CHAPTER 2
1170 Words
After the final school bell rang, Attima bid her friend Goblet goodnight. As she walked home, the weight of her mother's anger pressed heavily on her shoulders. She braced herself for the storm of rage and the piercing words that had become her mother's routine greeting.
However, she had a flick of hope that Nova, her dog, would be waiting for her at the door.
As she approached the house, she walked quietly, the door creaked open and tiptoed inside hoping not to draw her mother's attention. Nova greeted her with a wagging tail and playful bounces.
She spotted the house, strewn with broken bottles littering the marble floor, glass plates lay discarded, their fragility reflecting Attima's weakness. The flat screened television space was left empty. She wondered what could have happened as she heard her mother's voice whisper from somewhere inside the house, faded and distant as if carried away by the wind. The air was thick with the pungent smell of stale alcohol and cigarette smoke, making her eyes water and her throat itch.
Attima tiptoed towards her room, being careful not to step on the scattered broken glasses, but she wasn't careful enough as the sharp sound of her footfall pierced the air.
"It hurts," she groaned in pain as the broken piece of glass pierced her leather sandal and foot.
" Who is there?" her mother asked.
" Hi mum," Attima replied as she cleared her throat.
Her mother emerged, her eyes swollen from tears and her disdainful glare stabbed deeper than the broken glass.
"You caused all of this!" her voice clenched with bitterness.
Attima bowed her head as her heart ached. These words were old wounds engraved in her soul since childhood.
Neighbors gossiped about her when she walked by, saying her father abandoned her mother due to a series of surgeries treating her illness as a child leading to financial constraint. Her mother had taken a loan from the bank to care for her but was unable to repay it, forcing her father to sell his car and farmland he inherited.
The children in the neighborhood avoid her and do not want to make friends with her, believing she is full of bad luck. Her only friends were her books and Nova.
Her mother slammed her against the wall, gripping her throat, telling her to disappear from her life. Attima grasped for breath as her dog’s mournful whine echoed her pain. She slapped her face, pulled her hair, and called her names.
As Attima tried to catch enough breath from her mother's release, she began throwing things at her, screaming that her father had come to carry the electronics in the house and filing for divorce despite being absent for over three years. Her mother's face filled with tears as she sobs and collapses on the floor looking helpless. Attima deeply felt her mother's pain as her heart burned and felt like exploding.
Attima blamed herself, wondering why her existence was a curse.
She tried to console her mother but flung a bent empty can of beer beside her, warning her to stay away. Attima fled to her room sobbing, as her dog followed her.
She collapsed on her bed feeling as if the entire world had collapsed on her as Nova stared at her with sympathy.
When she regained some strength, she carefully removed her sandal and blood-stained socks, groaning as she removed the shard of glass in her left foot.
In the bathroom as she took a shower, the warm water stung her fresh wound and her eyes were drawn to the scars on her body, faded ones from surgeries and vivid ones from her mother’s beatings. The steam from the shower mingled with the vanila and sweet orange scent of her bar soap, creating a short moment of comfort.
She dressed her foot and lay on her bed wrapping her arms around her torso and sobbed as tears rolled down her face until she fell asleep.
The soft blanket made her feel a bit better, and Nova lying next to her provided a quiet company. The sound of Nova’s breathing was a small comfort in the quiet room.
*****
She kept running, terrified and almost out of breath as the monster chased her through the dark foggy forest; her sight became blurry, and she got exhausted as she slowed her pace, gasping for breath to soothe her throat.
"Confront your fears Attima," she whispered to herself, her voice trembling with a mix of fear and determination.
Her heart raced at the thought, but she ignored it and forced herself to run faster. Her strength dwindled, leaving her breathless. She considered facing her fears and slowed down, her legs trembling as she turned to confront the approaching shadow. Suddenly, her dog's bark jolted her awake. she sat up panting as Nova barked at the empty room window.
"This nightmare again." Attima whispered faintly, her voice trembled with frustration and fear.
She pulled herself out of bed and joined Nova, who stood at the window, barking relentlessly.
"There is nothing out there Nova, don't deprive yourself of good sleep like I do." she said quietly, her fingers brushing the brown chiffon curtain. " Be a good girl and go to sleep my cute girl," She muttered softly, facing Nova as she stroked her head feeling the soft fur on her palm.
She let out a painful sound as she turned to follow Nova back to bed. Her feet ached, and her eyes longed for sleep but the nightmare lingered in her mind. She considered taking pain relief tablets for her aching foot, but then she heard her mother's footsteps echoing down the corridor, a sound she needed to avoid for peace.
She decided to study until day break to avoid sleeping until it was time for school. As she opened her backpack, she noticed the leftover potato chips and chocolate bar goblett bought for her at the school's snack store. She giggled and ate the leftover chunks, gulped some water and took the pain relief tablets while she continued studying.
****
"What happened, did you fall?" Goblett asked worriedly, as Attima limped into the classroom.
Attima could no longer hide her sadness and she became teary as the only person to ever ask and care for her sat next to her with a troubled expression.
Attima let go of her burdens in a calm corner of the school hallway. Goblett was moved to tears as her friend narrated her mother's verbal, physical and emotional abuse and the gossip from the neighborhood.
Goblett wrapped Attima's quaking hands in hers, "You don't have to face this alone," Goblett said in a trembling voice. "I am here Attima, always."
They cried together, and goblett promised to always be there for Attima and would be the friend she never had. As the bell rang, they walked to class together, side by side holding hands.
Attima looked at goblett and smiled, grateful for the gift of friendship.
- Writer
