LAUGHTER

Chapter 4 The struggles

Annabelle's POV

I gasped,my lips trembling.

"Aunty,how could you say that?I need this money more than anyone.Why would I steal what I worked so hard to gather?"

“Shut your mouth!”she snapped,her face twisted with rage.“Go inside and pack your bags. Tonight,you are leaving my house!”

Her words hit me harder than a whip.Before I could plead any further,she flung the door open and ordered us out.Bella and I,with nothing but a few belongings,stepped into the cold night.Tears blurred my vision as we dragged ourselves to the shop. That night,we curled up on the hard floor,our stomachs empty,our hearts heavy.

At dawn,we gathered what little remained of our secret savings and left for another state,far away from the bitterness that had choked our childhood.

The journey was long and draining.By the time we arrived,our money was gone,spent on transport and scraps of food along the way.We found ourselves standing on a lonely street,the sky darkening above us,with no home and no one to turn to.

“Look at that school over there,”Bella whispered, pointing across the road.“Let's sleep there for tonight.Tomorrow,we will think of what to do.”

I was too weak to argue.My legs felt like they no longer belonged to me,so I nodded.Together we crossed the street and slipped into the compound of the school.We found a corner where no one would see us and laid down,the cement ground colder than any bed we had ever known.

We woke before dawn,afraid of being discovered. With no place to wash,we found a nearby river. The water was icy against our skin,but it gave us the strength to face the new day.Hunger gnawed at us,so we offered our hands to strangers,scrubbing floors,fetching water,and doing any house chores that came our way just to earn a plate of food.

Days turned into weeks,and weeks into months. That school compound became our secret shelter.We made it our home,blending into its shadows.No one noticed us,no one asked questions.For four long years,we lived like ghosts in plain sight waking early to disappear before the first students arrived,returning only when the classrooms emptied at dusk.

It was a fragile existence,but it was all we had. For four years,the school walls shielded us from the cruelty of the world.Yet,as I would later learn, nothing hidden remains hidden forever.

The day of reckoning was coming.

That night,exhaustion claimed us completely.Bella and I had worked ourselves to the bone,scrubbing floors and fetching water just to earn scraps of food.Our bodies were sore,and the hard ground beneath the school table felt almost like a bed.We drifted into a heavy sleep,unaware of the world around us.

“Aaaaaah!”

A sharp,piercing scream jolted me awake.My eyes flew open,and my heart pounded as I realized a little girl stood staring at us with wide,terrified eyes.

We had been caught.

“Who's there,Emelda?came a stern,commanding voice.An elderly woman,dressed neatly in a patterned blouse and skirt,hurried into the classroom.From the way she carried herself,I immediately assumed she was a teacher.

The girl,Emelda,didn't speak.She simply lifted a trembling finger and pointed under the desk where Bella and I had curled up.

My heart sank.

Bella shot me a quick glance,her eyes calm but firm,and slowly raised her hands in surrender.She stood up first,her back straight,as though she had nothing to hide.I followed suit,my legs shaking beneath me.

The woman's eyes widened in disbelief when she saw us."What… what are you girls doing here?"she asked,her tone softening with curiosity rather than anger.

Before we could answer,the principal appeared, rushing into the room with quick,deliberate steps. She was tall,elegant,with glasses perched on her nose,and she looked at us with the seriousness of someone used to handling crises.

"Bring them to my office"she ordered.

We walked in silence,our heads bowed,until we reached the principal's office.The room smelled faintly of old books and polished wood.She gestured for us to sit,and we perched nervously on the edge of our chairs.

"So"she began,folding her hands on the table, "what are your names?"

"My name is Bella"my sister answered bravely.She touched my shoulder gently."And this is my younger sister,Annabelle."

The teacher,who had introduced herself as Miss Emily,leaned forward with kind eyes."That’s nice… but how did the two of you end up here?"

Bella took a deep breath, her voice steady though her eyes glistened. "It’s a long story, but I’ll try to make it short."

And she told it all.