The Life of Her

Steps Nearer

The sunrise came with notice of it's rays directing to my windows. I just woke up from my bed, not because of my alarm clock but by the thumping knocks slammed on my room. I heard him called my name several times and each of them started to become louder. With an aching body, I took my coat on and slowly moved towards to take it. Opening, I saw Galvin with his wide sneer, pressing his basketball on his chest. He's in his yellow cargo pants and white sando.

“Good morning, big sis! Breakfast is ready.”

I still could feel my eyes dozing off to slumber; taking a bore, I upheld as I cleaned my vision.

“Okay. I’ll go downstairs. I’ll just organize myself for breakfast. Just wait me in the kitchen.”

“But, Mom instructed me to get you up and wait for you.” He mumbled.

I looked at his with dead eyes. “Wait me downstairs…Please.”

Galvin stared at me for a while and shook in agreement. “Okay, big sis. I’ll wait for you there. See you around!” He hovered his hand and immediately ran to the kitchen.

I tapped my nose, smelling the scent of it whirling around. Chicken curry and spam. She’s really doing it huh. It made me beamed as I returned to my room. Sealing the door, I instantly collapsed myself on the mattress. I was about to close my eyes to snooze again, but a hissing sound was heard just beside my right ear. It was Guiltz.

“Good day, lad. How’s your rest? I just saw Amber left with Ms. Everly just before you woke up.”

“Is that so, Guiltz. Wait, don’t you have a mission today? And oh, I forgot to ask you, why are you still here and didn’t follow Ms. Adair yesterday?”

He moved his ears. “I was instructed to keep an eye on you and I’ll be your aid for a while, until Amber and Ms. Everly will come back here.”

“How long will they come back?”

He rubbed his chin and clambered on top of the table. “Probably a week. That’s what the woman told me.”

I grabbed my rubber band on top of my pillow and slowly made my hair into a messy bun. My fingers combed the tips. Totally, they have become thinner and slender and my hair was even longer. I miss my body. I rested my eyes as I recalled my Mom, brushing it until I doze off. It was unwinding.

I learned him emptied his throat, which I opened my gap to watch him. Guiltz was cleaning himself with a toilet paper. He was drying his damped face. This mouse is amazing and I didn’t anticipate that I would be dealing with a creature like him right now and until then. I preferred him to be my friend for a lifetime.

Ms. Adair, who called herself as our godmother, is quite busy nowadays and her hectic schedules were stopping her to stop by at us, except if the whistle will be blown for her.

I tugged my slippers on. Guiltz had taken another piece of the bread. “I’ll take this for breakfast.” He bowed himself in front of me. “Thank you so much, lad. Just knock over the wall, and I’ll come over you. I need to finish some paper works. I’ll talk to you later. Goodluck and break a leg.” He added.

He instantly went to his hole and vanished, leaving me alone in my room. I took a gulp and strolled to the bathroom. The mirror was filled with stickers and a picture of Amber and his dad was attached in the topmost corner of it. She was till probably five years old when they took a picture together. Her father was carrying her over his shoulders as she raised her hands up in the sky with a wide smile. Her lips were filled with strawberry ice cream as her right hand was holding a red balloon. They were in an adventure park. My hand stroked it and eventually took it off.

I watched the water flowed for a while and rinsed my hand, letting it be cold. I washed my face and brushed my teeth as I overheard Ms. Aliana called my name again, wanting me to come downstairs. I quickly yanked the towel, drying my face off as well as my arms. I changed my shirt into a yellow v-neck one and skinny blue jeans.

After I made sure, that it’s all set – from my bedroom to myself, I vacated my area and went to them.

Galvin was sitting at the edge of the stairs, playing with his toy cars and making weird noises just like how they horned and screeched their tires. He noticed my paces to him and eyed at me.

“Hello, sis.”

“Hey.”

Mrs. Aliana is still in the kitchen, moving what she cooked inside the bowl. She also transferred the rice in another one. I passed by Galvin and decided to help her out, by grabbing some plates and utensils in the drawer and prepared the table for us. The child had already went to settle down in the couch and turned the television to watch some cartoon.

Mrs. Aliana moved from me and laid the bowl in the center on the table. The smell was tempting, making myself licked my lip. She suddenly put her hand on my back and questioned,

“How’s your sleep, dear? Did you get enough rest?”

I shined at her. I needed to act like I'm really her daughter she’s talking with right now and that we’re okay – that the relationship we build is in good condition now.

“It’s okay…Mom.”

Every time I mentioned that words, a chilling sentiment fled at the back of me. It anguished me like a thousand, razor-sharped knives being struck. Calling her, the one who deceived, as my Mom makes me wanting to puke. I need to take a hold of myself, now that Amber is nowhere to be found and I only got my own and Guiltz here. I need to be vigilant….especially with the child. Something is off about it since the moment I took myself in this house – a menacing one, more like a mask is the thing he’s holding. I’m still not sure about what I’m feeling towards the young boy, but one thing I am certain, he’s making me uncomfortable in some ways, that I just rather locked myself in my room or reveal myself to Amber’s mother.

“The scenery from the outside was quite lovely last’s night, that I decided to open the window and let the cold waft infiltrate the area. Since…when did you repair my room’s color?” I added.

She held the corner of the kitchen sink and laughed at me. “A week before you come back here. Your brother helped me in painting the room and decorated it. Did you like it new?”

I nodded. “Yes…That’s what I requested a long time ago.”

She whistled at me and gently tapped me on my arm. She called Galvin to come over to eat. “Come here, Galvin. We’re going to eat now.”

“Okay, Mom.” He responded, grabbing his sleepers on. He left his toys and darted to us. I took one of those chairs. Mrs. Aliana was across, while Galvin is sitting beside me. He led the prayer, then we instantly dig in.

The chicken curry was good enough to fill my early hunger. I was able to finish two cups of rice for breakfast. Amber’s mother glanced at me then back to my plate. I realized that maybe Amber is not eating at all or maybe she’s just into a cup. I slowly gave her an awkward smile and made an excuse, while my mouth is still filled with food.

“I’m in my appetite.”

Her eyes gleamed in delight and uttered, “Oh, I really cooked these for both of you. Eat more. By the way, I’ll be going to the Orphanage and I’ll be back in the afternoon. Will you take care of your brother?”

I looked at Galvin who’s enjoying the food. “Sure. You can count on me.”

“Thank you, Amber.”

“No worries.”

She rubbed the child’s hair and said, “Do you want something, honey? I can bring something when I come back home.”

Galvin giggled in excited. “Can you buy some bread, Mom. There’s still peanut butter inside the fridge.”

“I will, Galvin. Have fun you too, okay?”

The boy nodded in agreement. Mrs. Aliana stood from her seat ad brought her plate in the kitchen sink. She drank her lemonade.

“What time are you going to be here, Mom?”

“Around four maybe. It will depend with the paper works in the office, but I’ll try to come back home early, okay?”

“Okay. Take care.”

She kissed us both in the forehead. After taking her teeth into a brush, she went upstairs to change her clothes, leaving us both in the kitchen. Galvin is also about to finish his meal, when he suddenly talked to me,

“Big sis, do you like to watch movies?”

“Mmm…Yes.”

“Can we watch one later on?” He requested.

“Sure. You can pick anything you want. We can watch it in the afternoon. I still need to do something first.”

We finished our meal with happy stomach. I arranged the tables and covered the bowls and put them each in the fridge. After a while, Mrs. Aliana went back to us, now clothed in her orange flowery dress and a pair of black flats. Her white cardigan also fit on her as her hair was well brushed and freely swaying on her side. Her lips were painted in a nude colored lipstick, together with her light blush on. She was well dressed today. I scoffed silently, thinking that maybe she will have a date with someone else after her work.

Her black bag was on her wrist. If I didn’t know her, I would probably think that she’s a model. Even if she already had a child, her body is still firm and curved. No wonder, she did attract someone.

“I’m going now. Just cook anything you want for lunch and if you need something, just call me anytime. Take care children.” She said and waved her hand at us and immediately took a cab.

Now, that we’re alone, I decided to get rid with the trash and the plates we used. Piling them off in the kitchen sink. I cleaned all of them and arranged them neatly inside the drawer. Galvin went to his same spot and continued to watch cartoons. When I’m done, I grabbed the broom and started to sweep the floor. I needed to clear my mind.

It’s not really my hobby to clean the house, but I thought I needed to do things that Amber does. Yesterday’s night, we were able to take down a list of the usual things that Amber do in the house and when around the people, especially her mother and her acquaintances.

And what I am doing right now is on the record. It wasn’t obvious that she’s into household chores. Well, I don’t even have the rights to judge her, but I just did! I earnestly swept the corners of the kitchen then to the living room. The child is currently enjoying the show. I wondered if Galvin is doing his homework well. I should ask him later on. I moved near him and gently raised his slippers and cleaned under the couch.

He bent over me and said, “I’m quite excited to see someone get killed.” He whispered, then came a menacing giggle. “-in the movie…I’m planning to watch The Orphan with you big sis. What do you think?”

I didn’t know why, but it had brought me chills down my ridge. I let out an awkward chuckle and retorted. “That’s quite interesting...A movie like that has a good plot and a twist also.”

“Yep.” He held both his feet and gently rocked himself back and forth on the couch.

When I finished sweeping his place, he lowered down his feet and stood. He progressed to the kitchen and got himself a glass of cold water from the fridge, then came back and continued to watch. Cleaning the first ground was quite fun and somehow I was able to get what Amber feels like when she’s working inside the house. I removed all the dust outside the door. When I was satisfied, I came back and relaxed beside him. He was fully concentrated to the show and even laughed at it.

I saw a mouse rushing from the side and went to the kitchen. If I just don’t know that it was Guiltz, then I should have found myself already chasing and getting rid of it.