Hermosa's Regret

Chapter2:Twist of life

I'm sorry. We tried our best but she was already gone before we arrived."

Hermosa went down on her knees and held on to the note her mother left. She asked to be left alone and cried her heart out. She felt a bit of comfort when her stepfather returned but he shattered it right there and then.

"Heard the old b***h is gone so, that means I'm left with just the little devil, huh?" He said and stared her straight in her face, "Get up, go fix my dinner." He ordered but she ignored him and refused to move so much as an inch. "Hey, I'm talking to you, little devil." He said but again, was met by silence and total snub from her. Without any more words, he took out his belt and lashed her. She quickly sprang to her feet and shouted defiantly at him. "Hey, didn't the old b***h teach you not to bark? All you are entitled to is a little wagging of the tail." He told her and grabbed her while she stood there unsuspectingly. "I'd teach you the way of the Lord in which you're supposed to walk in and just so you know, I am your lord." He told her and began to stamp his authority on her by lashing her with his belt. "Bring my food to me." He said when he was done. "You got half an hour."

In exactly half an hour, she knocked on the door of his room with a tray carrying his food. He chuckled when he opened the door and got it. "Little devil wagging her tail already, eh?" He spat on her face and waited to see if she'd wipe it off but all she did was squint. He scoffed and dismissed her.

It was obvious. Her mother was dead and along with her, the stubbornness and rebellion of the daughter, Hermosa.

With the death of her mother, her stepfather carried out his long standing threat which he'd always told his friends about- she was forced to leave school. Her education was wholly funded by her mother in the first place so her death automatically meant the end of her time in high school. Her stepfather had no business with her going to school just as much as he had no business with working his ass off to make some money of his own. All he ever did was stay out with his friends whom he gambled with and whatever he made, was spent on eating and drinking with the latter taking the most of his little winnings.

"Hey, get your ass down here." He told her one evening when he returned with his friends from one of their unprofitable adventures. "I never really introduced you to any of my friends, eh?" He said and gestured at them, "These are my friends." He began and then, reversed his action and gestured at her, "This is the daughter of the dead old b***h. Her name is..." He hesitated and tried to remember her name but when he couldn't, decided to make do with the one he'd adopted, "Little devil."

All his friends burst out into a round of laughter and began saying a thing or two about her, most especially complimenting how she'd suddenly grown up fast in the wake of her mother's death and began developing a little curve around her waist, along with a pair of breasts. For the first time in her life, she felt threatened and out of fear, excused herself from their midst. She heaved a sigh of relief when she got into her room without hearing her stepfather's order to return. She slowly approached the mirror and stared at her own reflection. Her heart skipped a beat as she noticed it, almost for the first time. They were right. She had only turned thirteen but she was already growing faster than her age. Already, she'd seen her first flow the previous month. An experience that scared her even though it was something she'd known to be natural with women. She had made sure to hide it from her stepfather as she didn't trust him though she had no idea why.

"I'm sorry, mom. You were right. It's not easy to deal with him. He is f*****g tough and crazy. I am trying to fight back but I don't have the strength and nerve to. It is almost as if he broke everything in me the first time he lashed me with that belt. I have never felt such pains in my life and I don't ever want to again. You always said the truth to me but you lied about one thing. Taking his anger almost everyday and getting up the next moment as if nothing really happened is only a proof of how strong a woman you were. You were far stronger than I am, mom and maybe, than I ever will be. I love you, mom. I will try to not disappoint you." She said with tears running down her cheeks and a little burn in her throat when the image of her mother flashed on the mirror. She knew it was all in her head and wasn't scared but felt a great sense of disappointment in herself for letting herself to be the very thing she'd talked against.

"Hermosa."

She hated that call. No, it wasn't hate. It was a feeling of fear and somewhat reverence. She feared it. Each time it came, she felt her whole world come to a standstill and her body, freeze up, long enough to shut out any and every rebellious nerve in her.

She never answered to the call with words. Action. It was a matter of strict urgency. She quickly dabbed her eyes with her shirt and rushed to go meet them in the living room. She was asked to sit. At first, she was overwhelmed by tension and fright but finally managed to settle into one of the sofas, however obviously looking uncomfortable. She passed a quick glance around and finally settled her gaze on the only place she felt a bit of safety in, the floor, though she most wished also that it could simply open up and just swallow her. It was a fate she'd embrace joyfully and without any second thoughts or regrets over having to sit there with them.

Her stepfather called out to her and addressed her. "Malcolm here wants to give you a treat. Just a little gesture of benevolence or in his own words, a little act of kindness and his own way of sending tribute to you in respect to the death of the old..." He paused and cleared his throat before proceeding, "Your mother."

She thought the words burnt in his throat as he said it. "Thank you. I'm fine." She whispered fearfully.

"I told him you've been indoors since her passing, and of course, I admitted to him that that's mostly my fault or do I say, all my fault." He began and smiled, "As a result, he's decided to pay me in exchange for a bit of your time. Money to hire a maid or something for the few hours he'd liberate you from the comfort of this wonderful and beautiful place." He said, his arms stretched wide in vain boastfulness and pride of the place."

Being only thirteen, she couldn't think far beyond what was presented and so, felt greatly elated by the prospect of having to leave home and most especially, her stepfather's presence for a few hours. While he didn't spend the whole day at home with her as he often spent time out with the same friends seated with him there, she never felt any sense of freedom as she knew the dire consequences of leaving home and returning to meet him.

"His benevolence is extended as far as adding an extra layer to your wardrobe. You're at liberty to order your choice dress. He's gotten a few options though but of course, you reserve the right to make the final decision." Her stepfather continued.

Right. She thought the word sounded heavy on his tongue and really didn't fit him. He had never given her that. For all she was concerned, she was simply his slave and a human punching bag left at his mercy.

"I love pink." She replied in childish innocence.

"It's settled then. See you at eight." The supposed Malcolm said and got up, along with the others. "Here is some extra tip. Let her get the whole day off to rest." He said and pulled out a wad of notes which he placed on the table. "Here's another to get her some really nice meal and mind you, I'll ask her what she ate when we meet." He added.

Her stepfather nodded. "I understand." He said and dismissed her while he stayed behind to exchange pleasantries with them. "I assured you and it's safe to say I'm a man of my words, eh?" He told Malcolm who nodeed in affirmation. "What's the pickup mode? Uber? You got someone coming over?"

"Oh, right. My bad! It's all on me. I'll be here myself. I want it to be an eventful outing for her especially considering it's her first time." He replied. "You know, you really should take it easy on that girl. She's only still a kid." He added.

"Ha, I could say same about you, eh." He replied and they all shared a jolly round of laughter amongst them.

*****

Sweet music played in Hermosa's head as the delivery man showed up at their front door to deliver a package to her. It was a sleeveless gown. It was tighter than anything she'd ever worn out but comfortable to let her walk in it and most especially, breathe. There seemed to be an actual confusion in the size as it also was far shorter than anything she'd been in. As a matter of fact, it ended right above her knees and the neckline extended downward far enough to show some cleavage but then, she loved it for being pink, and refused to let go of it when she was told that any new order would be in a different color.

"Wow. You look..." Her stepfather began when he first caught sight of her as she got ready for her freedom night, "Meh." He finished off in a whisper and pretended to watch the TV though from her place in the sofa, just adjacent from his own position, she could tell that he actually nursed a really nice compliment in his heart and was staring at her from the corner of his eyes.

"Thank you." She replied with a smile. There was a million reasons to smile that night and she really hoped to smile through it. She turned to look at the wristwatch on her hand and smiled when a knock met their front door at the exact hour of eight.

The door opened to Malcolm who stood there with his eyes wide opened and his mouth, unable to hold his lips together in their natural position. "Girl, aren't you a beautiful work of natural art?" He complimented as soon as he found his voice. "The night is young but I'm getting older. C'mon, let's go see the lights." He told her and exchanged a quick wink with her stepfather.

"Would I get to have some ice cream? It's been a really long time since I had that and I have been seriously craving that for as long as only God knows when." She mumbled softly and smiled in ecstasy when he nodded. "This is going to be the best night of my life in years. I'll be sure to make good memories out of it." She quipped in childish ecstasy.

"Yes, you will. It'll be most memorable. The memories from tonight would last forever. Your whole lifetime." He replied with a smile.