Chapter 2: The storm

Amidst the heavy fall thunderstorm, bolts of lightning illuminated the already dark and gloomy skies. Chris's gaze had never left the window. He was at home with just his mother, waiting for the arrival of his dad from work. Feeling scared, he ran towards his mom for a cuddle.

"Mom, why isn't dad home yet? It's raining crazily outside. Look! There's even lightning. Ahhhh!! It's so near!" cried the nine-year-old Chris.

Mama Lu embraced her son's warm and soft body while repeatedly comforting him.

"No worries, honey. Dad must be driving slowly. See the rain? The road is slippery; that's why he's a bit late."

"How late? I'm sleepy, and I need daddy to tell me stories."

"Hush now, little baby. Let's settle down and wait for a while more, okay?"

Both Mama Lu and Chris huddled together at their family's favorite spot, where they usually hung out. Not long after, they heard the sound of a car pulling up in the front porch. Chris bolted out of his mother's warm embrace and immediately opened the door. Mama Lu smiled at his antics.

"Hey, little buddy, where's your mother?"

"Mom…" cried Chris from the front door.

Mama Lu was startled. Chris had never screamed like that before. She hurriedly walked to Chris.

"Wh-who are you?" asked Mama Lu to the man wearing a nice blue uniform.

"Ma'am, is this the house of Mr. Lu?"

"Yes, I'm his wife," said Mama Lu calmly.

"May I know why you're asking?"

Mama Lu had a bad premonition. However, as the matriarch of the aristocratic Lu family, she knew she needed to stay calm and composed.

"I'm sorry. I bear heavy news that your husband has been in an accident and has unfortunately passed away. My condolences."

The minute Mama Lu heard that, she felt her knees turn weak. She fell to the ground with a thump, no longer having the ability or willingness to keep her composure. Tears poured down her cheeks as heavily as the sky poured currently.

Chris was frozen.

I might have heard that man wrong. No. Nothing has happened to daddy. He was smiling when he left for work this morning. I waved and kissed him goodbye. He kissed my forehead as always. They must have been wrong!

The scene from this morning flashed through Chris's eyes. He remembered their typical mornings, the smell of coffee, the buttery eggs on toast, all of it. He couldn't believe anything right now.

The next thing he heard was the sound of multiple cars screeching. Many messy footsteps amidst screaming voices woke him up from the trance. He saw a bulky man dragging his mother away from the floor, screaming and blaming his poor mother.

He knew that man. He saw him when they went to the old residence on the other side of the mountain. It's his grandfather.

Daddy had always hated his side of the family. They were rigid and full of protocols. Grandfather sat high in the monarch chair, and nobody was allowed to deny his wishes.

Chris remembered his daddy telling him that his grandfather was very strict. That's why his father decided to move their family of three outside the old residence.

Daddy Lu was the sweetest, most kind father Chris had ever wanted. He loved his wife more than anything. Maybe because he grew up not having enough fatherly affection, he treated Chris as affectionate as possible.

He arranged boys' day out, they ran around the house while teasing Mama Lu, they went fishing, he taught Chris how to ride a bike, and many more.

It seemed trivial to others, but for Daddy Lu, it was something he yearned for when he was a child. Their household was nothing but laughter all day long.

Chris was mad when he saw how they belittled his mom. She did not deserve any of this. He knew that he must rise to be a man right now, even if he was still a child a while ago.