Trust Breaker

"Mum?" I yelled, as I stood in front of the work-desk in my living room. In front of me was a picture, of my mum with a guy. But it wasn't my dad.

"Yes, dear?" My mum answered, "What is it? I'm cooking dinner," she continued. My eyebrows shot up as my brain made connections. "Can you come here for a second, mum?" I yelled back.

A patter of footsteps and a string of curses later, mum arrived, panting. "Did you just run a marathon, mum?" I said, incredulously. She shook her head and frowned, "Enough jokes, what did you want to tell me?" She put the question rather cold.

"This," I said, pointing at the picture. Mum's eyes widened, filled with tears, emptied then she dropped the spatula she was holding in her right hand.

"Mum?" I asked, concerned, and I approached her. "Mum, are you okay?" I asked, more desperately, now, for she had gone a deadly pale. I was afraid she might have a heart attack, or a stroke, or something critical like that.

She nodded, er mouth agape. ''I- I think it's time for you to know,'' She said, before collapsing backwards. Good news, I was so close to her that I managed, though barely, to catch her before she reached the hard floor.

I wrapped an arm around her torso and heaved her weight to the sofa. She slumped onto the couch, her chest rising and falling rapidly, her eyes glazed with... fear?

Then I knew something was off, for mum was unafraid of anything and had taught me to learn to be fearless too, for it'll be something precious for me when I get older.

There were rare times when she fell and had her eyes wide with fear like this, and the only time it had happened was when the biggest tragedy of my life struck our small family of three.

My father was driving home from work, when he spotted a police car in the right side-view mirror, its sirens blaring, red and blue lights dazzling the road.

Father panicked and thought the police were after him, though he was sure he hadn't done anything wrong. I assumed he has questions running along his head like,

"Did I pass the speed limit?"

"Did I took a wrong turn?"

"Did I offend my boss?"

Father had panicked even more as the police car swerved dangerously close towards his car. Father had taken a hard turn and crashed into the road divider and he died at the spot.

Mum had turned pale with fear as she passed out from the devastating news. When she regained consciousness, her pupils were wide as she demanded to see her husband.

That was the only time mum had lost control and let all her fear reign chaos in her life.

But now, now it happens again.

I hastily ran to the kitchen to grab a glass of water for mum, for I know, through the father's incident, that water soothes mum's nerves far better than my positive affirmations.

I handed the glass to her, and she gulped deeply. Then, she took a hold of my wrists and said, "Your father will be sad, when he hears this, way up in heaven, dear. Are you sure you want to know?"

I nod, my pulse oddly quickening. ''That was my ex.'' Four words tumbled out of my mum's lips. Her voice was hardly a whisper, but I was close to her, so I could hear them clearly.

"The police were trying to catch my ex the day your father died." She continued, and waves of shock, repulse and sadness crashed into me.

"W- What?" I said, my eyes stretched as wide as a coin. Mum nodded grimly, her face still pale, though her eyes seemed to be back to normal.

"My ex was the sole reason your father died.'' Mum said. I jumped off the sofa, shrieking, "My father?! Mum, are you out of your mind?! My father is your husband!! What?! Are you still in love with your ex?!'' The words spilled out of my mouth, jumbled up and crazy.

I might've sounded pathetic just then, and looking back on it now, my words were totally cringy. But what mum said had changed my life, turned my world upside down and shattered all my love and trust for mum.

I couldn't believe it. People have labelled me as 'smart' and/or 'witty', and I guess I believed it, for at that specific moment, my wits came to work.

All this time, all this damn time, that mum had left for so-called 'work' at a office whose name is unbeknownst to me, she has been meeting with her former-boyfriend, the guy she dated before meeting with father.

So, all this time I had been lied to, betrayed, and the worst thing was my father. Father, whom I loved, whom I cared and respected. Father who died.

Mum had seemed so shocked and scared when father died, but it turns out, it was all faked and a petty act. Mum didn't give a single thought about father, for she loved Tom the Criminal.

Actually, mum's ex's name isn't Tom, but it's a simple name, and I'll use it as an example.

Anyways, back to the past.

I staggered backwards and pointed an accusing finger at mum, my eyebrows furrowed with anger. ''How dare you call yourself MY MUM???'' I scoffed loudly before continuing, "And I was immensely stupid t believe it!"

I threw my hands in the air as a gesture of self-pity and despair. Then, I ran to the telephone and dialled in 911. Mum had lurched up and forward, grabbing my wrist tight and not allowing me to call the police.

I had wrenched my arm back, thinking that mum's touch was unworthy. Mum's touch, mum's hands. Mum's skin was the first thing that touched with mine.

I had loved her, believed her, respected and admired her as my role model. And now, it turns out all her 'love' for me was faked, was acted. Just an interfering part of her dramatic play.

That very day, I had packed my bags and moved out. Where? I didn't know, but I ended up stumbling up the front porch steps of my best friend, Maria's house and ringing on her bell.

Her mother answered the door, and invited me in, looking concerned. My mum used to look concerned, too, but not anymore.

At Maria's house, I had told Maria and her parents all about my mum and the crimes she and 'Tom' did. Maria's dad had immediately phoned the police and after that, everything that happened was just a dark blur:

Mum was arrested.

Held for trial.

Was exposed.

Found guilty.

And put in a cell right in front of Tom's, who was caught a mere, few weeks ago.

Mum and Tom, criminal and partners. My mum deserved to be locked up in jail just as much as any other murderer would. My mum murdered my love for her, and caused me to lose all trust int his world.

I'm still fighting through, trying to fix my post-tragedy trauma, and my friend Maria and her family has welcomed me into their home, by adopting me.

Maria's how my sister, and I have loving parents that I admire and trust. This story goes to show that the world is cruel, and in some cases, the people in it are just as cruel.

I have lost my trust, and ever since then, I have had many meetings with my therapist, Miss Biggins, who's a very kind woman, short and stout and understanding.

Coincidentally, short and stout described my mother perfectly, and so, I learned to love Miss Biggins as much as I love my adopted mother, Mama Valdez.

I love Latino food, by the way, and got used to it because Maria and her family are Latino.

Goodbye, now, for Mama is calling me to dinner, she's cooking special tamales for my birthday.