Strange Evening

"How are you doing?" he asked this time, his tone unusual, sending a cold shiver down my spine. It felt as if my stomach had turned upside down. I wanted to flee, to escape, but no words could describe how I felt at that moment. All I wanted was to shut myself away in my room, away from him. I wished I could slam the door in his face, just like he did to me when I didn't knock. It was the only way I could protect myself from the humiliation. I didn't want him to see my face at that moment; I probably looked like a zombie, if I had to guess.

"Yes, I'm feeling, um, well, quite well," I stammered, my voice shaky.

"You don't sound or look good to me," he said, his words making me feel even worse. Was he serious? If they were a couple, surely I wouldn't need to guess why he was acting this way. They weren't entirely wrong; I probably looked terrible. But was it that bad?

"So, do you know where my mother is?" I asked, trying to distract myself from my thoughts.

"I'm sorry, but she hasn't arrived yet," he answered, his voice still soft and gentle.

"Oh, I see," I muttered, my heart sinking. Was my mother not coming? Where was she?

I noticed him glance at the woman still sitting by the bed. He must like her, I thought, though the thought felt bitter in my mind.

"What happened after you two caught the girls beating me up?" I asked, wanting to know more about that unpleasant event.

Elias stood still, perhaps recalling the event. "They ran off," he said, his voice now tinged with anger.

So, they had run off like a pack of losers. No surprise there. My hair was still wet, my clothes were soaked with both blood and the rain that hadn't stopped pouring. I limped past Elias and headed toward my room to change. I saw him staring at me as I walked past I almost wanted him to reach and grab my arm, but of course, he wouldn't do that.

"Where are you going, dear?" the woman asked, her voice almost too sweet.

It wasn't any of her business, was it? "I'm going to clean myself up," I said, already walking down the hallway.

I glanced at my mother's empty room but noticed a small, neatly folded letter on top of her bed. It caught my attention immediately. The room felt dark, cloaked in a mysterious mood. Everything looked untouched as if she had never been there. Why had she left it like this? Was she afraid our guest would accidentally enter her room and see the mess?

Her worn shoes were neatly placed in the corner, looking like they might fall apart at any second. The curtains were wide open, and the drawing I had made when I was only five hung on the wall—her and I, or at least, that's what I had said it was. The humidity made the drawing look horrifying.

All of a sudden, memories rushed back to me like a storm. I ran my finger along her wooden desk, the one she used for her sewing projects. I remember how she used to make tiny dresses for me when I was in grade one. At every concert, I would wear these fancy dresses with ruffles and sparkly purple flowers that ran down from the neckline to the sleeves. My little friends would be amazed, and I'd be the star of the show. Back then, we were a little wealthier, and I guess, a little happier too.

Now, the room felt cold, and empty, like it was missing her presence. I wanted her here.

"Didn't you say you were going to clean up?" Elias's voice interrupted my thoughts.

I turned to find him standing awkwardly in the doorway. Even his handsome face couldn't make me feel warm inside.

"I stopped by just for a second," I muttered, glancing at myself in one of the mirrors attached to my mother's closet door. My long brown hair was a tangled mess. My face was bruised, with more of a bluish hue than my usual tan. My eyes were puffy, and I had to squint to ease the pain.

I shifted my gaze back to him. "I was wondering—how did you find me?" My curiosity was getting the better of me.

"Like I told you, I had some business to attend to," he replied.

"What were they?" I asked, once again sticking my nose where it didn't belong.

I watched as his eyes avoided mine. "Like I told you, stop getting into my business," he said, his hand awkwardly going behind his neck. This time his tone sounded a bit more annoyed.

I sighed. "I guess I do need to stop then," I muttered, barely audible.

"What was that?" His question made me hesitate. Did I want to admit that maybe the image I had of him was fading? Maybe Elias wouldn't understand me after all.

"Nothing," I said quickly. "I said nothing."

Silence filled the room before he spoke again. "Sure then."

His bright hazel eyes seemed to shine for a brief moment in the dim light. "I'm sorry for asking so many questions. I—I have to remind myself sometimes that I'm invading people's business," I said, my voice trailing off. It was true; it was hard for me to stop wanting to know about him.

"Just don't ask any more questions from now on," he said seriously.

Was he serious? How was I supposed to magically stop being curious? It wasn't that easy.

"I'll try," I said, though deep down, I knew I wouldn't be able to.

I walked past him and headed toward my room, determined to finally clean up. As I entered, I noticed one of the leaks from the roof had soaked my bed. Great. Now I had to deal with that too.

I quickly took a shower, trying to wash off the remnants of the beating I'd received. My mind, however, kept drifting back to the letter lying on my mother's bed. I would have to go back and open it, but for now, I needed to focus on cleaning myself up.

I grabbed an old dress from the closet, not caring how I looked. In our society, girls were expected to wear dresses or skirts to represent the country's beauty. Our hair couldn't be cut because that would be considered unladylike. Ladylike my ass. Why were all the rules so strict?

When I made my way back to my mother's room, I didn't hesitate. I carefully unwrapped the fragile letter. I hadn't noticed it earlier, but it was addressed to me. Strange. The front of the letter read:

"To my dear Lorelie, from Ruth (your mother)."

My heart began to race. What was this all about? It had to mean something. The letter read:

"My dear Lorelie, please don't panic when reading this letter. Just know that I love you always, but I can no longer take care of you. It's for the best if we part ways now before our lives reach the edge of the cliff. With the elections coming up, the new governor might raise prices, and it's much easier to take care of one person than two. Please don't be alarmed—Elias will take care of you for at least a year. Yes, I've paid what was left of my money for you. From now on, Elias will be considered your 'caretaker' until you come of age. I know this is a lot to take in, but please understand. I know you wondered why a stranger would be living with us for a year, and now you know. I love you, and I always will, until my last breath. Lorelie, my daughter, it's time for us to separate.

Love, Ruth."

What?! Did she leave me in the care of Elias? Why would she do that? Was I such a burden that she had to leave me? Did all those harsh comments about me get to her? My mind swirled with confusion and anger. How could she? She betrayed me. My mother left me, and now Elias was supposed to take care of me. This would probably feel like a burden for him. I knew I wasn't the easiest person to deal with, but to be left in the care of a stranger? It felt awful. I was truly alone now.

Tears welled in my eyes, spilling down my cheeks. The pain was unbearable. But what could I do? It was true, and there was nothing I could do about it… or could there be?