Michelle woke in a daze, a groan escaped from her lips as soon as she remembered what she was dreaming of. Almost five years ago, Errole and his family left for England. She never saw him before he left. All she got was a letter in the mail telling her how sorry he was that he couldn’t tell her his father’s plans. She responded to it with a very angry letter and he, in turn, sent her a postcard telling her how he missed her. The letters came and went for months. They wrote to each other twice a week. Later on it became just once a week. A year after he left, she was lucky to get a letter from him every month. A few months after that, he no longer sent her letters. All she ever heard of him were the small mentions in newspapers and magazines about his family touring Europe or his dad getting recognized in France. She hated him. And she hated herself for still missing him after all this time.
Michelle grabbed her mobile phone to check the time. It was only 7 in the morning. She groaned and covered her face with the pillow in an attempt to go back to sleep. It’s only two more weeks before school starts and she needs as much rest as she can. She’ll be starting her internship soon after that and she knows that it will entail a lot of sleepless nights. After a few minutes of trying to fall back to sleep, she heard a loud honk from outside. She gave up and threw her pillow at the wall. “Fine Universe!” she shouted, “I’m getting out of bed!”
She grumbled about how fate must hate her completely for it to make her get up this early on a Saturday. Deep down, she knew that it was the dream that actually got to her. She hasn’t thought of him since - well, let’s just say she hasn’t thought of him in a long while and this was definitely not how she wanted to start her day.
Michelle trudged into the bathroom to brush her teeth and decided, since she was already up and all, that it was a good day to go running. After brushing her teeth and putting her long dark brown hair up in a ponytail, she grabbed her running shoes from the hall closet and made her way back to her bedroom. She stuck with the usual tank top and jogging pants and put on her shoes. She started stretching before even leaving her room and grabbed her mp3 player before she left the house. Her eyes, automatically, looking up to the house in front of the one she grew up in. Errole’s family’s home was still as intimidating as it was when she first saw it when she was five. With a sigh, she started jogging towards the park.
Michelle ran through the familiar paths that led her to the children’s park. The day’s heat was tolerable due to the clouds that would cover the sun from time to time. She slowed her pace and came to a stop near the playground. She looked at the empty swings and sighed again. She made her way to it and sat down.
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“What are you doing here?” the five year old Errole spat at her.
“I- I’m p-playing.” she answered him. Her tone soft and slightly terrified. It’s been a week since she and her mother have moved into the Shepard’s home and Errole seems to hate her more every day.
“You don’t belong here, pauper!” he said to her. She let out a soft giggle in spite of herself. She had to bite her lower lip to stop it from turning into a full blown laugh. He was acting like he was some kind of prince. She knew she was still scared of the cruel little boy who taunted her every day, but she couldn’t help the giggle that escaped her lips.
Errole heard her giggle and he saw red. What right does this little girl have to laugh at him. His mommy and daddy have been fighting every day since they came into his house. He heard his daddy yell at his mommy saying that this girl and her mother are gold digging leeches and they’re only there to get money. He was angry. He hated this little girl because, even if he didn’t know what gold digging meant (he just assumed that Michelle and her mom were trying to dig treasure from their gardens since he once saw Michelle’s mother digging near the rose bushes), he knew that his parents were fighting because of them. He knew that it was their fault that his mommy and daddy weren’t getting along. And besides, if there was hidden treasure in their garden, he was sure that Michelle and her mommy had no right to take it. It was his daddy’s treasure and he will protect it no matter what.
“Don’t laugh at me you gold digging leech!” he said, pushing Michelle off the swing. He watched as she fell and hit her arm on a jagged stone in the sand. He saw her bleeding arm before he even noticed the tears in her eyes. He pointed at her shouting, “That would teach you to laugh at me!” his voice cracked, partly out of fear of getting in trouble and partly because he actually felt bad for what he did. He ran home and locked himself in his room refusing to come out. It was six in the afternoon when his mother knocked on his door to try to get him to eat dinner but he refused to go no matter what his mother tried.
At midnight, Errole couldn’t help the hunger he was feeling anymore. He snuck out of his room and slowly made his way to the kitchen. Just as he was about to enter, he heard hushed voices.
“What happened, Elle?” Michelle’s mother urged her to talk.
“It’s nothing, mama. I fell off the swing, that’s all” the little girl answered timidly. Errole sneaked a peek at what was happening. Michelle’s mom’s back was to him but he can clearly see Michelle’s tear splattered face. Her mother was re-dressing and applying medicine on a big gash on her arm. He winced, as if feeling the pain himself. She looked brave though. Like it was nothing. Like she was used to getting cuts and having her mother put medicine on it.
“Tell me what happened, mi hija. I know you. You are not a clumsy girl.” her mother said to her. She shook her head and insisted that she really just fell. Her mother sighed and left it at that. “Fine. Let me know when you want to talk. But it’s time to go to bed. Come.”
“Can I stay here a while longer, mama? I just want to watch cartoons. I never get the chance to do it at day time. All Errole wants to watch are those boring news programs.” Michelle asked her mom. Her mother smiled at her and gave her consent. She kissed her mother goodnight and was left alone. After a minute or so, Michelle turned towards the door and glared. “What more do you want? You already got me to lie to my mama!”
“I never asked you to do that.” Errole said coolly, stepping into the kitchen. He didn’t know how she knew he was there but he didn’t intend to hide and pretend he wasn’t. He was no coward.
Errole walked to the shelves to look for some cookies and as he did so, he sneaked a peek at Michelle. She sat there staring at her hands. That was the first time he noticed the scars on her arms and legs. He gasped. He’s sure he didn’t do that much damage.
She looked up to see him staring at her, “These weren’t from today.” she said softly as she got off the stool, answering his unasked question.
“How’d you get all of those?” he asked walking towards her.
“My papa doesn’t like me much.” she said simply. “He drinks and when he gets angry, he hits me. He hits my mama too. Papa says he does it because he loves me and doesn’t want me to grow up stubborn.” Michelle started walking away. “The cookies are hidden in the cupboard by the sink. Goodnight, Errole.” she said as she got out of the kitchen to watch cartoons in the living room.
The next day, Michelle woke up in the sofa, a blanket over her small frame and a box of cookies by her head. Errole did not talk to her for a while after that night.
---------
Michelle got up from the swing, her heart heavier than it was when she woke up. This place was full of memories. Lots of good and bad ones. About a week after Errole pushed her off the swing, it was here that he came to her rescue. Some kids were bullying her, throwing tiny stones at her. One of the bigger kids got a bigger stone to throw at her but Errole suddenly came up to the boy and punched him. Errole got grounded for a week because of it but she believed that that was when they started being friends. It was unexpected, really. She believed that he hated her so when he punched the kid and tried to pull her hand asking her to run, she just stood there staring at him. She laughed at the memory, thinking how it was just so bittersweet. She started making her way back to her house, walking slowly this time, taking her time to reminisce even if it was still painful.
When she was nearing her home, she looked up towards Errole’s house and saw that two men were unloading a moving van. She frowned and sadness took over. Someone appears to have bought the house across the street. She started making her way up the path that leads to her house thinking that Errole truly was gone. She held up hopes that as long as the Shepards did not sell the house, there was some hope that they would return. This proves her little theory wrong and just gives her more reason to feel worse. “Today of all days.” she muttered as she took her first step up the porch.
“Michelle honey?! Is that you?” she heard someone shout. She turned sharply and saw someone she never thought she’d see again.
Mrs. Shepard was walking up to her, all smiles, a glass filled with amber liquid in one hand and a cigar in the other.
She grumbled about how fate must hate her completely for it to make her get up this early on a Saturday. Deep down, she knew that it was the dream that actually got to her. She hasn’t thought of him since - well, let’s just say she hasn’t thought of him in a long while and this was definitely not how she wanted to start her day.
Michelle trudged into the bathroom to brush her teeth and decided, since she was already up and all, that it was a good day to go running. After brushing her teeth and putting her long dark brown hair up in a ponytail, she grabbed her running shoes from the hall closet and made her way back to her bedroom. She stuck with the usual tank top and jogging pants and put on her shoes. She started stretching before even leaving her room and grabbed her mp3 player before she left the house. Her eyes, automatically, looking up to the house in front of the one she grew up in. Errole’s family’s home was still as intimidating as it was when she first saw it when she was five. With a sigh, she started jogging towards the park.
Michelle ran through the familiar paths that led her to the children’s park. The day’s heat was tolerable due to the clouds that would cover the sun from time to time. She slowed her pace and came to a stop near the playground. She looked at the empty swings and sighed again. She made her way to it and sat down.
---------
“What are you doing here?” the five year old Errole spat at her.
“I- I’m p-playing.” she answered him. Her tone soft and slightly terrified. It’s been a week since she and her mother have moved into the Shepard’s home and Errole seems to hate her more every day.
“You don’t belong here, pauper!” he said to her. She let out a soft giggle in spite of herself. She had to bite her lower lip to stop it from turning into a full blown laugh. He was acting like he was some kind of prince. She knew she was still scared of the cruel little boy who taunted her every day, but she couldn’t help the giggle that escaped her lips.
Errole heard her giggle and he saw red. What right does this little girl have to laugh at him. His mommy and daddy have been fighting every day since they came into his house. He heard his daddy yell at his mommy saying that this girl and her mother are gold digging leeches and they’re only there to get money. He was angry. He hated this little girl because, even if he didn’t know what gold digging meant (he just assumed that Michelle and her mom were trying to dig treasure from their gardens since he once saw Michelle’s mother digging near the rose bushes), he knew that his parents were fighting because of them. He knew that it was their fault that his mommy and daddy weren’t getting along. And besides, if there was hidden treasure in their garden, he was sure that Michelle and her mommy had no right to take it. It was his daddy’s treasure and he will protect it no matter what.
“Don’t laugh at me you gold digging leech!” he said, pushing Michelle off the swing. He watched as she fell and hit her arm on a jagged stone in the sand. He saw her bleeding arm before he even noticed the tears in her eyes. He pointed at her shouting, “That would teach you to laugh at me!” his voice cracked, partly out of fear of getting in trouble and partly because he actually felt bad for what he did. He ran home and locked himself in his room refusing to come out. It was six in the afternoon when his mother knocked on his door to try to get him to eat dinner but he refused to go no matter what his mother tried.
At midnight, Errole couldn’t help the hunger he was feeling anymore. He snuck out of his room and slowly made his way to the kitchen. Just as he was about to enter, he heard hushed voices.
“What happened, Elle?” Michelle’s mother urged her to talk.
“It’s nothing, mama. I fell off the swing, that’s all” the little girl answered timidly. Errole sneaked a peek at what was happening. Michelle’s mom’s back was to him but he can clearly see Michelle’s tear splattered face. Her mother was re-dressing and applying medicine on a big gash on her arm. He winced, as if feeling the pain himself. She looked brave though. Like it was nothing. Like she was used to getting cuts and having her mother put medicine on it.
“Tell me what happened, mi hija. I know you. You are not a clumsy girl.” her mother said to her. She shook her head and insisted that she really just fell. Her mother sighed and left it at that. “Fine. Let me know when you want to talk. But it’s time to go to bed. Come.”
“Can I stay here a while longer, mama? I just want to watch cartoons. I never get the chance to do it at day time. All Errole wants to watch are those boring news programs.” Michelle asked her mom. Her mother smiled at her and gave her consent. She kissed her mother goodnight and was left alone. After a minute or so, Michelle turned towards the door and glared. “What more do you want? You already got me to lie to my mama!”
“I never asked you to do that.” Errole said coolly, stepping into the kitchen. He didn’t know how she knew he was there but he didn’t intend to hide and pretend he wasn’t. He was no coward.
Errole walked to the shelves to look for some cookies and as he did so, he sneaked a peek at Michelle. She sat there staring at her hands. That was the first time he noticed the scars on her arms and legs. He gasped. He’s sure he didn’t do that much damage.
She looked up to see him staring at her, “These weren’t from today.” she said softly as she got off the stool, answering his unasked question.
“How’d you get all of those?” he asked walking towards her.
“My papa doesn’t like me much.” she said simply. “He drinks and when he gets angry, he hits me. He hits my mama too. Papa says he does it because he loves me and doesn’t want me to grow up stubborn.” Michelle started walking away. “The cookies are hidden in the cupboard by the sink. Goodnight, Errole.” she said as she got out of the kitchen to watch cartoons in the living room.
The next day, Michelle woke up in the sofa, a blanket over her small frame and a box of cookies by her head. Errole did not talk to her for a while after that night.
---------
Michelle got up from the swing, her heart heavier than it was when she woke up. This place was full of memories. Lots of good and bad ones. About a week after Errole pushed her off the swing, it was here that he came to her rescue. Some kids were bullying her, throwing tiny stones at her. One of the bigger kids got a bigger stone to throw at her but Errole suddenly came up to the boy and punched him. Errole got grounded for a week because of it but she believed that that was when they started being friends. It was unexpected, really. She believed that he hated her so when he punched the kid and tried to pull her hand asking her to run, she just stood there staring at him. She laughed at the memory, thinking how it was just so bittersweet. She started making her way back to her house, walking slowly this time, taking her time to reminisce even if it was still painful.
When she was nearing her home, she looked up towards Errole’s house and saw that two men were unloading a moving van. She frowned and sadness took over. Someone appears to have bought the house across the street. She started making her way up the path that leads to her house thinking that Errole truly was gone. She held up hopes that as long as the Shepards did not sell the house, there was some hope that they would return. This proves her little theory wrong and just gives her more reason to feel worse. “Today of all days.” she muttered as she took her first step up the porch.
“Michelle honey?! Is that you?” she heard someone shout. She turned sharply and saw someone she never thought she’d see again.
Mrs. Shepard was walking up to her, all smiles, a glass filled with amber liquid in one hand and a cigar in the other.