Roses and cigarettes.
896 Words
Calliope's P.O.V
As I walk back to my tent, a wave of emotions hits me. Sienna, the third-eldest child of my mother, my sister, laughs loudly inside. She sounds so much like mum when she does. Sometimes I thought it was mum that returned to us. I'd hold my breath as I zipped down the zipper of the tent hoping, no, wanting it to be mum, but it never was...
God, I missed her so much, so much so that I'd get angry at her for even leaving... I'm 15 years old now. She left me with a bunch of kids to provide for me to protect and at the time she left, I was 9, making Zarah the second eldest at 7, Sienna 6, Arthur 5, Jordan 3 and the youngest at just 1 year of age...
If it wasn't for aunt Beth, I don't know how I would have managed to look after them and, God knows where they would have ended up, I shook my head to rid myself of that thought and enter our tent. My siblings sit huddled together doing homework... they weren't a bad bunch to raise.
All of mum's children had extreme patience and listening skills. They did what they were told or asked of them, so that has helped me loads when raising them...
"Calli, you're back."
Tayo stutters
"Of course I am. I just got my work from Lutz."
I replied, hugging his head to my stomach...
He doesn't remember Mum, only the things we told him about her, yet he is so afraid that I, too, will leave them no matter how many times I told him I would never leave, but at some point all of them felt that way... I check through their work and when I'm happy with what I see, I take the two boys out and leave the girls to bathe.
Zarah and Sienna fill an old washing bucket with water, while Jordan gets their clothes and towels ready. We have long since gotten used to washing our bodies with cold water, but I knew the girls longed for a hot shower. My dream as their eldest sister is to get them out of here to show them that there is more to life than this...
They deserved more, hence the reason I tried to save every cent I had after seeing to all of our needs, which wasn't much, and most times I would have to use it for something else. The boys play a bit and I sit on the side corner watching them... I'm taken back to a time when I was their age...
Mr Pruett, one of our neighbors, is a teacher, or should I say was? He had everything once, but he got involved with one of his students, and she ended up getting pregnant. He said it ended up in a scandal, one that left him without his wife or lover, without his home and his child.
She tried to convince her parents that she wasn't raped as they insisted she was. She told them she loved him, so instead of locking him up, they got him fired. Since then, he has been teaching all the children on these streets, including me, for a small fee... He's truly a great man.
He once told me that he did in fact love the girl. His marriage was already in shambles, and he didn't regret how he ended up here... the only regret he had was not being man enough to tell his wife he was in love with another, but that if what happened didn't happen, he wouldn't be here helping, teaching.
He said something about this being his calling. He even has some of the older people that he teaches. I slip out the envelope from my pocket and stare at the guy in the picture. It's a close-up of his face and I wonder what the hell it was that Lutz wanted me to take from him.
Sarah shakes me on my shoulder and tells me that the water is ready for the boys. Once everyone, including myself, is cleaned up, we have something to eat. Nothing fancy, just some peanut butter and jelly. Then we're off to bed, but my mind won't rest, so many things flow through when I'm lying still.
I haven't cried in years... I've always had to be strong for my brothers and sisters, even when my heart was breaking or when I was missing mum, I had to hold it together, but in the end, who held me together? Who was being strong for me?
The following morning, I got up bright and early and went to get my dress and shoes. Then I headed to the hair salon... she works for Lutz too... she cleans his drug money, something I don't know much about, so when I got there she already knew what to do for me... Teddy gives me a big smile and a warm hug. She smells like roses and cigarettes.
She checks my dress, then gets started with washing, blowing and styling my hair... when she's done, I don't even bother to look in the mirror. Teddy has magic hands when it comes to doing your hair and make-up. I pay her, and she tells me that Lutz sent a driver for me...
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- Writer
