Choices

almost 4 years ago

Awaken by the loud bang on the door, Leena rubs her eyes and yawns with her hands up in the air. Her head is buried deep in that feather-soft pillow and is reluctant to step down from her bed. With a thin mattress placed on the bed, she has nothing but the newly-bought pillow for luxury. She lays flat until her stomach growls as she smells a burger, a delicious one, perhaps.

Damn, the burger!

She jumps on her bed and turns to the table adjacent to it. There is it! A cold burger on the table with a fly enjoying the mayo dripping down the onions inside. Not again, she murmurs.

She forgot to eat it at lunch and fell asleep after returning home covering her 14-hours long shift at the factory nearby. She needs some extra money and does the long shift to make sure it covers her due at the pawn shop on the next street.

But how come she forgot to notice it before going to sleep, she asks herself. The job is taking a toll on her; this should not continue— her thought gets interrupted by the fly now buzzing around her nose, trying to peek inside.

How annoying!

She stares at the burger, convinces herself to ignore the fly claiming it as its own and eat it. As she approaches the kitchen, the door lock rattles like someone trying to break in.

Who is there— she asks.

But it doesn’t echo back with a satisfying answer. So, she crawls through the floor to take a look at what’s behind, a hazy shadow of uncertainty moving hastily, making it more mystifying as the moment passes. She takes a closer look; holds her breath to filter out every sound over there— an ocean of silence is slowly overpowering the moment, and she finds herself immersed in fear of being stalked as it swallows her inside.

Can it be the guy she refused to go on a date with at the factory? Nah, he seems to be too decent to be a stalker. The house owner, perhaps? It’s the middle of the month, and no rent is due; she answers to herself. She must’ve heard wrong— ugh, all those works are making her go crazy; she needs more sleep. As she turns around and heads toward the kitchen again, a voice cries out her name— Leena? You there?

Leena halts as if someone has glued her feet to the floor. The voice is too familiar to her; it’s her mother.

She has been living alone away from her parents since her 18th birthday 3 months ago. But her parents didn’t want it to happen. They didn’t want their sweetheart to face the harsh reality of life too soon.

How did you find me? Leena asks from inside.

Why didn’t you put your new address at the last place you lived? Her voice fades out as she bursts into tears.

Leena still doesn’t open the door as she knows she can’t keep herself together, seeing her mother crying like a child. Please don’t cry— she begs. I am alright. I don’t need you to look after me; I am old enough, ma.

Won’t you allow me to come inside? Let me see you for once; her mother continues begging.

Leena looks at the mirror attached to the door; a dark circle has shrunk her eyes— her disheveled hair speaks of negligence and hardship. She looks at the burger in her hand and responds to her mother; I am sure you don’t want to see me like this, ma.

A poisoned arrow struck the motherhood waiting outside— you don’t know how prepared every mother is for their children, she replied.