Chapter 5
1080 Words
The letter was the reason why my mind was so occupied right now since the dismissal of the school. Clare and me just attended the remaining classes and decided to go home rather than roaming the forest. I know that roaming the forest alone is quite dangerous, but I never cared about that. In the beginning, Clare used to get scared a lot but when I insisted her continuously, she came. She understood that she was not in any danger when she is with me, so the forest was our regular destination after the school dismissal.
I walked through the oleander garden, while returning to the house where I didn't really want to go right now. Even then I have to go since there are a lot of unanswered questions and a hell of secrets in my life. I don't really want to see their right now but have too due to the compulsion. I slowly opened the gates of my house. After a long time, I had a close look at its surroundings and saw the way its liveliness had faded away, giving it a dull and lifeless look. The plants that my father planted withered away and the garden he maintained so lovingly had turned to barren land. I still could imagine him in the garden tilling the soil for planting and weeding and suddenly I was pushed towards the reality where he no longer lived and all his plants have died. In between all this chaos running in my mind, I didn't see Alois entering the house walls through the back door returning from work. He worked 3 jobs to keep up with the family's income, more for him and mother. They thought that providing me food and clothes was all hence gave me no money. I pity them sometimes since they had no idea about my boxing escapades.
"Aisha, how nice of you to remember that you have a home, at last. "
Alois said to me with a lot of sarcasm. I smiled at him slowly and acknowledged him.
"Of course, Alois. I just came to know that my house which till yesterday was mine no longer exists."
Alois just rolled his eyes at this. I knew that he didn't know about the envelope. He rolled his eyes because this was something that I always said due to the way they behaved with me.
"Aisha, listen to me. It would be much better if you stop wasting time and help mom and me with our money problems. Mom is already working too hard for her age and you are just wasting precious time and energy at your age."
"And what job should I do, my lovely brother?"
"Well, hmm. Yeah. The Mayor's family, where I work as the gardener, require a maid urgently and the pay is amazing. 100 fams a week. Can you believe it?"
I smirked at him. How sad he didn't know that I earned the same amount by winning just one boxing match, since men bet a lot on my abilities and how ironic it is that he was a gardener for the Mayor and couldn't afford to maintain his own garden. Poor man, I think he must have had a lot of work pressure.I started walking inside the house. Seeing me, Alois started following.
"Where is Mom? I need to talk to her urgently. It is very a important matter."
"In the kitchen, cooking dinner, now that you have started to stay away from home."
I nodded at him and rolled my eyes at his sarcasm. He didn't need to know how I was even trying hard to survive in the world our there, because he would never ever care for me so it is useless. I lifted my head to see that the roof had started to leak. I understood that they were in a dire need for the money, but my brother would never accept that and I loved this thing about him a lot. The whole house that used to be so lively now was totally dull with dust everywhere.
I entered the kitchen and saw my mom, Annabelle's back. She was cleaning the dishes in the sink. I took support of the wall and cleared my throat to make my presence known. She stopped doing the dishes for a second and then started doing it again. I waited for her to say something. Five minutes passed like this, then she spoke at last.
"What brings you back to the house finally, Aisha? The last time I remember, you had declared that you would never come back here. So have you finally accepted that you actually have a family here, tell me have you?"
"That's what I wanted to ask you mother. Are you really my mother?"
She stopped suddenly and wiped her hands on a towel. She turned to me nervously and said, "What nonsense are you speaking, Aisha? Of course, I am your mother."
I gave out an empty laugh. Seeing me reacting like this, Alois came into the kitchen. He stared between the both of us curiously.
I asked her again, "Are you seriously my birth mother, mother?"
Her eyes had clouded with tears that were sparkling in the little amount of light that was in the room. It would not be long before they start flowing from her eyes. Despite that, I gazed at her hardly asking for the answer. Alois went mad at that and finally opened his mouth to speak.
"Have you gone crazy, Aisha? Is this what you ask the woman who gives birth to you? Is this how you repay her by asking her such a vile question? Come on, Aisha, this is the most stupidest thing that you have ever asked us."
"Or rather the most intelligent question I have ever asked you guys. Alois, will you please ask her whether I am really her daughter or not, because I desperately want to know. There is something that she knows which we don't. So please, question her. "
Alois turned to her reluctantly and asked her. But her eyes were on me and her tears were flowing from her eyes which she tried to stop desperately, but couldn't. At last she opened her mouth, leaving Alois and me stunned.
"You are right, Aisha. I did not carry you in my womb. I did not give birth to you. I am not your mother and neither are you my daughter."
- Writer
