BORN LUCKY

“You disgusting b***h!” I heard my older sister, Amber scream. I paused and nervously glanced back. “And I was so close too…” I muttered to myself. I already knew what awaited me as I froze in from of the door to my bedroom. I shifted a bit and stared at the long hallway. A figure was approaching with vigor. My heart dropped at each loud step my sister took towards me. I was a bit scared. I always was in these situations. “What the f**k did you think you were doing just now?” Amber had finally made it in front of me. She stood towering with a deadly glare in her eyes. She glared at me like as if I had just killed someone and it wasn’t just me going into the kitchen to make myself lunch. “I uhh-“ I struggled to say. I gulped. There was nothing I could say to defend myself in this situation. All my words would prove me guilty so what could I say? I was banned from going into certain places in the house. And it would be a hassle to say all the places I was banned from entering, but it was easy to list where I was allowed. A very small list it was actually. I was allowed to go through the door, the downstairs hallway, the supply closet, and my room. Everywhere else was off-limits. Ever since I could remember, I had never gone anywhere else. In the beginning, I didn’t find it strange but as I grew older, I suddenly came to realize how strange my situation actually was. I was an outcast in my own family. “You what? I literally just saw you coming out of the kitchen! What were you doing? Don’t tell me you’re still dumb enough to forget where you belong? Did you already forget what happened the last time you broke the rules?" Amber screamed at me. Her chest was heaving with anger. Someone watching this scene would think. I had done something vile and all I did was go into the kitchen because I was hungry. “I’m sorry.” I immediately apologized the moment I heard her words. My eyes were downcast as I stared at my feet. My meek appearance made Amber pause for a second. Her face was still scowling but at least she didn’t look like she was going to hit me today. I really didn’t want to get hit on this very day. It was a little special to me. “Dumbass. Don’t let me find you doing s**t like that again or else I’ll tell mom and dad.” Amber finally said. She clicked her tongue and walked away. Before she completely left my range, she paused and glanced back at my figure. “By the way, you get no dinner tonight.” With that, she finally walked away. Once she was out of sight. I sighed. “There goes my dinner. I should’ve eaten more if I had known this would happen…” I grumbled under my breath and dejectedly walked into my room. My room was small compared to all of the rooms in the whole house, even the supply closet was a bit bigger. It had enough space for a single bed and a small desk. There was a door on the left leading to my mini-closet and bathroom. My closet was basically empty with old clothing and minimal accessories in it. I called it a closet but in reality, it was just a small dry space in my bathroom where a wardrobe was. It really was a small space. Compared to the rest of my family, my space was pitiful. I dropped the bag on my shoulder onto my desk and brought out my textbook. There was some paper inside of it. It was filled with some exam questions. I had just returned from writing my college entrance exam. It wasn’t so hard since I had studied but there were still a few questions I didn’t understand. So I memorized them and wrote them out after my exam. I started to revise my answers. I didn’t have breakfast in the morning when I left for my exam so I was starving when I returned. The chef was not around and the maid that would deliver my meals was nowhere to be seen, not like I could go anywhere to search for her though. I was hungry and tired so I decided to sneak in a meal. But I wasn’t as lucky as usual. I got caught. The last time this happened, Amber told my father and mother. They were my parents and yet I could never understand them. I was treated worse than even the help. When I was found the last time, I was locked in the basement for two days, with no food or water. It was dark and traumatizing. I never did it again. That was years ago. At least now, Amber had a bit of conscience, I think. I suddenly tried to remember if I had ever gone to the second floor of the house before. I hadn’t. I had lived there for eighteen years and yet, I had never even seen my parents or my sister’s rooms before. Sometimes, when we got a new maid, they would mistake me for one of the help. I wish I was, then a lot of things would make sense. I wanted to be free from a place that was more of a prison than my own home. My college exam results were my ticket to freedom. If I could get into the prestigious school I was vying for, I would be free. I was determined to never step foot into that house again. Days went by, weeks past and months moved along and soon, it was time for my college results to come in. During the period of the wait, I had encountered my parents twice. And both times, All they had to say about my exams was that I had no hope. It was strange. I had perfect scores in school, which they knew, so it was obvious that their words were only to break my spirit. I had gotten used to this. On the day the results were released, I ran to my only friend’s house. I didn’t have a computer and I didn’t know the WiFi password of my home. Funny, isn’t it? Avia’s home was close. She was expecting my arrival. The moment I got to her place, she ushered me into her room and to her computer. I quickly logged into my Email and waited. Avia’s computer had a little duckling at the top of the screen that indicated that the page was loading. Avia sat curiously behind me, I knew she wouldn’t check hers until she saw mine, I found it funny but at that moment, I didn’t try to talk to her about anything. I was too busy watching the screen. We both sat in silence. Waiting. I stared at the big white screen of Avia’s computer with an anxious face. The page was loading slowly, too slowly. I felt like I was choking. My life literally depended on the outcome of this procession. I had spent the last few months praying to every divine being that existed. God, Allah, Buddha, Virgin Mary, hell- I even considered drawing a demonic circle for this. I needed to pass. Badly. And when the little duckling on the screen stopped spinning, a new email popped in. My results are finally displayed on the screen.