* * *
It was a long way home. The trees lined both sides of the narrow roadway. The sun was just setting and shadows extended to the far end of the path. A sudden breeze rushed by and I sneezed. What happened today still appeared so hazy to me. To begin with, I broke up with Edmond and this was unexpected. Secondly, I met a boy called Len whom I almost had no knowledge of except his known cleverness and name. Yet, we became friends already.
The more I mediated, the more confused I got.
People these days don’t have butlers. They have domestic helpers. And their servants probably won’t call them Prince and highness. I thought to myself.
Another thing that appealed to me was Len being able to read my mind. It was already abnormal for someone like him to be so all-rounded and if he was also a mind-reader…
No. I told myself. To be practical, Alice, no one on this earth can read someone’s mind, except some super heroes.
The instant I returned home, I threw myself onto the sofa. What an exhausting day!
Winnie peeked from the kitchen and waved her cooking pan. “I am about to cook dinner. Aren’t you hungry, Alice?”
“A bit.” I said.
Winnie was my adopted mother. I didn’t have a chance to say till now that I was actually an orphan. Somehow, my real parents abandoned me in an orphanage and when I was about three or four, I was picked up by Winnie. She was amiable and beautiful, the nice-mother type. She was young too, only thirty-seven years old right now. That would mean she adopted me when she was twenty-two. Taking up a job in the child centre, she had developed a loving heart towards kids but still, I wondered why she chose to adopt me. A lady like her could always find a good man and get married and have her own kids. Instead, she remained single all these years and only concentrated in taking care of me. A couple of times, she dated. But soon she broke up with her boyfriends. Somehow, I felt I was one of the causes.
“Don’t be silly.” Winnie had said. “Wouldn’t it be better just me and you?”
It would be better but I wouldn’t want to ruin a wonderful girl’s life. I would never mind living with Winnie forever and if she found someone she truly loved, I would feel sad for her to give up the relationship because of me.
I never called her “mother”. On the day she brought me home, she already told me to call her “Winnie”, so until this stage, she was still my “Winnie.”
“Winnie, I am going back to my room.” I shouted as I went up stairs. “Call me if dinner’s ready.”
“Yes, sweetheart.”
I heard her say.
I slammed the door behind me. It was much more comfortable to be in my own room. My room was just like any other teenage girl’s. The wallpaper was azure sky because I fancied blue color. My bed sat neatly next to my desk and a gigantic wardrobe stood in the corner. In addition to that, I had this bookshelf with lots of my favorite books. I loved reading. That’s all.
I finished my homework before seven and it was when I felt something was staring at me through the windows. I turned swiftly but saw nothing. It had started raining outside.
I got up from my chair and headed down stairs for dinner.
After dinner, I had my regular routine- watching television with a plate of fruits with Winnie.
She allowed me to watch TV only after I completed my schoolwork. She was a parent with high expectation of her child.
“I heard you have broken up with Edmond.”
How did Winnie know? It must have been Edmond’s mother.
“Um…yes.”
I didn’t intend to let her know the truth. Truth about me was always devastating to her. The first time she learnt about me going out with a random boy known for his rebellious school behavior, she was nearly mad. And when she saw my grade slip because of Edmond, she couldn’t let me rest. Right now, what would she do?
“It’s a good thing.” Winnie patted my hand. “He’s just playing with you. Breaking up with him is a wise choice.”
“Well, Winnie,” I wanted to tell her I was the one being dumped. “He…”
“I don’t mind you getting another boyfriend but please, don’t meet someone like him again.”
I used to think Winnie strongly opposed to relationships but I was wrong. She was just against Edmond.
“I won’t.”
I swore I wouldn’t. Edmond was never my type.
Speaking of relationship, Len popped up in my mind. I could feel heat accumulating around my face. Over and over again, I convinced myself someone like Len would never consider me as one of his choices for girlfriends.
“You still have school tomorrow. Why don’t you sleep early?” Winnie suggested.
I obeyed obediently and before I turned to the stairs, Winnie said in a soft voice. “And don’t be sad, Alice. Talk to me anytime if you wish to cry.”
I nodded and off I went.
It was the same feeling I had when I climbed to my bed. Someone seemed to be watching me! But where and who?
I looked out of the window and all I could see was the huge oak tree in the garden, its branches waving under the brutal wind. Nothing more.
At last, I decided I was just being paranoid. Drawing the curtains and switching off the lights, I calmly lied down.
The clock went tick tack tick tack. Though still feeling out of place, I fell asleep.
It was in the middle of the night when I heard something slapping my window. Frightened, I opened my curtains and….I saw a bat!
It was flapping his wings furiously with his sharp teeth showing. I had never seen such an unsightly creature before or should I say I had never met one bat.
I fell down to the ground and screamed. Winnie broke into the room, concerned.
“What’s happening?” She asked.
By then, the bat had disappeared. It was impossible! A moment before it was still out of the window trying to attack me.
“You must be having a nightmare.” Winnie tucked me back into bed.
“I swear I saw…”
“Come on, Alice, don’t be so hard on yourself.”
I was not being hard on myself. Why would I do so anyway? Breaking up with Edmond meant nothing to me! Well, maybe something but not serious enough to make me start imaging things like bats at three o’clock in the morning!
Tiredness only returned after an hour and the next time I woke, I was yawning.