February 14th.
A date that could mean different things depending on the place where the person was located.
In some places, it meant completely nothing as it was just another normal day.
In Theo's past life, this date represented the Valentine's Day. A day dedicated exclusively to celebrating the love between people. Lovers would celebrate their love on this exact date.
But in the Sakura Abode Country, February 14th had a completely different meaning.
The Visiting Day held a special meaning for the Sakurean citizens. And the reason was simple, it was because it was on this day that each person would visit the loved ones who left this world already.
On this day, every year, each cemetery would receive droves of people coming to visit their loved ones.
Each visit would be a mix of happiness and sadness.
The happiness to visit the person they loved and share the latest news from their lives. And the sadness and pain from their separation.
The night before the Visiting Day.Among the millions and millions around the country who planned to visit their loved ones tomorrow.
There was one person who still hadn't decided yet if he should go or not.
Jonah Bates was a 25-year-old youth. He worked as a Patrol Cop after graduating from the police academy 5 years ago.
Jonah was an introverted and close person, and his colleagues rarely have seen with anyone. But that was because he carried secret that tormented each second of his existence.
He was extremely skilled in hiding the enormous pain and guilt he felt inside.
But on that Saturday Night, after 5 years of holding in, his facade threatened to break as he stared at the screen of his phone.
The screen showed a picture of a happy teenage girl.
['My Beautiful Sister' is Calling]
Jonah looked at his phone as he recalled the time when his baby sister changed her name on his phone.
He slowly picked up the ringing phone as he couldn't decide if he should answer or not.
But he took it so long that the call ended before he answered.
Jonah was left confused for a few minutes before he noticed that his sister had left a voice message for him.
His lips trembled as he struggled to hold on to his emotions before pressing to hear her message.
"Jonah, please pick up the phone. All of us miss you so much..." The sad voice of a girl sounded in the empty apartment.
It was at that moment that a lonely tear breached Jonah's struggles as it shed itself from his eye.
The line was silent for a while before the girl's voice was heard once again, "Tomorrow we'll visit Mum at 3 pm in the afternoon. I'm sure she would be happy to hear what you have been doing in the last few years. Dad doesn't say it, but he would be so happy if we all visited Mom this year..."
"Anyways, we'll be waiting for you. I love you, big brother."
The voice message ended with that.
The pain inside Jonah only increased as he heard those words.
Almost like a robot, he stood up and sat on his couch to watch TV. But even though his eyes were on the TV program, his mind was elsewhere.
His mind was on that cursed day when everything went wrong.
Jonah was always a rebellious teenager as he grew up. He gave a lot of trouble to his parents. Low grades in school, skipping classes, involving himself with bad companies, and other bad things were things that were constant for teenager Jonah.
This meant that Jonah had several discussions with his parents as he grew up.
But even after numerous discussions, Jonah still loved his parents. And his parents never gave up on trying to make Jonah take the right path as they loved him with all they had.
Having said that, we can come back to the day everything changed.
Jonah had just finished high school as a 20-year-old after repeating a few years due to his low grades. Jonah's mom decided to put her son on the right track, so after talking with a few of her friends, she managed to put Jonah into the police academy in a program for delinquent youths.
She believed that after being disciplined in the academy, Jonah could become a better person. As it was a special program, Jonah had no means of rejecting it.
As expected, when Mrs. Bates informed Jonah about it, he became extremely furious before storming off.
But before leaving, he said extremely cruel words.
"You know what? I wish you weren't my mother! I hate you so much! I despise you from the bottom of my being. I wish you just die horribly and painfully."
He screamed those words with a cruel voice as he enjoyed the look of pain he inflicted on his mother with those words.
Just like that, he left the house furiously.
But who would've thought that those words would be the last words he would ever speak to his mother?
A couple of hours later, Mrs. Bates was driving home from the grocery store when her car was hit by a drunk driver killing her instantly.
A couple of hours after the accident, Jonah's sister called him and told him the news.
It was at that moment that his heart broke into thousands of pieces.
His life went by his eyes as he remembered all the care that his mother gave to him. But he repeatedly ignored her pleas and acted even more rebeliously. All she ever wanted was for him to live a better life, but he never cared.
What was worse was the pain of knowing that his mother died with his cruel words still fresh
In her mind.
"Mom..." That day Jonah cried until he became numb.
But ever since that day, Jonah learned to hold in his emotions. He learned to never show how much pain he felt inside.
Jonah wore a numb and cold expression even during the day his mother was buried.
Afterward, all he wanted was to escape from his family, he couldn't bear to live near his family knowing how much pain he inflicted on his mother before she died.
That's why he joined the police academy and cut all connections with his family.
He became a lonely man as he tried to escape from his demons, but he discovered that his worst demons were trapped inside his own skin.
For 5 long years, he dreaded the date February 14th, as he knew that his family would visit his mom, but never went even once.
But after so long, would he still avoid his guilt and succumb to the pain? Or would he face his
Fear head-on?"
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