Lucca's Story Part 2
By jenyf86
The day after my eighth birthday, my father, Taban started constructing a new invention of his. He just loved science and was always up to making new inventions. This time he was going to create a big machine. I didn’t know what it was and he didn’t want anyone to know what it was either. He would reveal the big secret only once it was finished. He worked on it for some time, about a week before he got a break. For one week he would only come to dinner and would go to bed so late and get up so early I almost never saw him.
My father only stopped because he had promised to take me to Crono’s birthday party. He hurried me over and left immediately as I was inside. He didn’t even take the time to wish Crono a happy birthday.
I had a good time at the party, forgetting for a while my father’s attitude. When it was time to leave, I volunteered to help Crono and his mother for the cleanup. Once Crono and I were alone, I talked to him.
"Crono, what should I do?" I asked him, after explaining my father’s attitude.
"I don’t know," Crono replied. "Maybe you should try and talk to him about what you feel. Then he won’t be as preoccupied."
"No, that’s not it. Science is his whole life."
"You can still try," Crono suggested.
I thought it over while going home. My dad was one of the only men in Truce who was interested in science. He was the only genius. In fact, I kind of wanted to be known, like him. The problem was, I completely disliked science.
When I got home, I reached a conclusion: I was going to talk to my dad about his attitude when he worked. But as I opened the door, he rushed to me, crying, "It’s complete! Finally! Lucca you won’t believe it! I’ve finally finished my invention!"
"Dad, wait, I need to talk to you," I said desperately as he rushed out the door.
"Not now, Lucca! I have to go tell my friends about this!" He rushed off, without even saying goodbye.
I wanted to cry. I ran up to my room and shut the door. My mother, who had heard me, came up a while later. "It’s okay, honey. Tell me what’s wrong," she said softly, holding me in her arms and stroking my hair so I would calm down.
"It’s just… it’s just that I want daddy to pay more attention to me, to you. He’s always in his new projects, always busy. And I wanted to tell him that, but he didn’t even have time for me. What should I do mommy?" I asked her, tears running down my face.
"You know, when I first met your father, I knew what it would be like. He was always busy. But when you were born, I can tell you, I won’t forget the look on his face. He was the happiest man in the world. And he loves you, Lucca. He cares for us both more than anything else in the world." She looked at me, making me smile. When she saw I was better, she said, "Let’s go down to the kitchen. Help me bake some cookies."
Once the cookies were ready, we both went to the living room. I started playing a solitary card game, and my mom went to dust my dad’s machine, which was in the middle of the living room. Suddenly her skirt caught in the machine.
"Oh no! My skirt! It’s stuck!"
Suddenly, the machine started up. The conveyor belt started pulling my mother down.
"Lucca, help! My skirt won’t get out!"
I was scared like I would never be in my life. My mind raced. The belt kept advancing towards the two poles on the machine. I could see blades just before the poles. My mother was getting closer and closer and I was unable to help. I started screaming, realizing my mother could die. I remembered a sheet of paper with my mother’s name lying on the kitchen table, but I didn’t know what it meant. My mother was getting closer! I screamed and screamed. I called desperately for help, but no one heard me. I was crying. I couldn’t think straight anymore. I tried to get the skirt out. I thought about cutting it so my mother would be free. But I didn’t find any scissors. I couldn’t remember where they were. And they whole time I was crying and screaming for help. My mother and I tried to rip the skirt apart, but neither one of us had enough strength.
My mother pushed me out of the way; she fell down on the belt and screamed. Her skirt was being ripped to shreds as it passed through the blades. Then to my horror, my mother’s feet were being ripped apart. Her legs passed through the blades. She was screaming in pain and horror.
My father burst through the door; he’d heard the screams and he had come back. He ran over to the control panel and punched in some buttons. The machine stopped immediately. But it was too late for my mother’s legs. My father took my mother in his arms and carried her unconscious body outside. He mounted his horse and left. He told me to go to Crono’s house and wait for him to come back.
I ran, sobbing to my best friend’s house. Crono’s mother answered the door and took me in, trying to calm my sobs. I choked out what happened; Crono’s mother was horrified. Crono himself was as shocked as she was. They tried consoling me, but it didn’t work. I wanted my father to come back and tell me everything was okay, tell me it didn’t happen, that it was just a very, very bad dream.
But it didn’t work out that way. I passed the night at Crono’s house, finally managing to fall asleep. The next morning, my father arrived. He told me what the doctors had said: my mother would live, but she would never be able to walk again. I started crying. I was glad my mother would live, but I was also sad; never being able to walk would mean she couldn’t take me to the store with her anymore, she wouldn’t be able to put me to bed. There were a lot more things.
My father took me to the hospital that afternoon. I saw my mom. I saw only half her body. Her legs were completely gone. She could barely move. I was so shocked; I had never seen a crippled person before. I was afraid. I forced myself to not cry, though.
After a few days, my mother came out of the hospital; she was in a wheelchair. It took us all a couple of months to get used to the situation. After the incident, I vowed to myself I would be a great scientist and inventor. I would create a lot of useful things for humans. I worked by my father’s side, always learning more.
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