What happened to forever

Julian was just a teenager when she got the biggest surprise of her life— it was nothing other than her 17th birthday party. She had just returned with the little cash from the local market where she sold mini snacks when she heard a uniform echoe upon entering the living room...

"Happy birthdayyy!!"

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Surprised, she stood, staring at the multitude of people who filled the room, circling a large cake which seemed sumptuous.

Someone padded through the entrance door behind her, resting his hands on her shoulder, he said, "A toast to Julian!" She startled, quickly turning to see who it was — It was her Dad!

Julian who's now 34 years of age, walked up to her Dad. "Can you imagine? We called the auditors to review the financial situation of our company,Ace." She stood, expecting an answer but he just sat there staring into blank space. "What do you think I should do?" She continued. All she could hear was the silence which spoke through his expressionless face.

"I love you Dad." She planted a kiss on his forehead and rolled his wheelchair to the centre of the living room right in front of the television which displayed a popular cartoon series "Tom and Jerry" — Her Dad loved it back then.

She was about leaving through the entrance door when she stopped for a moment. Her grip on the door knob slightly loosened, she slowly turned towards her Dad, who backed her, facing the television. Tears brimmed in her eyes as she reminisced her first ever birthday. She could remember his soft touch on her fragile skin, his deep masculine voice which sent calm shivers down her spine. She remembered how everyone had a toast to honour her first ever celebrated birthday, something only her Dad could initiate despite the financial instability.

"I'll be back, I... I promise. We'll be all fine, everything would be back to normal." She said as she stormed out, sobbing and dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief.

"What the hell is wrong with her? Weirdo!" Her next-door neighbour, James, who saw her running out of the house into her car, muttered while disposing a trash into the trash can just across Julian's residence.

It wasn't the first time he saw her display such strange attitude, and didn't care anyways.

She arrived work dressed in a black suit comprising of an inner white shirt, and a trouser which was fluffy at the end. Her glistening shoes could reflect the sun's ray if shone on it.

"Good afternoon ma'am" her employees
Saluted as she passed.

"Hello dear" she said, waving and smiling while walking down the busy hallway to her office. She tried concealing the pain of her Dad's illness with a fake smile— he had come down with a stroke a night after her 17th birthday celebration.

"Hello, please can I have the auditors in my office right now?" She said over a phone call.

"Yes Ma'am, but I think they're having some interactions with some of the board members."

"Board what? Please I need them here in the next five minutes!" she hung up. She didn't want anyone interfering, not even members of the board. She trusted no one— it was something her Dad taught her.

The auditors eventually came around and it was revealed that there were manipulations in the company's balance sheets and discrepancies in the financial statements. After much analysis and investigations, the culprits involved in the fraudulent manipulations were Identified and dealt with in accordance to the law.

She had a whole lot of relief while driving back home. Her snacks production company, Ace, was safe; Atleast, for now.

"Dad, can you believe what happened today?" She said as soon as she entered the living room but then, she paused. Staring towards the the television: Her Dad laid on the floor, his neck was hyperextended — he had fallen off the wheelchair.

"Dad? Daddy!! Daddy!!!" she screamed frantically, swaying the old man from left to right.

"Somebody help!! Somebody please! anybody!"

She continued screaming and crying. Pain, fear, and every single emotion you could think of rushed through her heart.

About a week later, she stood with her friends, colleagues and close relatives at the foot of her Dad's grave while giving an eulogy...

"You were a really good man, you taught me a lot of lessons about life, you... You taught me to be the woman I am. "She sobbed. A friend of her's consoled her, patting her on the back. "Sorry, Go on Julie."

Julian continued "I wish you were here to enjoy the rewards of the sacrifices you paid for my success." She sneezed into her handkerchief. " I remember vividly, one of the last words you said to me shortly before your illness. You said: 'A toast to Julian,' So in your memory, I'll share a toast with everyone witnessing your transition into a better world. "She was handed a cup along with everyone at the event.

A bottle of soft wine was passed around from which they emptied a little amount into their respective cups.

She raised the cup above her head and others followed, raising their cups, one after another. "A toast to my Dad!" She shouted like the strong woman her Dad trained her to be.

With the cups all above their heads, they echoed in unison... "A toast to him!"

They then drank from their cups all at the same time and paused! creating a moment of silence which the whooshing sound of the turbulent wind broke.