True Lights

When true lights go out, it isn’t the darkness that consumes us. It is the flashes of what left to witness.

Eric had left his house fifteen days ago and went back to his city apartment, 

back to the struggles. Call it a childish action or a result of outrage, it was the only thing he could think of when his father brought home a woman and her two kids with the news of his future marriage. The yelling of his father, the dismayed look on his future stepmother was the last he remembered before leaving because if not anything, he could not accept that particular woman as his stepmother as he already knew her. However, time had arrived to face those faces again, which once comforted him with warmth and now was on bad terms. He became ready for the ‘understanding’ if that’s what fate desired. 

His bus was late at arrival. The sun went down already. His house stood in front of him. Eric exhaled some courage and knocked on the door, all he could hear was a rumbling chaos of excitement until rushing footsteps appeared and the door opened. It was his all-time beautiful Grace. “Hey, Grace” smiling, he said. 

Her happiness came down to tears flashing on her brown eyes as her arms couldn’t resist another moment of wait and hugged him longingly. He was set at surprise with a little fluster. Her body gave the mild sweet scent he hasn’t smelled for months long. Then again, he reminded himself, how inappropriate it was to think such for his future STEPMOTHER. 

She let go, pulled him inside straight to the living room as if she was to 

introduce a new family member. 

“Ah, here he is” his father cried from the sofa. His beard had grown since the last time, greyer this time but a fine he always was, always will. 

“ Eric!” said his younger stepbrother too with excitement rushing to him with wide arm and hugged him. Eric picked him up and hugged back, like his own 

little brother he was already. Even though the marriage was about to take place, what he saw was already a perfect family. 

Eric demanded his room immediately. Grace smiled to his demand and took 

him upstairs. He entered his room, just the exact how he left it but what caught his eye was the shut door opposite to his. It now belonged to his stepsister –Evelyn. She was inside, didn’t even bother to meet. 

His bag went over the bed, and Grace had to leave him alone. They walked 

until his doorsteps, however just before closing, she grabbed his palm. 

“I-I am very glad you came on a quick call. It was very important for you to 

come.” She spoke very softly, while looking at the floor and left without 

another word. 

Grace was still the exact how he always knew her, even before the shocking news. Always kind and caring no matter what the calamity, but the memories he held of her, or bestowed of him were not kind or caring, not anymore. 

Eric brought luggage for only a day or two at maximum but seeing the 

atmosphere and seeing Grace again, duration turned doubtful. The night had raised and with the darkness brought thundering with it. The shores behind their house rumbled to its rhythm too. 

Eric walked downstairs after a change of clothes. He could hear his fellows

laughing in the living room. Mostly his father whose laughs he couldn’t trace 

since his mother’s death. He gained a family again, maybe that’s all that 

matters. He rushed to join the fun but as soon as he stepped in, everything went BLACK. 

“Why did the lights go out?” David cried. 

“Damn power outage. It ruined everything. ” his father exclaimed. 

“Mom!” Eve cried from above creaking at the top stair. For a social geek, 

lights going out were a big thing for her. She was hurrying carelessly to get to others and Eric was just below. “Eve, Let me help you get down.” He gently 

slid his hand around her palm to prevent from falling. 

She shook his hand away for her, “I can walk myself Eric.”

The family reunited in the living room. Their plan of an amazing night –

ruined. They had flashlights running but the mood of a blast went away with the lights. They lost hope, however his father wasn’t ready for losing yet. He camp up with camping in the back yard. The clouds kept thundering far away, their back yard was wide enough to carry out the idea and based on the clearing sky it would be convenient. Like hell anyone waited for his conclusion, everyone agreed. 

Things went outside, tables were pulled out. David’s pre-adventurous 

excitement made him exhaust over working, everyone laid hands together into a warm atmosphere that slowly blended in. It didn’t take long to settle outside. 

The wind had a chill, the night glittered in vague stars. Eric noticed how delighted everyone looked. The reattachment at its mending end, but at what cost?. Grace was smiling at him, she always did ever since he arrived. 

“If that’s what it needs, so be it” Eric whispered to himself after looking at 

everyone. 

The luscious food plated over the table with drinks and a camping light at the 

middle. A fire lit beside the table too – to heat palms. Everyone dug into the 

food after their hard work. Eric, his father and Grace cheered their bottles of beer together before digging in. The laughs resumed, a blissful wind 

surrounded the night with drinks and food, and games and chattering. Maybe the power outage was the best thing to happen anyway. How smoothly a family blend in, Eric kept wondering only.

“Eric, you should stay at least for a week.” His father said. 

“Yes of course Eric, y-you should stay. Please” Grace excitedly agreed too. 

Her cheeks gained a fluster and her lips hung loose, that’s what happens when a sober woman drinks. 

“I guess I can, it’s not impossible if I delay my work.” Eric said, much to their pleasure. David probably drowned himself with his favourite cold drinks. Eve praised her new father sitting next to him. How night moved so quick into deeper was unknown. David fell asleep and Eric carried him to his room. Only four of them remained and only three in complete consciousness, perhaps. Eric’s father opened his entire treasure of brands to them. Where Eric could hold still, Grace was slightly slipping. He looked around at her and by time, her smile was slowly fading away. Her cheeks burning red and her tongue moistening her lips when she quietly gave a vague yet true look at him. Right then, those eyes opened the floodgates of a thousand memories that stung his mind. Her eyes wouldn’t move away from his eyes and then, she slowly shaped her lips to some words. Eric froze for a second and finally, the table light too came at verge of blinking its end. 

“Looks like its about to die” Eve said. 

“I’ll go and get the batteries. Eric stood up and said. So did Grace to 

accompany her. 

They walked inside with a flashlight as Grace slowly moved forward to the kitchen.. There were many shelves to search for, even higher ones, which Grace couldn’t reach. She tried all she could to search its platform but all of a sudden Eric appeared right behind and slid his hand over hers and 

took out the batteries. That scent sweet scent again, how mesmerizing. Their visuals were darkened, only by touch and the luring smell of each other entangled within the slight ray of moonlight passed onto them. 

“H-here you have it.” Eric slowly let his words touch her ear amongst the 

silence. She wasn’t facing at all. “Grace?” 

She finally turned to him, her cheeks were red and those brown eyes were 

looking up at him, those plump lips were heaving warm breathe. 

“Eric, I have to-

Eric pulled her to his arms and pushed his lips against hers. Her eyes widen in surprise but as his lips blend in with hers, it was already too late to resist. She slid her arms around her back and savoured his taste. They slowly parted lips. 

“I missed you a lot.” Eric said. 

“I missed you too, Eric” she said clutching into his shirt. “I am so sorry, Eric. I betrayed you. I am just so sorry” she rest her head against his chest. He said nothing. 

“Why don’t say something? You even left without saying anything, it only left me hating myself even more.” Tears splashed in her bright eyes eagerly looking at him. 

“Don’t hate yourself. It was only convenient wasn’t it? David and Eve needs my father’s support, it’s just what a mother thought would be the best for her kids.” Eric gently said. 

“And what about you?” she softly asked. No matter how convinced the mother was, whenever Grace held Eric to her she was nothing more than an ordinary woman, who was drowning in grief. 

Eric smiled, placed his palm over her flustering cheek. “Your always thinking about others.” Saying this, he pecked her lips once again, one last time maybe. 

She let herself loosen in his touch once again. All of a sudden a sound creaked from behind, like someone else was there. 

It was Eve standing at the entrance. Grace parted from Eric immediately and moved forward towards her “Eve, what are you doing here?” 

“You still love him don’t you? Nothing has changed” her anger mirrored clear through her words as she walked back instantly. Grace followed her in order to talk and settle the matter. It had to be done before it could take any worse shape. She leaped forward right before Eve exited to the backyard. Grace grabbed her arm.

“Let me go” Eve yelled and jerked off her hand yet stopped. The air outside 

changed completely. 

“What happened?” her father stood up in caution immediately after hearing her yell. Eric rushed out as well. 

“Eve, please stop it” Grace lowered her voice and requested her daughter not to go any further at any cost. Her hands were shaking, but Eve was too stubborn to understand any of her words. 

“Eve, what’s wrong?” her father slowly moved closer to his daughter. 

“How long? How long do we have to act as a normal family? All this betraying smiles and laughs, its killing me” Eve finally snapped. 

“Stop it Eve” Grace said at once with a much louder voice. 

“This is all just an act, these two have betrayed us.” Eve turned aside “Mom is having an affair with Eric and she-

Grace dashed in and slapped her right across her face. 

Everyone froze in that instant. Not in his life, Eric ever thought Grace would 

hit her daughter but she did. Why does it have to turn this bad?. Eve lost 

thinking for a while before she slowly came back to senses.

Her father slowly placed his palms over her shoulder “Eve, you should go to your room.”

Eve turned her face towards him immediately and asked “Did you know 

father?” 

“Go to your room” he replied gently. His words just wouldn’t register well, he knew and she left betrayed by all of them. She quietly went inside. Not only Eve, Eric was at shock as well. He couldn’t believe his words so he asked the same question “Did you know?” He then looked at Grace “How does he 

know?” He received no reply but was told to sit down right when Grace slowly left as well. Everything broke down so quick. 

“I am going to see Eve” she softly said and left the backyard. 

“After you left, I found out about and Grace, she told me everything. I couldn’t get over it. Maybe Eve was right, all of this was just an act” Eric’s father said calmly with a chuckle to himself. Eric couldn’t figure what to speak. 

The silent night had finally turned to its true face, one that never felt silence. Over the last fifteen days not an ounce of peace dwindled around that backyard, that house for those who knew. 

“Eric, there is no other relation between me and Grace either than being a father to her kids. Don't blame her for this. She only did what a mother would do for her kids, by slowly slaying that ordinary woman who dared to love.” His father spoke gently. 

“I never blamed her. She did what she thought was right for Evelyn and David, and maybe for herself too” Eric said with a light chuckle of grief. His father shook his head with a sigh. 

“That’s why I called you here, because I want to leave the decision to you now. Would you let that woman die who dared to love?” 

Eric grit his teeth, the time to decide the fate of her and himself was much 

more cruel. “Maybe if she stays with him, she will grow affection for him 

eventually, everything changes with time anyway. What can I do? Even if I 

want to be with her. I still couldn’t be the reliable person like my dad. Its hard but its my choice.” He talked to himself and stood up with a decision. After what occurred, it had to be done, for her and for himself. 

Eric went inside, walked upstairs and entered Eve’s room in search of her. 

“Where’s Grace?” Eric asked when all he could see was Eve sitting alone in 

her bed. 

“She went out. I-I made her sad.” She said softly with tone of slight regret. 

“She was ready to sacrifice her love just for you two. She never deserved this” Saying this, he left. Eve sat rethinking.

 Grace was not in the house so he rushed outside. Out to the beach, amongst the shore he could see a figure sitting on the sand. It was she. He rushed to her immediately. As soon as she heard footsteps she wiped off her tears and turned her face, Eric stopped, heaving. He sat down beside her. The dark silence prevailed for a little more. Just for the Eric and Grace. 

“Do you love me Grace?” Eric went straight with his words. His firm look was amazing for her although it was out of blue. 

“I do” she replied softly. He turned towards her immediately.

“Then listen to what I say. I have decided finally what to do but it will be difficult for both of us.” 

Her eyes – fixed at his sparkling eyes as he spoke. “I will leave tomorrow.” 

She clutched into her dress, it was as she feared.

“And when I return I will marry you. I cannot let you go so I will return as the reliable person whom you and your kids would admire. I want you to believe in me because the wait won’t be any easy. Still, will you wait for me?”

The waves hit the land as loud as possible, the wind was howling massively but all he could see and hear was the gorgeous smile in her face and her gentle reply “Yes I will.” 

The power outage remained only for some hours yet it felt eternal. Within 

those few lightless hours, it was enough to change lives, which were hesitating to cross its fate and take a step.