Drunk on Emotions

"Your parents are gone, Zee..." The room was silent except for the sound of my sisters' soft cries. I couldn't believe what had just happened. My mind was racing, and my heart felt like it was breaking into a million pieces. How could my parents be gone just like that? It all felt so surreal. As I looked at my siblings, my heart ached for them. They were so young and innocent, yet they had to face such a tragedy at such a tender age. Tali, the youngest of us, was only eleven years old. She looked up at me with her big brown eyes, and I knew that I had to be strong for her. I hugged her tightly, trying to shield her from the pain that was consuming us. "Zee...what will happen to us?" Amari, my other sister, was crying uncontrollably. She was only thirteen years old, but she understood what had just happened. She looked at me with pleading eyes as if begging me to make everything better. But how could I? I was just a teenager, barely able to take care of myself, let alone my two younger sisters. I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down. I knew that I had to be strong for my siblings. I wiped away my tears and looked at them solemnly. "We'll be okay," I said, trying to sound confident. "We'll take care of each other. We'll get through this." But as I spoke those words, I couldn't help but wonder if we really would be okay. How could we survive without our parents? How could I take care of my sisters when I was just a kid myself? The future seemed bleak and uncertain, and I didn't know how to face it. We lost our mother and father due to an accident. It was raining heavily and the SUV they were riding in lost its brakes. It was too late to be taken to the hospital because both died before the rescue arrived. Their vehicle was spotted in a deep ravine which made it difficult to rescue. I hoped for a miracle. I prayed fervently. But, heaven did not listen to my plea. "Your parents have no other relatives, Zee. So, as Gerando's cousin, let me help you," my uncle said to me after my parents' funeral. I was still reeling from the shock of losing them, and I didn't feel like talking to anyone. But my uncle's words gave me a glimmer of hope. Maybe he could help me get through this difficult time. I hesitated for a moment before asking, "H-How about my sisters?" He smiled at me and gently stroked my hair. "Don't worry, they'll be okay here. There will be someone to watch over them. But I can only afford to take care of you, Zee. If I brought all of you, I would end up lacking in my budget. You're the only one I can help right now. There is still a miracle. I hoped and believed in it. Because right now, the only thing I can do is to study so that one day, I will get them again and be given a better life. I decided to go with my Uncle and leave my sisters with a trusted neighbor. Tali and Amari were crying while hugging me. "Don't leave us, Zee. Please..." I knelt to meet Amari’s eyes. I also wiped her tears and immediately kissed her cheek. "Take care of Tali, okay? You're the older sister now." I tried to smile at her but she cried more. I took one last look at my sisters and left. I felt a heavy feeling in my chest, but I knew that leaving was the only option I had to give them a better future. "Come on, Zee. The taxi is waiting outside," my uncle's voice echoed through the house. I hastily wiped my tears and bent down to kiss my brothers on the forehead one by one. It was hard to say goodbye, but I knew I had to go. As I looked around the house I grew up in, memories flooded my mind. From playing hide-and-seek with my brothers to sharing laughter and tears with my parents, every corner of the house held a special memory. With a heavy heart, I stepped out of the house and towards the waiting taxi. The one-year stay at my uncle's house proved to be fruitful as I secured a part-time job at a nearby convenience store. Additionally, I enrolled in a national high school located close to my uncle's house. Though everything went well, I couldn't help but notice that I didn't get along well with my uncle's daughter. Furthermore, my uncle's wife would get angry every time my uncle bought me something, which meant that I had to figure out a way to provide for myself. To earn some extra cash, I offered to do my classmates' assignments and projects for a small fee, which helped me supplement my income. Additionally, I worked as a dishwasher at a cafeteria located across the street. I had to work hard to support my siblings, who also depended on me financially. Despite the challenges, I never gave up and continued to work hard to make a better life for myself and my sisters. As I sat there trying to focus on my studies, I suddenly saw my uncle entering my room in a drunken state. I was taken aback and immediately stood up, feeling uneasy. He just grinned at me while looking at my body, and then turned away abruptly. The incident left me feeling disturbed and my hair stood on end. I tried to shake off the feeling and went back to my reading, even though I couldn't concentrate. I hoped that it was a one-time occurrence, but unfortunately, over the next few weeks, I caught my uncle sniffing my clothes that were hanging, while still holding his beer in the other hand. It made me feel uncomfortable and unsafe. In the following weeks, I saw him punching holes in my bedroom door. So I immediately covered it with leftover cardboard. Since then I have not been able to sleep peacefully at night. And, last week was even worse. I saw Uncle touch my underwear. What I saw scared me even more. I was also shaking with fear. "You smell good..." I heard him say and sniff my clothes again. As soon as I stepped inside the house, a wave of fear washed over me, and my heart started racing uncontrollably. I was sweating profusely, and my aunt's frown only added to my anxiety. My cousin Jessy was sitting in the living room, holding my notebook and wearing my new clothes, but I couldn't care less about that at the moment. All I wanted was to warn them about my uncle's strong desire for me. It was a difficult situation, but I knew I had to speak up and protect myself and the people around me. "A-Aunt...I feel different about Uncle—" Tiya quickly grabbed the end of my hair. "What are you talking about? Your Uncle fed and educated you! That's how you're going to pay back?" she shouted at me. I closed my eyes. I heard Jessy's loud grin so I looked away and felt pity and fear for myself. “But, Aunt-” "Shut up, Zeina and I might slap your face!" Aunt interrupted what I said. I shed tears and glanced at Jessy. I couldn't shake off the feeling that I was no longer safe in this place. I glanced at Jessy, hoping she would understand, but her expression only added to my despair. As I opened my cabinet to double-check the money, my heart sank when I found it empty. Tears streamed down my face as I realized that someone had taken it. Fuming with anger, I stormed out of the room, only to remember that Aunt and Jessy had already left. I was heading back to my room when suddenly there was a loud bang from the door. The sound made me feel like I was doused with cold water. I saw my uncle in front of me who immediately grinned and started coming towards me. I instinctively stepped back, but he only increased his pace and grabbed my arm. "Uncle... no!" I begged, feeling scared and helpless. He tightened his grip on my arm even more and said, "Don't complain! This is payment for your debts." I spoke shakily, "D-Don't..." His body seemed to collapse from being so drunk, and the whole room smelled like rotting food.