idea how to console the crying girl beside him.

Clara continued to cry, and her sobbing became more frequent. Her breath hitched, causing her to cough repeatedly.

"Damn it!" Joe exclaimed in frustration, releasing a sigh. He observed Clara still crying.

"Stop crying, Clara, I'll buy you ice cream!" Joe persuaded, checking the time on his watch, which showed a quarter past four.

Clara remained silent, her tears still flowing. She shook her head vigorously as her chest felt heavy.

"Are you sure you don't want it? There's the best ice cream in the world, you know?" Joe pleaded. Uncomfortable seeing Clara still crying, her eyes red and swollen, he was sure that if anyone witnessed this scene, they would think poorly of him.

Clara stayed quiet, but her eyes widened as if intrigued. She was a fan of ice cream. The sweet taste seemed like a balm in her bitter life. Moreover, the sweetness of ice cream reminded her of beautiful memories with her late parents.

"You can have any ice cream you like," he persuaded again. Looking up, Joe continued trying to convince the girl. It seemed to be working as Clara's tears had stopped, replaced only by occasional sobs.

This time, not only her eyes widened but her hands also moved.

"There's vanilla, chocolate—," Joe didn't finish his sentence. Now he saw a sparkle in Clara's eyes and a bright expression on her face.

"Come on, I want to eat ice cream!" she exclaimed. Wiping her wet cheeks, she grabbed a tissue to gently press against her moist upper lip.

Joe smiled, starting the car's engine, ready to drive to the mall. There, on the top floor, was a food court with a variety of ice cream and tasty snacks. Joe was confident that Clara would enjoy it.

After a ten-minute drive, Joe parked the car in an underground mall parking area. He then invited Clara to enter. There were escalators and lifts for visitors to reach the top floor, the eighth floor.

Joe signaled to Clara to take the elevator for a quicker arrival.

Clara complied. Along with four other visitors, they entered the elevator. The doors closed, and the elevator started ascending.

As the doors opened, Joe reflexively grabbed Clara's hand and led her toward their dining destination. Some people glanced at Clara, still in her uniform. Joe seemed indifferent to the judgmental looks. He tightened his grip on Clara's fingers.

"Don't order ice cream; let's choose something else. It's already evening; let's go for seafood," Joe suggested, suddenly feeling very hungry.

"I want ice cream," Clara insisted. It had been a long time since she had enjoyed ice cream, and Uncle Joe's forbidding it made her want it even more.

"We can have ice cream another time; now choose something else!" he commanded, asserting his authority.

Clara swallowed her saliva, forced to obey his words. It wasn't pleasant to contradict or refuse him.

Soon, a large lobster and sweet-spicy cooked squid were served at table no. 3.

Joe, who had lost his appetite for three days, became very enthusiastic. In contrast, Clara appeared reluctant to indulge in the dishes in front of her.

Is it Uncle who's angry, or is it me? Why is Uncle more excited about eating than I am? Clara pondered.

After the meal, Joe paid at the cashier. The atmosphere shifted towards evening, and the watch on Clara's wrist showed six in the evening.

They walked towards the elevator.

"Why the sulking? Are you still mad?" Joe asked.

"No!" Clara replied shortly. She lied; she was still upset about not getting to enjoy the ice cream.

"Next time, I'll take you here for ice cream!" Joe promised.

"Really?" Clara asked, her eyes sparkling.

Joe nodded confidently.

Clara smiled contentedly. There would be another date with Uncle Joe! This could be considered a date, especially now that Uncle Joe was almost divorced from his wife. Despite feeling a bit malicious, Clara seemed happy about the divorce. Honestly, they seemed incompatible in every way. That was Clara's opinion, as she believed she was the right match for him.

Joe and Clara entered the elevator.

The elevator doors closed. Only the two of them were inside.

Suddenly, the elevator seemed to stop descending, and then the lights inside went out.

"Uncle!" Clara called out.

She moved closer to the man standing beside her, feeling afraid because of the sudden darkness.

"Stay calm, don't be afraid!" Joe reassured her.

She tried to calm down, although she felt worried. There seemed to be a malfunction causing the elevator to break down. The man guided Clara to step back, lean against the wall, and sit down. He tightened his grip on Clara's cold hand.

"Why did it get so dark, Uncle? Why did the elevator stop!" Clara exclaimed out of fear. She clung tightly to Joe's arm.

"Calm down," Joe whispered.

One of his hands embraced Clara in a hug. This time, he would find a way for someone to realize that the elevator was broken because they were trapped inside.

"Do you have your phone?" Uncle Joe asked.

Her phone was already low on battery because she forgot to charge it last night.

"Here," she replied.

Clara handed over her phone, her palm very cold.

"You, sit down first," Uncle Joe requested. He took the phone and started to move from his seat. The faint light from the activated phone allowed him to see the buttons in front of him. Joe pressed the floor buttons one by one, but there was no movement whatsoever; it meant the elevator was broken.

"Uncle Joe, we're not going to die here, right?" Clara asked, terrified.

Sweat started to appear, and the school uniform she wore for the student council was getting wet. The fear and lack of air in the elevator raised the temperature. Clara couldn't think clearly.

"Don't worry, I'll ask for help and won't let us be trapped here for long," Uncle Joe reassured.

All the floor buttons were pressed again, but there was still no change. Joe, looking at Clara's phone screen, turned on the wifi hoping to connect to the internet. However, there was no connection. To make matters worse, the phone battery would soon run out.

Unbeknownst to them, Joe and Clara had been stuck in the elevator for fifteen minutes. Joe continued pressing the alarm button.

Until footsteps approached the elevator.

Clara began to feel calm. It was clear; that some people outside were trying to force open the elevator doors.

Joe and Clara sat, trying to wait.

Waiting.

Still waiting.

Continuing to wait.

Until almost unnoticed, they had been in there for almost an hour and a half.

"Uncle Joe," Clara called softly.

Her breath was so labored. She had already taken off her shoes to alleviate the heat and tightness inside the elevator. Her body was very weak, and her head fell to the floor. She felt desperate and resigned, and considered the sweet-spicy lobster as her last meal. She hadn't even had the chance to eat the world's most delicious ice cream, as Uncle Joe had described.

"Yes," Uncle Joe replied, reaching out to support the girl against his arm.

In the darkness, Clara felt her way toward the source of the sound.

"I can't take it anymore; if I die, tell Nadia that I love her very much. Thank you for being a good friend. And to Uncle Joe, thank you for everything. I regret why this happened even before I could repay Uncle Joe's kindness, and I haven't even confessed my love to Uncle—!" Clara rambled, gasping for breath.

Joe rose, pressing the alarm button again. Then, reaching down, he grabbed Clara. The girl had already lost consciousness.

[To be continued...]