Amateur Scout

Grounded

It was a sunday, Haron barely remembers what she did that early morning.

From the wide living room she can see the house helper in the sink and behind her a neatly prepared table.

She just sat by side of the long table, looking disheveled and sickly.

With a soup meal prepared in the table, seemingly meant for her to be eaten.

Then started scooping her morning chicken soup bit by bit and slurping a spoonful of that hot chicken broth.

"Hmmm... It doesn't taste like anything.

Mama Didith? Can you pass me that salt for my soup?"

She asked politely while her neutral face contorted into a frown out of dissatisfaction.

Mama Didith, the 60 year old helper in their home, she's been in their family for almost 3 decades, even before Haron was born.

The Granny stopped doing the dishes and dropped the utensils she was washing then proceeds to reach up to a high cupboard with condiments.

" How about you put some little tarragon on it? It's good for chicken too hun."

She then placed a small salt shaker and a box of tarragon on the table.

Haron reached for the salt and the leaf box.

And with an absence of mind, she accidentally poured a tablespoon full worth of tarragon into her soup. She didn't care much and just hogged down the whole bowl.

" Im done..." She let out a deep sigh of contentment.

" Gang..." She called to Haron in a soft voice.

Gang is a term used by the native people of their island, which is an affectionate call to someone who is either your child, your grandchild or someone younger than you.

" If you're feeling a little under the weather, How about you just rest for today? I mean it's sunday and it's our lord's rest day.

You know... give yourself a tiny break."

Mama Didith suggested, whilst cleaning up after Haron by wiping the table and taking the used bowl to the sink.

"I don't know mama Didith, I just don't think I can rest for today..."

she answered, and rested her head in the tabletop.

" You're busy with something?" she asked with a worried look in her face.

Haron let out a big sigh and pouted, seemingly mad about the question she was asked.

"hmmmm.. tell that to my professors...

Can't you believe it? I had to work on 7 term papers in a span of a month? In a month?!

It's even worse because of the pandemic and travel restrictions... I just.... I just ugghhhhh.... and I had to do other stuff too like long ass assignments and outputs too... aaaaaghhhh."

Mama Didith's worried look turned to a smile of relief.

" Looks to me it's normal student life, gang."

" I mean you can always take a break on sundays and work your ass off on weekdays but of course get a good night's sleep."

She enthusiastically adviced Haron.

" Well... I guess a few hours won't hurt?"

she sighed but this time with a smile on her face.

" Don't be too hard on yourself, okay? My son was just like you when he was your age, but he was only complaining about his job being hard, hahah... Also, your mum doesn't like whiny adults you know?"

Haron chuckled along and Mama Didith turned on her back and went back to her chores.

"Mama Didith?"

" Yes?"

"I'll be going North today to my university.

I'll have to claim the laptop we are supposed to borrow for the mean time in this pandemic."

Haron asked with a little hesitance in her eyes which Mama Didith noticed.

" If you're worried about the swab test they'll take from you at the border, it'll only hurt like an ants bite for a while and maybe bleed a little but not really deadly."

She joked.

" Haha funny... Kay... Guess I'll go prepare then."

Haron went up to her room to prepare for her travel, but she can't shake off this feeling of uncertainty and that something bad is about to happen.

After some time, she finished glowing up, in her casual clothes she looked in the mirror looking satisfied.

Her short fringe-bob hair complimented her knee high, long sleeved lime green frill dress.

She looked taller in her 2 inch white sandals, which she got as a gift from her grandma in christmas.

Doing a couple of poses in the mirror, really brought out the narcissist in her and is later followed by a self shaming face palm, in a realization that she might've only looked good in her own eyes.

As she went out of her room, the bellowing silence echoed throughout the corridors and the narrow hallway leading to her room.

It felt a bit off, but she shrugged the feeling.

As she went down the stairs, she overlooked the kitchen which can be seen throught its gaping archway. It looked so clean and dry, as if no one was cleaning it earlier.

She raised an eyebrow but didn't say a word.

She opened the living room door leading outside and to her surprise.

" Mama?!"

" What? I thought you have work today?"

" Have you seen Mama Didith?"

she asked, dazed and confused.

Her mom whilst digging into the garden soil, cutting and planting her red roses.

rubbed her gloved hands clean and stood up.

" oh? your mama Didith? She took a day off today, that's why I also took a short leave to stay here with you."

From the looks of her mother, she's probably been in her garden for quite some time now... maybe a few hours.

" Mama, I'll get going, I need to hurry before the sun gets a little too hot."

she told her mother.

" Oh sweety, Have you eaten breakfast yet? You seemed kinda hungry?"

her mom asked with a caring worried look, clenching both her fists in short lived anxiety.

" No, I'm fine Ma... I just had chicken soup Mama Didith made."

"I should really scurry now, Ma, ba-bye!"

Haron bid goodbye to her worried mom as she hurried to a tricycle that had halted.

As Haron waves goodbye to her mother that looked grief stricken, She then noticed a familiar silhouette inside the window of their house, just behind her mom's poeny patch.

Mama Didith's shadow waving goodbye, along with the other shadows in the windows, waving their hands on the air, as if also bidding her goodbye.

Never have she ever had the feeling of dread loomed over her head that quickly.

The negative feeling increases in intensity as the tricycle furthers it's distance away from her home, which no longer felt like one, just now.