Half life

Its Hard But We Will Be Fine Again

"Yeah. Isn't he nice?" Aunt Mena asked

"Sure of course he is very nice" I said enthusiastically

" Well let's not waste so much time. Let's just go to work already" Aunt Mena said as we got to her room

"Ok" I replied while she walked to her washroom.

"Amanda please get me the detergent over there" She requested minutes later

"Ok Aunt Mena where exactly?" I asked quite confused

"Just over the bedspace" I replied

"Here" I said after I found the detergent and took it to her

"Thank you" she said and collected the detergent then turned on the washing machine

It took about 45 minutes before she was done washing and then we stepped out to hang the already rinsed clothes on the drying rack by the corner of the house

"Can you wash?" Aunt Mena asked softly as she hung the clothes when we got outside

"Umm… probably yes, just a little though" I replied

"Are you sure?" She asked with her gaze turned towards me

"Yeah Mum actually taught me how to" I replied proudly

"Wow that's great" She cooed and continued with the drying of clothes

" Yeah mum taught me everything" I added with a smile

" Wow that's lovely of her. I hope you appreciate it" she said, wiping her wet hands on her purple frill skirt when she was done with the last piece of clothe

"So tell me, who does Dad's laundry since Mum traveled?" Aunt Mena asked turning towards my direction again as we stood there

"Well Dad of course. He has been doing all the laundry before you came but when was still around she did all of it " I said calmly

" Have you got any other housekeeper before?" Aunt Mena asked as we began to walk back to the house

"No none. You're simply the first to work here" I replied stealthily

" Wow. I'm so humbled right now" Aunt Mena muttered but I ignored it and instead sank into a sofa nearby as we got to the sitting room

"Hey! Get up you lazy girl!" Aunt Mena commanded giving me a light punch on my left arm

" Ouch... Aunt Mena I'm so tired and you want to fracture my arm as well " I replied caressing my left arm

" Look at you I gave you a light punch and you're struggling to maintain balance what if I had given you a sucker punch? Besides you haven't done anything tangible and you said you are already tired" Aunt Mena said in disbelief with both hands at akimbo

" I'm just tired from standing up for so long and watching you operate the washing machine. My back aches badly I just need to rest" I said with a chuckle

" You're such a lazy girl. I doubt if you can do a single thing without easily getting weared out" Aunt Mena said and began to walk away

Well I was just tired and needed to rest and perhaps eat something as well before I collapse on the floor.

What may be available for me to eat is now the biggest challenge. If it's not mere snacks and fizza drinks then it just salad.

But then I'll have to go check it out myself.

I sometimes wish mum was here because most times whenever I'm hungry like now, she'd figure it out even without telling her about it and then get me some snacks.

"Amanda!" Dad's voice waffled into my ears from the staircase

"Sir" I replied and looked up towards his direction

"What are you doing there all alone?" Dad asked as he got close enough

" Well nothing. I'm just resting my head" I replied looking away with a sly smile plastered on my face

" I hope there is no problem?" He added as he made to sit down on the sofa few meters away from mine.

" Yes Dad there is no problem" I cooed

" Are you hungry or something?" Dad asked again this time giving me a quizzical look

"Umm.. Hungry? No… I mean yes Dad just a little bit" I stuttered, wondering why Dad started acting overly dramatic all of a sudden. Like he cares about me but today's is quite a different thing entirely. I have never heard or seen him being this caring. Yeah perhaps I've but definitely not this much.

"Isn't anything left or you want something else? " Dad still asked making me feel awkward as I blushed

" Actually I haven't checked but you don't have to worry Dad I'm fine. I'm not a kid you know? " I said calmly after exhaling deeply

" Well as far as am concerned you're still my baby girl and I have to take good care of you… If not for anything else but for your… mum" Dad said then paused at the mention of Mum while I drifted into my own thoughts

He is right perhaps isn't he?

I was mum's baby and she use to be so caring and also pamper me with a whole lot of nice things, sing me songs and recite bed time poems before going to bed.

So bad I was foolish to have believe all of that meant she cared a thing about me. Even though I really wish she did, the fact still remains that she never did.

"Amanda!" Dad called loudly startling me a bit

"Uhmm...yes Dad" I stuttered then shrugged off my thoughts

"What have you been thinking about?" Dad asked

"Umm... nothing Dad " I replied absentmindedly

"But I have been screaming your name for ages and you couldn't reply" Dad countered, staring at me in the eye

"Well I guess I was lost in my own thoughts" I replied hesitantly

"I see..do you miss your Mum?" Dad asked subtly for the first time since mother's sudden departure and I was taken aback as that stirred up many emotions in my heart and brought back many memories buried deep in my soul as they traveled at supersonic speeds, pulsating through every blood vessels in my body

"Huh" I managed to mutter, all confused by the question

*I said did you miss your Mum?" Dad asked this time in a calm voice while I looked away then swallowed hard, fighting back the tears threatening to spill out of my eyes like a fountain anytime soon but I lost it as I couldn't control it anymore and so they became to fall off my cheeks in torrents like a burst water pipe while I cringed in pain

Dad needed not to get an answer from me to know how badly I miss Mum since he knew how much I was so fond of her and how my existence depended greatly on hers.

"It's okay dear" Dad consoled, as he got up from his seat and came to sit on mine, placing my head on his thigh and kept patting my back while I sobbed quietly

"Look. We'll be fine without her okay? Stay strong for me my princess. I wish I could do a thing about it but unfortunately I can't. I haven't been able to access her since the very last day she left this house. I know how you feel trust me we will pull through this together. I'm so sorry for everything and I miss her as much as you do" Dad added in a tone laud of emotions, sniffling his nose

"Just like about every other thing,she lied about you too so she can leave right?" I muttered amidst tears

" What are you talking about?" Dad asked in confusion

" Never mind Dad" I replied hastily with a weary smile

" She said you were hurting her and doing a lot of bad things she couldn't cope with. She also said she is leaving because you asked her to"I said with a sigh

" What?" Dad asked in shock

" When did that ever happen?" Dad added

"She is a damn liar. I never said any of that. Yeah we had our issues of which you won't be able to understand because you are still a kid but it never got to the point of me asking her to leave the house. I never did" Dad said breathlessly while I listened on quietly

" If she really wanted to leave she would have just done that peacefully, I don't mind but for her to daint my name in the mud just for her to have her way is what I won't be able to condone" Dad said visibly irked

" Calm down Dad" I managed to say as I sat up

" Calm down? Seriously you're asking me to calm down Amanda?" Dad added coldly

" Well I mean you should just let it go. It's gone already I muttered looking at him

"Oh ok I have heard you ma" Dad said and stormed out of the sitting room in anger