chapter 7
705 Words
“Ah-ah! Come back here—” their mother called, but the girls were already halfway to the door.
They reached the doorway just as the gate creaked open.
Two figures stepped into the compound.
Vivian slowed, her excitement fading almost instantly. “Oh… it’s not them,” she muttered, clearly disappointed.
Elena leaned slightly to see better. The visitors weren’t their siblings after all, but two young ladies from the neighboring house.
Vivian folded her arms, her expression sharpening. “Do you live here? What can we do for you?” she asked, her tone blunt.
Elena nudged her lightly. “Will you be nice for once?” she whispered, then stepped forward with a warm smile. “Welcome. You both look very beautiful.”
The girls smiled back. “Thank you.”
“One of the children told us about you,” the darker one said. “We came to welcome you.”
From inside, their mother’s voice rang out, loud and impatient. “What’s happening there? Who are they? Let them come in!
Vivian sighed under her breath. “Well… that settles it. Come in.”
“Oh, thank you,” the lighter one said, and they stepped inside together.
Their mother appeared almost immediately, wiping her hands on her wrapper, her eyes bright but her hands fidgeting slightly. “Ah! Pretty damsels,” she said with a pleased smile. “To what do I owe this visit?
“No, ma,” the darker girl replied politely. “We just came to greet you.”
“That’s very kind of you,” she said. “It’s nice meeting you.
She glanced between them. “And your names?”
“I’m Clara,” the darker one said.
“And I’m Lizzy,” the lighter one added.
“Beautiful names,” their mother said approvingly. “So, you’ve finished settling in your house?”
The girls exchanged a quick look.
“Oh… actually,” Lizzy began, “we came to help, if there’s anything left to do.”
Vivian’s mother laughed softly, though the tension never fully left her voice. “Ah, thank you, but I’m already done. Now, we’re just waiting for my children to come back. They shouldn’t be this late.”
The children moved outside under the shade of the mango tree. Vivian immediately flopped into a chair, arms crossed, while Elena tried to settle gracefully beside her.
Clara and Lizzy followed, smiling politely, placing their hands on their laps.
Vivian immediately turned toward them. “So… Clara and Lizzy, do you usually patrol the neighborhood, spying on new arrivals?”
Elena leaned sharply toward Vivian. “Vivian!”
Clara blinked, then laughed softly. “Spying? No, not like that.”
Lizzy added with a teasing smile, “We were told new neighbors moving in. Curiosity, I guess.”
Vivian raised a brow. “Hmm. Not bad.”
Elena groaned, embarrassed. “Please ignore her. She thinks she’s very funny.”
“I am funny,” Vivian countered.
“You’re rude,” Elena said.
“Same thing, depending on who you ask,” Vivian shot back.
Clara laughed. “I like her already.”
Elena groaned again. “Of course you do.”
Vivian smirked. “We’re a full package: cute, loud, dramatic.
Clara smiled knowingly. “You have quite the lively family.”
Elena laughed. “You have no idea.”
The group chatted lightly—laughter, small teasing, polite smiles. Vivian rolled her eyes at nearly every word, but even she couldn’t hide the faint smirk creeping onto her face.
But all the while, their mother paced behind them, fanning herself, her steps quickening. Her eyes darted constantly to the gate. “They really should be back by now… what’s taking them this long?”
Her voice trembled slightly as she muttered again under her breath, wringing her hands.
The children continued to bicker softly among themselves, the neighbors joining in with gentle laughter, but the mother’s worried gaze never left the road.
The sun dipped lower in the sky, casting longer shadows over the compound, and still, the siblings had not returned.
Vivian’s mother stopped pacing, her eyes narrowing in concern. “What’s taking them this long?”
- Writer
