The House of Curses

Chapter Two: Unspoken Feelings

The baby’s cries pierced through her despair. Instinctively, Kali rushed to open the back door and pulled them inside, desperate to offer warmth. The woman didn’t look like a beggar but had injuries that needed immediate care. Kali gently took the baby from the unconscious woman, fed her some milk from the store, and wrapped her in a blanket, placing her in one of the cribs. She then focused on tending to the woman’s injuries, doing her best to soothe her wounds and offer water to stave off dehydration.

After attending to the woman, Kali returned to the baby, now peacefully asleep. She gently tapped the baby’s cheek, and, to her shock, the little girl’s tiny hand grasped hers. The sudden, overwhelming emotion made Kali lose consciousness, her heart full of an inexplicable mix of relief and tenderness.

"Hey! Hey! Wake up already!" The store owner's voice jolted Kali awake. She looked around frantically, but the baby and the woman had vanished. The store owner was scolding her furiously.

"This kid! How many times do I have to tell you that you can’t sleep here? You even had the nerve to drink the milk. This will be deducted from your pay, you hear me? Now move! I'm about to open the store!" The store owner's words were harsh, cutting through Kali’s dazed state. She stumbled into the storage room to change for her shift, her heart still reeling from the night’s events. The store was already bustling with customers, leaving her no time to process the whirlwind of emotions she had just experienced.

After a grueling day, the store owner seized the opportunity to scold Kali once more. He made it clear that she had to leave immediately and wouldn’t be allowed to stay in the storage room, no matter how many times she apologized or begged. He blamed her for her family issues, saying it was her problem to deal with.

At the end of her shift, Kali was unceremoniously pushed out onto the street. As she made her way home, she saw her half-siblings, but they turned their backs on her, telling her it was better if she didn’t come home because they were fed up with their mother’s constant shouting. Their cold rejection left her feeling utterly isolated.

With no place to go, Kali wandered through the park, looking for somewhere to sleep. She was worried about Grandpa Gio, whom she hadn’t seen all day. Driven by concern, she decided to check on him.

When she arrived at his house, she noticed that the usual light in his window was off. A wave of unease washed over her. Suddenly, she heard footsteps behind her and turned to see a large man giving orders to others, who began pouring gasoline inside the house. Her heart raced as she desperately searched for Grandpa Gio. As the fire ignited, a deafening explosion rocked the area, and she lost consciousness, collapsing onto the large bushes in a neighbor’s yard.

When Kali woke up, all that remained of the house was smoldering ruins. Frantic, she rushed to the scene, calling out for Grandpa Gio. Her hope was shattered when she saw the police pulling out a body covered with a white sheet. Her knees buckled, but she dragged herself closer. One of the officers confirmed that the body wore a gold bracelet with a cat charm.

Her heart sank as she recognized the bracelet—one she had often seen on Grandpa Gio’s wrist and teased him about, calling it feminine. The realization hit her like a freight train, and she nearly collapsed.

"This place is not safe, kid! Who let her in here? Drag her out!" a police officer barked. His men moved to pull her away. As she was dragged off, her silent tears mixed with the rain that began to fall, sending people scattering. She wandered aimlessly until she ended up back in the park, where she sat in the darkening night, her growling stomach the only sound accompanying her sorrow.

For the first time, Kali felt a deep, crushing hopelessness. She had never blamed anyone for her troubles before, but now she questioned everything. Why was her life so filled with suffering? Had she done something terrible in a past life? Was it too much to ask for one small wish—to have Grandpa Gio’s long life to share with her?

"Kali..." A soft voice seemed to whisper on the night breeze, intensifying her heartache.

"You’re so unfair! I told you to rest, but not like this! Why did they do this to you? Why?" Kali sobbed, her voice breaking with despair.

"You always nagged me! Go ahead and scold me now! I promise I’ll listen from now on... just say something, anything..." she pleaded to the empty air before finally falling asleep, her eyes swollen and wet with tears. The darkness of the night enveloped her cries, leaving her alone with her grief.

In the following weeks, the entire neighborhood buzzed with talk about Grandpa Gio’s death. The prevailing rumor was that it was due to a gas leak explosion, and they attributed it to his old age, suggesting that forgetfulness had caused the tragedy. Even the store owner expressed sadness, noting that Grandpa Gio had been a generous customer who had donated to his store for years.

Meanwhile, the police closed their investigation despite Kali’s repeated statements about seeing men lurking around the house and committing murder and arson. She begged them for two weeks, trying to find evidence to support her claims, but they dismissed her, accusing her of fabricating stories and creating fantasies out of boredom.

Kali fell silent after that. The store owner found it difficult to accommodate her, and this was to be her last day working at the store.

“Life is tough, kid. You should start looking for a proper job. You’re wasting your education,” Carlos commented as he handed her the final paycheck. Kali offered no response and simply walked out of the store.

Determined, Kali walked to Grandpa Gio’s house that day, leaving a bouquet of wildflowers at the doorstep. She also brought a carrot cake—one of Grandpa Gio’s favorites from the store—and a can of beer.

“Don’t forget to eat and fill your stomach,” she murmured before walking away.

Two weeks earlier, she had been kicked out of Jenkins' house after her government pension expired when she turned 18. Unable to afford a regular rental room, she had begun renting a small storage room in a nearby apartment building, the only place she could manage with her limited resources.

After arriving at the apartment building, Kali made her way directly to the tiny storage room she rented, desperate for some rest. However, her exhaustion was shattered by a relentless pounding on her door. Groggily, she opened it to find a woman in formal attire and a man with a camera, their intentions clear—they were reporters, seeking to twist her story for a sensational headline.

As she tried to close the door, two police officers appeared, demanding she accompany them to the station.