TWEEKLY # 8 " Her Name was Celebes"

This is a story of teen suicide. Much similar to thirteen reasons why. But I wrote this story BEFORE I read that book. I don't fancy the book very much ( fancy, who uses that word anymore? me!), maybe I don't like the writing style. So this is the first story which I completed in a day, usually I would either leave the story incomplete, waiting for my next " writer's mode" or I would finish it in a day and read it the next, as a way of editing my writing. So I was very nervous, that this story wouldn't turn out so good, so let's see what you guys think!

HER NAME WAS CELEBES

            It was raining outside. It was cold outside. But in here the air felt hot, suffocating me, stiffling. I was sweating profusely. The awkward and rigid position I sat in, started to take the toll on my neck, it ached. I ignored it.

            In front of me she stood, her tight brown skin, encapsulating her muscular physique, Mrs. Danforth. I could feel her glaring at me, accusing me, deeming me of committing the most horrendous crime. ‘So, Mrs. Danforth what is it that you have come to see me for?’ I say.

My office window fogs, covering the outside scene. It is raining now. I glance to the side, the AC remote reads ’16 °C’ but I am sweating profusely. She is still there, sitting in front of me, waiting. The air seems to suffocate me, crushing my lungs in every breath. My neck ached, and so did my arms, but I maintained my awkward and rigid position. Now, I can feel her glaring at me, accusing me, deeming me of commiting the most horrendous crime, murder.

I force the words to escape through my parched lips, ‘Mrs. Danforth, what have you come to see me for?’ I say. My voice sounds squeky, unpleasant to hear.

I do not need to hear her say it, I know why she has come, and she knows that too. She does not reply.

The silence hangs in the air between us. Another droplet of sweat drools down my face. I can feel my breath quicken now.

‘ You, could’ve saved her.’ She said. Merciless.

I feel dizzy, my head throbs. ‘ I tried to save her.’ Was my reply. It was the truth, but it wasn’t enough.

I peer through the corners of my eyes, and I see it. A single sheet of white paper, it has been on my clipboard for months now, since that day. A large majority of it was blank, only a ¼ or so of it was written on. The sight of that paper, reminds me of the horrendous past, of Celebes.

            A moment of silence.

            ‘You know exactly why I came here?’ she said, mocking me.

            ‘ I tried, I told you I tried to save her.’ I cried.

            ‘ You haven’t tried hard enough.’ Again she continues. Merciless

            ‘ I’m sorry, I told you I’m so sorry,’ The tears stream down my eyes.

            I peer through the corners of my damp eyes. Looking at the single sheet of paper which lays on my clipboard. It has been there for months now, since that day, and I remember.

            I was at the top of my game, back then, not so long ago. 99 cases of extreme depression, solved. I was the top psychiatrist in all of New York. That day it was raining just like it is now. I just reached my office down near the Bronx, and that was the first time I lay eyes on her. She was drenched, and her thick hair covered her. She was tall, much taller than I. Bob stood beside her, his hairy arms on her broad shoulders. He called me to his office, before handing her to my secretary, Lisa.

20th April 2002, 8: 30 AM, the first time I saw her. It was raining and it was cold. I came in to my office, damp and wet. A starbucks venti in one hand, my briefcase in another. I was at the top of my game back then, 99 cases of extreme depression, solved. Having a reputation like that, Lisa, my secretary was naturally always answering phone calls to prospective clients. Bob, the chief police was there. She stood beside him, drenched. I moved closer to them both, but Bob signalled me to my office, a private talk.

‘ Now there’s a hopeless case,’ he said pointing through the blinds, at her. ‘ Found her on the streets. Poor child.’ He mumbled in his distinct country accend.

I peeped through the blings which Bob held down. ‘ Hopeless case’, Bob certainly couldn’t get any further away from the truth as that, I thought. Her thick hair, seemed to frame her face like a mane for a lion. Her brown skin, tightly wrapped her muscular figure. She was a lioness, a leader. She just had to be salvaged. I nod to Bob, ‘ I’ll take her,’ I say.

            ‘ Now there’s a hopeless case,’ he said pointing through the blinds, onto the girl sitting in the reception office. ‘ Found her on the streets, weeping. Poor child.’ He mumbled in his distinct country accent.

            I stared, long and hard at her. In her Bob only could see a ‘ hopeless case’. But instead, I saw a lioness within her, she was a leader. Capable of great achievements. I simply couldn’t resist. She just had to be salvaged.

            So I started to work, assessing her and having regular almost daily consultations with her. Within a time spand of 3 months I had only learned 3 things, her name was Celebes Danforth, her family was falling apart and that she wanted to die.

I started to work, assessing her and having regular almost daily consultations with her. Within a time spand of 3 months I had only learned 3 things about her, her name, her background and her ambition. It was slow progress, but  all too familiar a trademark of my previous patients.

5 months in, and she had opened up to me, about her life, how her family was always constantly fighting, screaming at each other hostile, violent words, beating each other up. It was a viscious circle. She told me how sometimes she felt like dying when it became unbearable, but then she remembered, how she wanted to become a basketball player, so she thrived on.

Time flew by and so did our sessions. Everything was going well, we were making progress and she was healing. Then that dreaded day came, 23rd April 2003.  I came into my office late that day. From behind her desk, Lisa signalled to me that Celebes had come and left a note in my office. It was on my burgundy leather seat, a single sheet of white paper, most of it was empty, but about ¼ or so was written on.

Emma, thank you for helping me, but I cannot stand it, they keep fighting and they just won’t stop. Why? Mama has started to smoke, to ease her nerves. Can you tell her to stop, please.

Celebes Danforth

I rush out my door, onto the streets. I pound my arms, up- down- up –down, faster, faster, faster. My legs pump as fast as they can, my heart is racing. ‘She will be there, the abandoned high rise were Bob found her.’ I thought.

            It was slow progress, but it was all too familiar a trademark of all my previous patients.

            5 months in, and it was as if we were family. She talked to me openly about her feelings, her life, her family. What striked me the most though, was her dream. She dreamed of being a professional basketball player. But most importantly, she dreamed of being able to have a peaceful family.

            A year flew by so quickly, and I had experience almost all the highs and lows in her life together with her. How her family would fight, through the entire nights, lasting for days even, I could feel them all, in the words which she used to convey these stories to me. But I could also see that she was growing, healing from the old wounds. I could start to see and imagine her as team captain of a basketball squad.

            But then, that dreaded day came. 23rd April 2003, I had just come for that day’s worth of work. As soon as I came through my office doors, my eyes were instantly drawn to the single sheet of paper which lay on my burgundy leather chair.

From: Celebes Danforth

Dear Emma,

I know myself now, more so than I did back then. Thank You. But they fought again last night. I just figured out that mama uses pot to ease her pain. I just can’t stand that.

Sorry

            I rushed out to the streets, running frantically to the place where Bob first found her. An abandoned high riser. I pounded my arms, hard, in a desperate effort to run faster. 

            Panting, I glance around before I finally look up, the sunlight blinds me, but I force myself to see. A shadow.

Panting, i glance around before finally looking up, the sunligh blinds me, but I force myself to see, a shadow.

‘ No!’ I say ‘ Celebes, get down!

She closes her ears with both her arms, her eyelids cover her eyes and she leaps off the building.

Bang! It is over.

She is still here, Mrs. Danforth.

I remember now and I ask her ‘ Why did both of you fight?’

She does not answer.

‘ Please, Mrs. Danforth, answer for Celebes,’ I say handing her the sheet of paper.

Her eyes well up with tears as she reads the words, before saying ‘ I don’t know.’

We collapse into each others arms, she cries and I do too, but she is gone, forever.

            ‘ No!’ I say ‘ Celebes, get down! Now!

            ‘ I can’t, not after that, I won’t!’ she cries.

            ‘ What about being a basketball pro? Your willing to chuck that away?’ I shout.

            She closes her ears with both her hands, and forces her eyelids shuts. One step, two step.

            ‘ Nooooo!’ I cry.

            Bang! It’s done. Another life lost. I drop down to my knees. Weeping.

           

            She is still there, Mrs. Danforth. I am still here. 99 cases solve, 1 unresolved.

            ‘ I will only leave once my demands are fulfilled. $ 5000 for Celebes my daughter.’ She insists.

            I am furious.

            ‘ What? You think you can put a price on her? She is priceless. She is your daughter.Besides, what are you going to use all that money for? Getting more pot? .’ I sob, before rushing out the doors. Heading to the bathroom.

            I collapse upon reaching the toilet cubicle. ‘ Why won’t she understand?’ I cry, frustrated. For me Celebes was priceless, and she was certainly not worth $ 5000.

The red highlighted areas are the ones I wasn't so sure about.