I still remember that day.
The day I first heard him cry. I cried too.
The day I first held him hand. His hand was so soft and tiny.
The day I first held him in my arms. His body was so small and felt so warm.
The day I first saw his face. That sleeping little face truly soothed my heart.
Ah, I was so happy. No, we were. We were so happy. Smiling with tears of joy, we promised in our hearts that we would always love him and protect him with everything we had.
But we broke that promise. When our lives turned to rock bottom, we felt devastated. People say money isn't everything. But in reality, that's just empty talk. What doesn't need money in this world?
The sun seemed to never shine again in our eyes. The people we once considered friends were just strangers full of empty talk. Instead of help, we received only ridicule behind our backs. The world seemed filled with darkness. And only hatred was visible in our eyes. The world that once seemed beautiful was now truly suffocating. All we felt was anger and hatred. Just wanting to destroy everything in front of us.
Ah, but we should never have done that. No matter how angry we felt. No matter how much hatred we had. It shouldn't have happened. He was innocent.
I still remember that day. The first time that face that always smiled brightly cried with sadness. Just because the fish he kept died.
Ah, I don't like it. Don't make such a sad expression. My heart ached seeing him.
But now I was the one who made him sad. Not only sad but also afraid.
I still remember that day.
The day I first hit him. The little body that I cared for with love was hurt. I did it. The eyes that always looked at me with warmth now showed something different. I did it.
Why? I don't know. What did he do wrong to deserve being hit? I don't know. My hands were shaking. Why did I do it? I don't know. I really don't know. Ah, he was crying. I should hug him. But why did I hit him again? Why did I scream and tell him to be quiet? Ah, it felt suffocating. So suffocating. I hate it. What do I hate? Everything, I hate everything. I hate him. I can't stop.
He's in pain. I know. But why are my eyes filled with hatred for him? My mind is in turmoil. I love him. No, why should I love him? If he weren't here, my life wouldn't be like this. Yes, it's all because of him. My mind has been warped.
The father and mother who were supposed to protect him are now hurting him. As time goes by, the abuse has gotten worse. We are now terrifying monsters to him.
But why? Why doesn't he cry anymore after being beaten like that? Why doesn't he say anything? His eyes that look at me feel familiar. Ah, those eyes are a warm and loving gaze. Why? Why doesn't he hate me? Please hate me! Hate us! Don't spare any affection for us.
Then, that day we decided to end everything.
His mother, who was supposed to take care of him, left him without saying goodbye to her son. She left him with his drunken father. After that loud argument, his father couldn't control his anger. He drank more and drowned in his drunkenness.
Who knows what he was thinking. When he saw his son enter the house, his anger immediately exploded. The child, who knew nothing, had been beaten so severely. His father, seeing his small body lying there, didn't feel any pity for him. Instead, he dragged his own son, locked him up, and left. No one came back for him.
...
The sight of the small body covered by the white cloth made them instantly freeze. They refused to believe who was behind the white cloth. With mixed expressions, they both removed the white cloth. Instantly, they fell to their knees to see a face that was all too familiar. Hysterical cries erupted from both of them. It was too late to cry.
"What have we done..." It was too late to regret it.
"Sorry... I'm sorry..." It was too late to apologize to him.
The neighbor man immediately grabbed the child's father by the collar.
"Why? Why are you crying now? What about the one who cried back then?"
"Why are you only apologizing to him now? When he can no longer speak?!"
The man was so upset and began to rage, holding back tears.
"Damn it!" The man began to beat the child's father.
"Damn you two!!"
The child's father silently cried as he took the blow. Officers who witnessed it immediately separated them.
"You killed him!!!" Hearing the man's screams, the child's father and mother could only cry and beat their own heads.
"Yes, I killed him. We killed him!" The child's mother and father began laughing maniacally and screaming. They didn't deserve to cry, let alone receive forgiveness from the son they had killed themselves.
Police officers found the mother outside the city and the father gambling somewhere. A trial was held, and both parents were sentenced to fifteen years in prison.
In that cold prison, they both continued to remember their actions. When they remembered that cold, small hand, they would become hysterical. They became depressed and began hallucinating. They often fell ill and sometimes tried to commit suicide. But they always failed because when they tried to do so, they would see their son's face, telling them that it was their punishment. Tormented by memories was more terrifying than death.
That was their last year in prison. In two weeks, they would be released. But what was the point of their freedom now? Insanity had gripped their necks, leaving them with no will to live. Their once youthful bodies had aged. Their strength had vanished.
"Maybe if he were still alive, he would be an adult by now."
At the same time, their mother experienced a headache so severe that she suffered a nosebleed and collapsed. And their father experienced chest pain that he vomited blood. In the waning slits of consciousness, they smiled through tears.
"This pain is nothing compared to what he's feeling."
"Forgive me, forgive us." Their suffering might end now.
"Can this be over? Can we see him just once?"
As their consciousness began to fade, they saw someone reaching out a hand to them. Their vision was blurry.
The small hand seemed familiar. They took it. The owner's face smiled warmly at them both.
"Sorry... forgive Mom... forgive Dad..."
The small, warm hand wiped away their tears. Without saying anything and just smiling, the child took his parents' hands and pulled them out of the darkness.
-End-