Chapter 2

Yesterday was an unusual day in my life. I had so much fun with Emily's family. They treated me like their own daughter and even bought me a pendant, right away I refused to take it but her mother emotionally blackmailed me saying it was the last gift from Emily. The pendant was beautiful and really expensive. It had a diamond stone fitted in it, and God knew how I would take care of it. This was the most precious gift I ever had. 

The packing went well. The dinner went better. The hug from Emily went best. And now, tomorrow, I'll have a flight to Italy. Last days had passed so quickly that I forgot the count. Mom was home and currently crying for didn't know what reason. She kept crying and that pierced my heart. I felt the urge to go closer to her but something inside me just stopped me. Maybe, she needed that time alone to realise what she actually did. This was our last property that she bid for a stupid game.

I was going through with my school junk stuff that I'll hand to Emily because I had no space to fit them in my luggage as it was full already. These were a few pictures of me and her at prom. I chose Seth as my date. He was a cute guy who didn't have eyes to have sex with me. I would miss these moments. This day was added in the best-257 days of my life category. 

Suddenly the door of my room opened and I jerked in fright. Oh, mom, she would be the cause of my death someday. I quickly hid those pictures under the quilt and turned around to find mom... "What happened, mom? Why are you crying?" I enquired as if I didn't know she had been crying. She dashed to me and hugged me. 

I was left shocked as she pulled me closer to her. Her teardrops were slipping down on me. "I'm so sorry, honey. I had to do it," She whimpered. Clearly, she was regretting her mistakes and it was a proud second for me. finally. Finally, the day's arrived. 

"It's alright as long as you realise what you did was unethical," I pulled away, holding her face in my hands. I waited for this moment for years and finally, she said she was sorry about doing the damage all these years. 

"I had no other choice. I was so... so distracted and hurt and you know I can't live without you. I'm so sorry, Kristen," She sobbed harder and pulled me in again. It was so awkward for me to bear it because she never hugged me. This was a miracle happening. "My baby..." she whined. 

"Ah...mom... I'll suffocate... please," to be honest, I didn't know how to respond to her motherly gestures. I was not used to it. She pulled away and kept making up a chat with me. I wasn't digesting it properly. Something had really moved her that made her talk to me like she should have all these years, but it was a better late than never situation. 

She spent four hours with me until she realised we had a flight tomorrow and I needed to sleep to recharge my brain. She left me and seconds after, I dozed off to sleep on the mattress on the floor. 

****

"Kristen, wake up! We are getting late!" Now it was the same mom screaming at me who had a crying session last night. I wish I could freeze last night's moments but my luck, time stops for no one. I had to get up and get ready for the new journey. I dashed to the bathroom and took my last shower in my bathroom. Within minutes, I slipped into my old school blue jeans with a plain grey top. 

I dried my hair and applied a balm. Stepping out of the bathroom, I heard a doorbell, it seemed like the dealer was here to collect the home keys. We were losing possession of this house. It was still hard to believe. "Kristen, the van's here. Load your luggage in the trunk," Mom shouted from her room. 

"Got it, mom," I didn't shout but it was loud enough to be heard by her. I dragged my suitcases out of the house and gave the driver guy my stuff to fit it into the trunk. I brought my three bags and it was mom's turn. She had four big suitcases and I wondered if they weren't stuffed with the furniture of the house in it. They were that full to mouth. 

We loaded it and got in the van. It took us almost an hour to reach the airport. As we reached, I loaded the luggage from the trunk onto the trolley. I was the one who dragged it inside the airport and secured the boarding passes. After two hours, we were inside the aeroplane and it took off within thirty minutes. 

Mom handed me a bottle of orange juice after ten minutes of being in the clouds. I took a sip and put it on the holder. As I had the aisle seat whereas mom had the window seat, I was unable to enjoy the vista. But I didn't care enough because my body started aching and I had a heavy head. Lack of oxygen could be the reason but I knew restlessness was the culprit. I rested my head on the pillow and closed my eyes as they were heavy already. I dozed off to sleep again. 

Again it was my mother's voice that almost deafened me. "Kristen, for God's sake wake up. What are you? A sleeping-beauty?" I slowly started to gain consciousness. The light blinded my sight and I raised my head to block it. "You slept the whole flight. Look, we are here," Mum grumbled. Were we here? I looked out and saw the plane motionless on the ground. Hell. I slept for freaking eleven hours!?

It took us an hour to exit the plane and collect our luggage. We were finally out of the airport and now stood at the parking lot, waiting for a cab. Mom signalled a taxi for the third time but failed to get it. After waiting for a few more minutes, there came a cab that decided to stop and have us in. 

We got ourselves loaded. I was occupying the back seat with the suitcases and my mother was sitting beside the taxi driver. My mother was Italian so she knew how to communicate. Thank God, language wasn't a barrier for me either. I mean I never spoke Italian with my mother but I understood it completely. 

Mother gave the driver an address which probably would be granny's place. He passed mom a doubtful stare but didn't say anything. Was something wrong going on? Before I could get worried about it. He minded his own business and gave life to the engine, driving us to the location. I couldn't believe I slept during the whole flight. 

Before the guilt could suffocate me, I distracted myself with the outside world. It was different and very Italian. People looked like my mother's race. Minutes later, we entered a very congested area. I secretly prayed that granny wouldn't be living in such a place. It was far worse than my American life. 

The driver took several turns and pulled brakes in front of one specific house which was more like a building. It was huge for this area, different from the houses situated near. I took a deep breath and scanned it. "Is this granny's home?" I asked my mother but she didn't reply. 

"Come with me," she said and got out of the car. I followed her and we went inside. 

It was a crowded place. There were different kinds of people. Every person in here stared at me as if I was an alien. What was wrong with them? If it's like that I will refuse to stay. "Mom, what is this place," It was bothering me. It didn't seem like a house for normal people. In fact, it was a fit place for local theatre performers. Everyone had some kind of costume on, especially women. They were wearing costumes like they were going to perform belly dances. Every curve of their bodies was visible to naked eyes. Their flawless skins were shining across the corner. Oh, God what was this place really!

Mom was looking around for someone and it seemed like she spotted the one she had been searching for. "Honey, why don't you go upstairs and check out the building, I have something to attend to," Mom said to me and smiled wryly. 

"Mom, are you messing up with someone again? I thought you left it all behind in America," I gritted, looking around and composing my anger. 

"Honey, relax, I'm not messing anything. It's just a simple conversation with one of my school friends, I wanted to meet her before we leave to granny's house," Mom's cooing was so synthetic that it fed me up, she even placed a kiss on my forehead which I was not used to. I wasn't buying it.

"Why are we even here for a simplest conversation? It's not a suitable place for us. It's dangerous and besides, why would your friend be in such a place like this?" The people in here were a horror to me. My heart rate accelerated to an abnormal momentum. No one had ever stared at me with such lustful gazes. Let's forget about men ogling but the women were also eye-raping me. 

"Honey, I said go upstairs. I need work to do!" Mom hissed at me, her calling me with sweet names was beyond irritating, and what work was she talking about? Drugs!?