Chapter 8: 7 [a tempest of fate]

The storm outside had grown more violent by the time Liam’s parents arrived at the school gates in their family car. Mr. Lim hurriedly approached them to explain their son’s condition, while Mrs. Marie gave poor Liam a set of crutches to walk with. 

“He’ll be fine,” Mrs. Marie told Liam’s mother, Mrs. Goh, with a reassuring smile. “He can rest at home tomorrow and over the weekends. If his symptoms have not improved by then, please bring him to see a doctor.”

“I’m terribly sorry for inconveniencing you, teacher,” Mrs. Goh apologised while bowing her head down repeatedly. “My failure of a son has caused the school trouble yet again, please forgive my shortcomings as his mother.”

“Ma, stop it,” Liam begged, his cheeks flushed red with embarrassment. “Let’s go home now.” 

“Ni gei wo bi zui!” she abruptly yelled at him. I winced a little at the sharp, piercing tone of her harsh voice. “When we get home, you better go to your room and reflect on your behaviour. Eighteen years old and you’re still acting like a kid, Goh Si Tian. I honestly rather give birth to a pork bun instead of a useless son like you!” 

Terasia shot me an alarmed look, to which I gave a helpless shrug and silently warned her to stay put. It was an open secret that Liam’s family situation was a little…complicated, at best. Trying to intervene without the appropriate sensitivity would be akin to pouring oil over a fire—

To my utter astonishment, however, she shook her head firmly and stepped forward. “That’s enough, please.” 

For a moment, a blanket of stunned silence fell over everyone. 

“Y-you…” Mrs. Goh’s face practically turned purple. Her eyes bulged almost out behind her large leopard-print glasses; her mouth twisted into an ugly scowl as she spat, “who do you think you are to speak to an adult like that, bitch?!”

His tolerance waning, Mr. Lim stepped forward as well. “Mrs. Goh, please do not—”  

“My name is Terasia, madam. Not whatever pathetic insignificant insult you just dared to use on me,” Terasia spoke in a cold voice that made Mr. Lim freeze mid-sentence. Her icy aquamarine eyes bore into Mrs. Goh as she continued, “if you believe that insulting and demeaning your son can allow you control over him entirely, by all means, please continue.”

Her eyes glowed with the faintest spark of power. “But I will not stand by idly and spectate this distasteful abuse any further, Mrs. Goh.” 

The noise of the rain seemed to grow louder suddenly, drowning out the frightened mumbles that tumbled out of Mrs. Goh’s trembling mouth. With a hasty apology, she tugged on a puzzled Liam’s arm and led him into the car without a second glance back at Terasia or the rest of us. 

“Well then…” Mr. Lim muttered, as though he couldn’t believe that Mrs. Goh backed down so easily after such a direct confrontation. “Terasia, are you alright? Please don’t take what Liam’s mother said to heart, okay?” 

“I’m doing fine, Mr. Lim,” she said with a pleasant smile. “It was nothing.”

He let out a wry laugh. “Yes, it’s nothing to worry about. I’ve been called much worse by parents in my long teaching career.” Clearing his throat, he waved his hand at the gate. “Fourth period is ending soon, so I don’t think there’s a point in having you two go back to class now. I’ll close one eye and dismiss you two early for today, alright?” 

“Don’t run in the rain this time,” Mrs. Marie reminded, giving me a knowing look, before she and Mr. Lim walked back to the school campus. 

Hesitating, I glanced at Terasia and noticed that she was looking up at the dark, thunderous sky. 

“What’s wrong, Terasia?” 

“Oh…” She flashed an abashed smile at me. “I think I forgot to bring my umbrella to school today. You wouldn’t happen to have an umbrella we can share…would you?”

 

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As it turned out, my tiny umbrella was scarcely able to keep the both of us dry at the same time in the howling rain. With the lower half of our bodies soaked to the bone, we reached the shelter of the train station, panting with sheer relief and exhaustion.

“Attention please,” came a robotic female voice over the station’s speakers as she announced the next departure. “The train at Platform A will end its service at Jurong East, Platform D. Passengers heading to Ang Mo Kio, Woodlands and Choa Chu Kang, please board the train now.”

I nodded my head at the row of ticket vending machines in a corner of the station concourse. “You can buy your ticket first, Terasia. I’ll wait for you here.” 

“I…I got my student concession card from the general office this morning,” Terasia wheezed, holding up her blue smart card proudly to me. “Now we can tap in at the faregates together!” 

I raised an eyebrow at the shiny, brand new card in her hand. “I think, um, that you still have to go to the machine to top up your card,” I slowly pointed out while trying to suppress my laughter. “It won’t work if you don’t put any money in it first.”

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“Oh please, you have to be kidding me.” Sighing a defeated sigh, she begrudgingly joined the queue in front of the vending machines just like yesterday. 

For some reason, I felt a little pity for her. “I just remembered I have to top up my own card too, as a matter of fact,” I quickly said, slipping into the queue right behind her.  

She gave me a bemused look before giggling out loud. “I suppose we’re both stuck here, then.” 

The rumble of our train pulling out of the station overhead shook the station walls and ceilings. With a melodious chime, the robotic female voice diligently announced the arrival of the next train. “Attention please, the train arriving at Platform B will end its service at Somerset…” 

“Oh, it’s my turn now.” Terasia glided over to the vending machine and eagerly placed her card on the card reader. As expected, the machine read a stored value of zero dollars and zero cents in her card. 

“Ah.” She turned to direct a confused frown at me. “How much money should I put inside?” 

“Uh…ten dollars should be fine for now,” I suggested. 

She took out her purse and opened it—then froze with a horrified expression. 

I could only smile wryly as I asked, “now what?” 

“I, well, I might have spent the money meant for my train fare on the bubble tea yesterday.” She gave me a sheepish ‘send help please’ smile. “I-I’ll pay you back for sure! Just remind me when I get my allowance next week.” 

“Nah, it’s fine,” I replied, passing her an orange ten-dollar note. “I’d rather you owe me one.” 

“Is that so?” She clumsily inserted the note into the machine and watched it as it made a series of mechanical noises with profound interest. The card reader beeped and flashed green, indicating that the top up was successful. “Yes! Hurry up, Avery, it’s your turn now.” 

“What’s the rush…” The announcement for the next train departure came, and Teresa gave me a knowing look. “Okay, okay, just give me a moment.” 

After I topped up ten dollars to my own card, we hurriedly made our way up the escalator to the platforms just as the departure chime rang. From the corner of my eye, I saw that the doors had begun to close. 

“W-we can’t possibly make it!” I protested as she forced me towards the nearest train carriage, narrowly dodging a pair of unsuspecting girls in the way. “Terasia, s-s-stop!!”

“No, we CAN—” with a tremendous grunt, she shoved me and herself through the closing doors by the skin of our teeth and skidded to a stop “—safe! See, Avery? You just have to believe in yourself.” 

“Ha…haa…” I desperately gasped for air, my chest pounding so hard it was seemingly on the verge of exploding. 

Terasia looked at me up and down and pursed her lips. “Even if you’re no longer a Hero, you’re way too out of shape if you’re struggling this badly after a short sprint.” 

“Y-you almost…killed me…what are…you…thinking…” I squeezed my eyes shut until I managed to regain my composure. Taking a couple deep breaths, I willed my head to stop spinning and opened my eyes hesitantly. 

Bright aquamarine eyes, tinged with tenderness and concern, were all I saw when my vision focused. 

“Y…” Her lips quivered with emotion. “You are not going to die on me now, are you? I never thought that humans can be so physically weak.” 

I stared at her, dumbfounded for a moment by her comment, before choking out a funny sob mixed with laughter. Inhaling an especially deep breath, I began, “Terasia, I, um, I have been wondering…how should I put it, well, you don’t seem like you’re from here? As in, I don’t think you’re from…this world…”

She lifted an eyebrow, a look of amused acknowledgement crossing her features. 

“So…” I faltered a little at her intense gaze. “…I think we met before, in a past lifetime…and I feel that I should know you…but I can’t…I-I was just—” 

“You’re wondering who I am, and what was the relationship between the two of us?” she helpfully expressed the questions haunting my mind in words. 

“Y-yes.” I nodded my head urgently. “I can’t remember much about my previous life other than my identity and a few scattered pieces of my past…so please, tell me.” 

“Tell you?” Terasia curved her lips up into a small smile. “Avery, why don’t you allow me to show you instead?”

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