Don't You Have Something to Say to Me?

The following day was Saturday, Eika finished the application form except for the last part. She wondered if she can get someone to sign it beside her parents. She shoved her application form inside her bag and went out of her room. She looked at the door beside her room. It seems like her parents are asleep. She headed toward the kitchen and cooked herself bacon and eggs. When she thought that she was alone, someone patted her shoulder.

"Good morning," Her father greeted, and Eika almost dropped the plate from shock. Her father caught in time and chuckled. "Careful now," he says.

"Dad! You scared me!" Eika exclaimed. She placed the plates down on the table, and her father went to his seat. He dismissively waved his hand and sniffed at the delicious smell of morning breakfast. Eika noticed the black circles under his eyes.

Her father works as a magazine editor. His deadline might be last night. It may not be obvious, but, her father is a well-respected man in his line of work considering English wasn't his first language, and yet he was hired by several publishing companies to edit their employees work to him.

"Bacon and eggs? You might have to step up. I can cook better than this," Her father boasted, and Eika smacked his shoulder lightly. She rolled her eyes and took a bite from her meal.

"Then you cook them! Oh, great, Gordon Ramsey!" Eika whined, and her father laughed out loud. He finished eating the meal except for the bacon. He set them aside on the plate.

"I don't know who that is," He joked, and both of them shared laughs. Eika has almost forgotten about her worries whenever her dad was around. She couldn't her eyes travel down to the empty pet bowl. She smiled softly remembering those times, too.

They both heard footsteps behind them and, Eika looked over her shoulder to find her mother standing there with hair rolls and a face mask. Eika lowered her eyes again.

"Hello, wife. You look beautiful, today," Her father teased, and Eika's mother glared down at him. She snapped her fingers and moved past him.

"I'm not in the mood," She said coldly and, he witnessed what happened. He stopped smiling and, he raised a questioning brow.

"What's going on?" He asked, but the question was for Eika rather than his wife. Eika couldn't help but sigh. She can feel her muscles tense and, she straightens up her back.

"I didn't eat dinner, last night," Eika responds, and her mother brewed herself some coffee and her father glanced at Eika.

"She didn't eat dinner last night," Her father repeated. "What's the problem?" He asked confused. Eika's mother eyes grew wide and, she settled down her mug with a loud thud and Eika was taken aback.

"Her health is the problem! Are we going to let it slide?" She exclaimed. That moment, Eika's dreams shattered again. All her worries flooded back again. She unknowingly clutched on her shirt.

"N-no," He stammered. He looked at his daughter, apologetically, he gave her a reassuring nod that he would talk to her mother, but Eika didn't catch it. Her mother's eyes fell upon the table. She took the plates and disposed of the bacon in the trash.

"If you ate dinner last night, you wouldn't need to cook food this early," Her mother stormed out of the room leaving the two behind in silence. Her father held Eika's soft hands and gave a sincere smile. "You know your mother, she cares," Her father comforted and, Eika forced a smile on her face.

"I know," She said out loud, but she was saying it to herself as reassurance. She couldn't exactly blame her father either since even he couldn't go against her mother.

Feeling guilty, her father stands up from the chair and stretch out his hand to her. "How about I take you to the city today?" He asked and, she raises her head. The moment the father and daughter's eyes meet, they knew they understood each other the most.

They drive away from the house and Eika buckled up on her seat. The car window slides down and, the wind blew past her hair. She was here yesterday in the city, and, no one in the family knows. She's in awe of the same scenery she saw yesterday. Tall buildings, billboards, street performers, and the Iceberg store. She glances down at her bag, remembering the application form. She rests her hands by the window and sighs.

They stop over at a small music shop where they sell cheap guitars, drums, and pianos. They would visit whenever her father doesn't have work to do. Eika walked toward the piano and played the keys smoothly with her delicate fingers. Her father watched her from behind while Howard, the owner of the shop comes out of the office to greet the two.

"Look at that kid go," Howard remarked and, her father agreed. Eika didn't listen to them talk and, she continued to play the piano with the melodies she couldn't play beforehand. Her fingers released the worries she felt and allowed them to drown out but with each light tap on the key. She's reminded of the application. She pressed on the wrong note, which is a first.

"Too much enthusiasm?" Howard raised an eyebrow at her, and Eika frowned. She cocked her head to the side and closed the piano. She caught her father observing her, but he was able to cover it up quickly. He murmured something under his breath but, Eika couldn't figure what it was. He ranted in another language. Probably Chinese.

Her father stopped ranting after he noticed everyone was looking at him. He coughed, "Any guitars I can borrow?" He asked, and Howard frowned.

"This is a shop! Not a rental place!" He whined, but Eika's father was out of sight. He went inside the office. Eika figured that it's okay if she didn't stop her father from going inside. He and Howard go way back, at least, that's what her father told him. Eika glanced at her backpack, she nodded to herself and walked towards Howard after he cleaned up the piano that Eika used.

"Uncle Howard? Can I ask you something?" Eika began, and Howard stopped stacking up some boxes and, he dusted off his fingers. "Make it quick, and no, I won't give the piano to you for free," He added.

Eika slapped her cheeks. "No! I mean, well, can you give your signature for free?" She said sheepishly, and Howard grew suspicious. He raised a brow.

"Why do you need it?" Howard asked, growing interested in the topic. Eika was backed in the corner of anxiety. She gulped. She clutched her backpack and was about to take out the application form. Howard stared down at her eyes. He can see the fear in her eyes, it was the same eyes he had years ago. "You can ask your father, kid. I have no time for a trip to the theatre,"

Eika fell back at the floor and gasped in shock. How did he know right away? Howard smirked at her reaction but, he didn't say anything more. Eika's father showed up again in the main lobby. Eika stood up preventing her father from being suspicious. She's starting to give up hope. Was it alright to tell her father?

Before she can say anything more. Her father tapped her shoulder, "Ho, we're leaving!"

"Don't come back! I'm tired of seeing your faces!" Howard called back and, the door closes with a small chime. Eika and, her father shared silence again. Her eyes travel up to her father and, he looks down at her too.

"Don't you have something to say to me?" They both said at the exact same time.