Chapter 7
“Okay.”
I stood up, ready to leave with my sister.[]
But Mom threw herself in front of me.]
“No, Maya, you can’t! You can’t leave. Mom waited so long for you to come back.“[]
Mom had lost all traces of her usual refined lady image. Her perfect makeup was ruined by tears, snot and tears streaming down her face.
She gripped my sister’s arm tightly, begging her.[]
“Maya, you can’t go. You can’t be so cruel and leave Mom again. Mom can’t bear to lose you again. Mom knows she was wrong–please forgive me. “0
Dad had also lost his successful businessman image, bending his proud spine.[]
“JoJo, Mom and Dad know we were wrong. We shouldn’t have treated you that way. Give us another chance–we’ll make it up to you. Can’t our family of four live like we used to?“]
Actually, I’d stopped hoping for Mom and Dad’s apology long ago, but Dad’s last sentence moved me. 0
Going back to the past, back to living happily with my sister–that’s what I’d always hoped for.]
My sister saw what I was thinking and eventually stayed home for my sake.]
But Madison definitely had to go.[]
Before long, the house decorations were changed back to how they used to be. Even the awards Madison had destroyed were somehow replaced with identical ones by Mom and Dad.[]
Except for the bedrooms neither my sister nor I wanted to live in rooms Madison had used, even though there wasn’t a trace of her
left.
We chose a room on the first floor that faced a pond full of water lilies.
It wasn’t the right season yet–they were just small buds.
My sister and I slept together every night, read books and watched TV during the day, and bet on when the water lilies outside would bloom.
With my sister by my side and Mom and Dad carefully trying to please us, afraid we’d think of leaving again-
It really felt like the old days.]
But good times don’t last forever.
These days felt stolen.[]
Eventually, we still left
On a bright afternoon, just like the day my sister went to buy me ice cream ]
A Decade Later Net Cavut Walks to how the payback Tyme
5.70
Chapter 7
The
water lilies that had finally bloomed outside, sunlight streamed through the golden foil.
lilies,
turning their
white petals into translucent
Water droplets rolled
on the round leaves, refracting tiny
stars, like breathing lanterns
floating in
the
green shadows.
Breathtakingly beautiful.[]
My
sister
took my
hand and said,
“Let’s go.”
“I’ll always be by your side.“]
A Dexade
