บททั้งหมดของ The Price Of Her Mercy: บทที่ 21 - บทที่ 30

JERRYNow watching him by that river years later, I see pieces of that boy again. The one who doesn’t quite know how to belong anywhere. He runs his hand slowly through his hair, muttering something under his breath, moving from one side of the river to another. Then, I know he’s falling into somewhere dark again.I walk over to him with both hands in my pocket. As I move, the cool evening breeze moves through me, and I realize why he’s here.“Hey, do you plan to talk to the fish today, or are you just here to give them free therapy?”He glances back, smirks faintly.“Hey, why did you get into that nasty fight with the Demico boys the day we met? You didn’t tell me then. Will you at least tell me now?”“Broooo!!” he bursts out laughing out loud. Anything to pull him out of his own head, I’m ready to do.“You’re not gonna believe me, there’s no point,” he begins.“Ohh!! Try me.”“Okay… but promise you won’t judge me.” He sighs.“I’m not promising.” I jeer.“Ughh!! You know, now that I

24 : THE PROBLEM JACKSON As the rain begins to drizzle, I whisper, Will I be able to make it home in time? With this amount of alcohol in my system? Lightning strikes multiple times, and thunder follows.“Another drink?” the bartender asks, but I decline, checking my time to see if I can make it home in time.The rain subsides, but it’s still there, descending little by little. I dip my hand in my pocket and hand the bartender some dollar bills for my drink, asking him to keep the change. His eyes light up, and the smile on his lips almost takes me out.“I really appreciate it, sir. Thank you, sir.”He thanks me repeatedly, leaving me embarrassed. I wave my hand, smiling at his gesture at how he thanks me repeatedly for just a few dollar bills. I pick up my car keys and head out, bowing to the rain, which isn’t much but is beginning to wet me. I open the door of my car and hop in. The screen is blurry, and I activate the cleaner to wipe off the whole mess from the windscreen of the

MIRAI arrive home, but it’s near evening. I open the door and head to the kitchen, but the food I keep for Nora lies on the table untouched. What could be the problem?“Nora? Nora!” I call out in a sing-song, but there’s no response. I think maybe she disobeys my request and goes to school anyway, but she would’ve carried the food if that were the case. I open the door to her room, and my heart jumps at the sight of her lying in a pool of blood. I rush to her side immediately, shaking her slowly, but she’s unresponsive. Unconscious. My heart trembles at the sight. Her body is burning like it just came out of the oven. What could be the problem? All effort to stop the tears from falling is wasted. I rush out of the cabin to call for help at Mr. Steve’s, but he isn’t around. I put Nora on my back and tie her to me with a wrapper, firmly.I pedal harder than ever before, moving toward the clinic at the heart of the market. I stop slowly and carry her inside. The chemist, after checkin

MIRA(Few days later)The ride up the hill feels longer than it should. Inside, the car smells of thick leather and cool breeze from the AC oozing out of the mini air vent just in front of me. Everything about the car is flawless.Jerry sits beside me, with one hand steady on the steering wheel and the other tapping on his thigh. He keeps on staring at me one moment after another, and I know he wants to utter words to me, but my tightened jaw chases him away. The silence is loud, thick, and stretched.“Are we going to the nice man’s house?” Nora asks, breaking the silence with her soft voice, eyes raised wide with a glitter of hope in them.“Yes, bug,” I reply.I turn in her direction and throw a smile at her. A calm feeling starts from my toes and crawls up to my chest. Nora is finally getting better treatment and will be well in no time.“He wants us to live with him.”“He’s really a nice man. Right mister?” she asks, turning her gaze to Jerry, who looks at her from the rearview mir

MIRA (Two months later)“Morning Jerry, what’s this door?” I ask Jerry, who’s passing through the hallway with a cup of coffee in his right hand and his left hand in the pocket of his pajamas. I point at a door in the corner of the hallway. His hair is still messy and his eyes soft, like he’s just awakened.He halts, raising his cup of coffee as he gestures. “Morning Mira. Oh… that’s the library.”“We have a library?” I ask, my forehead squeezing slightly as my eyes shoot open.“Yes we do, dear. No one really reads in this house. Except Jackson. He’s been into old literature for a while now.” He ends.“Thanks Jerry. That’ll be all, Jerry.” My lips curve into a smile.“You’re welcome, your highness,” he mutters, making a bow with his head and gently walking away, footsteps thumping the hallway.As I look out of the window, I pause. My eyes catch sight of Jackson playing with Nora in the garden. “Is he trying to impress me?” I whisper. These days he barely speaks. He keeps his distance