A7

When I say "it's up to you," Mom and Dad will really do whatever they want to do. They never understood that behind the words “up to you" what was said, hidden the meaning of "I want to be heard".

However, I didn't expect Grandpa would act the same as Dad and Mom.

I often confided in Grandpa by phone before coming here, and how he sounded annoyed and always entertained me, I seemed to have thought that Grandpa wouldn't have the heart to limit my space. In fact, I was wrong.

The next day after that night, Grandpa warned me not to leave the house in the slightest. He left at seven in the morning to go to school as an Indonesian Language teacher in one of the middle school at the city.

Before leaving, he very clearly stated, “I will take care of all your homeschooling needs later. Just stay at home. If you need anything, just buy it online. Or you can leave me.”

Because I was in a phase of frustration at the level of hell, I just ignored him while still staring at the television in the living room. When the car roared away from the trunk, my eyes were watering cause I didn't want to close them.

I rubbed my eyes, then moved in a hurry. All windows have thick bars, so there's no way I'd cut it using only cheap pliers. Anyway, Grandpa will find out later.

I shook the front door in anger when I realized that it was locked from the outside. I rummaged through all the drawers in this house and still didn't find the spare key at all. All I found was a motorcycle key; which won't do any good if I can't get out.

Almost out of ideas, I run toward the back door; only to find the vanity.

In the end I flopped onto a red sofa in the living room and shouted angrily as I ruffled my own hair. I have no problem with neighbors who will feel disturbed, because Grandpa's house is a bit far from the nearest housing.

Tears are rising at the corner of my eye. I let it flow until my nose suffered a sudden cold. I'm always miserable; no matter I was considered the queen or princess, the situation was the same.

I'm shackled.

Tock, tock.

I looked up at the window with shocked. Someone once I claimed was a crazy fool suddenly looked very valuable in my eyes. I hurriedly stood up and pressed my face between the window bars.

“Saga!” I blurted out hysterically; feel no need to feel ashamed as a form of solidarity with fellow crazy people. “Help me get out of here!”

Saga put his palms on the window with a worried expression.

“Are you okay? You look chaotic,” he said.

I wiped the tears harshly and straightened my hair.

“While you look sane,” I said among the remaining sobs that looked like hiccups.

“Do you have wire or hair clips?” Saga suddenly asked, making me surprised.

In response, I just shook my head. Not that I don't have; I just don't understand what the means.

A second later, I witnessed the most absurd things in my sad life.