Each step she took were dragged, her shoulders were also slightly slouched. Her eyes had suddenly grown misty, she struggled desperately not to let the waters fall. She could have, should have accepted the "help" Mr Alba rendered to her but her dignity would.... One part of her kept asking her if she was going to feed her children with dignity? How was she going to take care of her family now? She even had so much debts at hand, what would she do about them? Her throat burned that she felt the need to drink chilled water.
What was happening to her? It seem like each turn she took would turn against her? That job kept her going, it kept her alive. After the unfortunate death of her husband many years back, life had become so unbearable. She had suddenly become both a father and mother to her kids. Things hadn't been easy for her. The headaches at work and another at home were too much for her to handle. She brushed the fallen tears away from her cheeks with the back of hand. Why will she cry? She did the right thing yet it had seem foolish still. Her mouth stretched into a thin smile as she stopped to gather herself. Nothing was going to bring her down, she told herself. She knew she had lost of couple of jobs in the time past, she will have another.
When she arrived home, she found the door locked from inside. She called Melina name, but there was no reply. She proceeded in calling Melissa, still, no reply. After a while the door was opened half way and Melissa's head popped out.
"Mum, you're back?" Melissa asked, feigning surprise.
"What is wrong Melissa? Let me in." Her tone was raised. She pushed open the door but Melissa wouldn't let her in.
"Just a minute!" Melina yelled from within.
There was a bit of rumble and tumble, then came the subtle sounds of "woos ahhs".
"What are you girls doing?" Mrs Taylor pushed open the door as Melissa finally allowed her entrance. She looked around the parlor, down to the dinning room.
"Nothing mum!" Melina came into view, sitting her smeared yellow dress. Then, she threw her sister a warning look with the look of her face.
"No, no, no. Do not lie to me, tell me the truth at once. Just look at your dress." Mrs Taylor looked down on Melina's dress.
"We...were just playing hide and seek." Melina put in finally. Mrs Taylor glanced towards Melissa as she slumped into a sofa chair next to her. She could tell if Melina was lying through Melissa's hands. They weren't shaking, maybe they were really saying the truth. Suddenly, someone was banging the door like a mad person. Mrs Taylor stared back at her children swiftly, they have done it again.
"What have you done?" She asked them but they shook their heads and shrugged their shoulders.
The bangs on the door intensified, Mrs Taylor had to stand up to open the door. A big, fat woman stood at the entrance fuming in flames. She was Mrs Taylor's neighbour.
"Oh, Mrs Kewvi." She called in feigned surprise. "To what do I own this visit?" She asked the fat woman.
"Always the innocent one." She mocked as she batted her eyes at Mrs Taylor. "Your children have stolen six of my eggs. You better do something about that or I'll call the police. What can of children do you have!" She shouted.
"Six of your eggs!" She was mortified as the words rang out in her head.
"Looks like you're now as deaf as you are blind to the behavior of your children! Pay up for it or I'll call the police!" Mrs. Kewvi stretched out a flabby hand.
Mrs Taylor nodded, shouting over to her kids to get her her purse. Melina rushed over to give her mother the purse while Mrs Kewvi looked down on Melina in disgust.
"Mrs. Kewvi, please calm down. I'll pay for the damages." She calmly said giving her the money for the stolen eggs.
"Damages you say?" Mrs Kewvi tutted. "You do not train your girls, that's why they are like this. If not, they wouldn't be stealing someone else's eggs!" With that she turned away only to stop to add. "Next time, I won't take it easy on you." Then she walked away as her derriere clapped behind her.
Mrs. Taylor sighed heavily, shut the door and turned to face her children. They were already fidgeting.
"Mum, it's Melina's fault..." Melissa started confessing.
"So you girls now steal eggs?" Their mother asked. She found a place to sit as her head spinned.
"Don't put it on me Melissa! You said you were hungry and that you wanted eggs!" Melina flared. The two girls looked exactly alike that one couldn't tell them apart.
Melina had her dress dirty unlike the other.
"Will you shut your mouth! You have the guts to say that." Their mother shouted. Melina flared at her sister from the corner of her eyes.
"Last time you girls stole, I forgave you because you begged, pleaded that you were never going to repeat this act. This time around, I can't take it anymore. Melina, get me the whip!"
Melissa jumped up, shouting at the mention of the whip then she went on her knees when she heard that. She was scared of the whip, their mother hardly used it on them. They knew they had pushed their mum too far. Tears were already pouring out like streams in the deserts.
"Go and get me the whip!" Their mum won't hear of it.
Melina stood, strong headed but her face was angry. "We wanted to buy the eggs but we have no money. Mrs. Kewvi wouldn't give us on credit." Melina tried to explain.
"Can you hear yourself?" Their mum was furious.
"Mum, please... we won't do it again." Melissa cried, beating the floor with both hands of hers as if by so doing, their mum will forgive them.
"Ok, I'll get the whip myself then." Their mum stood up and began to search for a long, thin, scrawny cane while Melissa's voice heightened.