Rainbow and blonde

Yolanda's standpoint

   How do you avoid idiots? Some women just need serious help, pushing themselves on men like they are the only good thing life can give to them. Presently, I was sitting at a café, staring at a woman scream the place down as she pointed at a black lady, throwing abusive words at her. They were two actually, one with rainbow dyed hair and the black lady with blonde and jade. They didn't look bothered by the woman's ranting, didn't even want to utter a word to defend themselves against the woman's accusations. They were innocent.

   I was more attracted to the one with the rainbow hair. Something about her, intrigued me; set off my curiosity. She looked more relaxed than the other, her legs crossed as they both leaned on the counter of the café. If anything, she looked amuse by the woman's ranting, while the other one was miserably bored. Something about her felt homely, strange as it is.

   'And I'm warning you for the last time to stay away from my husband! The next time we meet for this same issue, I will warn you with a bullet!' A bluff.

   'Are you done?' The rainbow haired spoke. All heads, like every single person in the café, turned to look at who spoke. It wasn't her question, it had everything to do with her voice. I'd heard a lot of sweet voices, especially from the women faking it to impress my father. But hers, my Lord, it was impossible to describe. It was just, adorable, bewildering, pleasant and everything alluring.

   'Look at you, disgracing yourself over a man who hasn't given you a ring? You say she's sleeping with your husband, who chased who? Did she chase him, or did your useless man? You should be attacking the man who won't leave her alone. I now get why he wants someone fresher,' she eyed her with distaste. 'You are ugly and lack sophistication.'

   'And IQ.' the black added.

   'How dare you!' The woman was one to attack, I knew that even before she raised her hand to slap the black one. But, the rainbow haired stuck out her cigarette in her hand. The butt of the cigarette burnt the yelling woman, drawing a nasty screech from her mouth. Trust me, I'd been hiding there for hours, so I knew when they walked in and heard when the black nagged her to stop lighting up cigarettes just for the fun of watching them burn. The rainbow only giggled and waved her friend off, lighting another cigarette to watch it burn. And that was when the woman stomped in.

   Banshee jumped back with her stretched out screech, holding her burnt palm and shaking it vigorously. Rainbow tossed the cigarette in the bin and smiled innocently. 'I'm sorry, miss, are you hurt? I'm sorry I did that, I just have a slight problem with burning trash. You feel me?'

   'You are going to pay! Pay!' She yelled furiously.

   'Woman, I think you have troubled us enough. It's time you leave. And instead of attacking me, did you bother to find out if I'm interested in your man?' The blond black spoke softly, as if she just wanted to crawl under her bedcover. 'I am just a kid, what is my business with a fat old pig? Please don't bother me and go settle your marital failure with him and don't vent it out on me.'

   'We'll see.' The beaten woman hissed, turned and stomped out the way she came. The two ladies chuckled and shook their heads, the rainbow clearly entertained by what occurred.

   'She's going to attack us,' the blonde sighed. 'What do we do?'

   'Don't worry, I'll handle her.' I knew then that I'd found the perfect place to hide for a while. Hopefully, they would accept me with no questions asked. The rainbow looked like someone who doesn't care, as long as you are innocent and cute.

   'Let's go back home, please, today was hard.'

Time to test my theory.

   'Agreed,' I waited until they were gone before following them quickly. The young ladies strolled to an old BMW car, one with ridiculous splash of colors. The rainbow definitely owned the car. I rehearsed my speech briefly as I pushed my tired legs towards them. Trying to catch up before they drive off. Just as she started the engine, I tapped on her window and stepped back, pulling my stolen hoody over my head. I prayed she accepted me. I was tired, hungry, and sleepy.

   The window rolled down. The woman stuck her head out, her face already glowing with her beautiful smile. I imagined her in my father's house, among those animals. They would kill each other to keep her as a private pet. 'Um, miss, I… I need your help.' I clasped my hands together pleadingly and motioned to the backseat. She twisted her lips, like a pout, and shrugged. Not even mulling over my request. She's either too nice, stupid, or another kidnapper.

I'll take my chances.

   'Who's she?' The blonde queried.

   'I don't know,' rainbow shrugged, watching me as I shut the door.

   'You are just gonna let her in? Just like that?' She asked, displeased. She didn't say anything, eyes watching me like a hawk. Since I was playing the innocent, harmed kid, I fidgeted, looking away from her eyes. 'Who are you?'

   'My name is Barbie,' I murmured. I barfed in my mouth back there. 'I'm an orphan.'

   'And so?' Wow, she's not as nice as I thought.

   'I ran away,' I looked at her, unblinking. 'They were maltreating me, starving me—' I pulled off my hood, so they'll see my bruised and swollen face. Rainbow took a glance before she nodded, not uttering a word.

   'Oh, you're eight?' Just that? Does everybody in Italy not have a heart?

   'Yes, can you please take care of me? At least, until I find my dad…er…his brother who lives here?' I pleaded. The rainbow glanced back at me, her smile still plastered on her smooth face.

   'You are not from here?'

   'No, I'm from Hong Kong, China.'

   'Alright, we will watch you until then.' I was right, rainbow is nice. I couldn't stop myself from grinning.

   'Viona! We don't know her! You're not going to ask how she escaped from China and came all the way to Italy!' Blonde shouted. Viona, it was a pleasant name but it didn't suit her. Her name could have been cuter. That face and voice demands it.

   Viona shrugged. 'I follow my instinct and my instinct says help her. I will fund her bills if that's what you are bothered about.'

   'Thank you,' I cried.

   'Whatever,' blonde scoffed. 'I'm Ursula, by the way.' As if I care.

   'Viona, but you can call me Vee, nice to meet you, Barbie.' I smiled at her and returned my gaze to the road. Hopefully, they are not double kidnapping me.

___

   Well, they didn't kidnap me. They brought me to their house. I observed the house quietly, the place was small, but nice enough and good enough to hide. The blonde one didn't seem to like me, or she was just being reasonably suspicious. Even I would be. But it seems like she listens to the rainbow a lot, so she wasn't complaining much, just watching me with obvious suspicion.

   'Where is she going to stay?'

   'In my room, that way, you won't have to kill me,' Viona said calmly, the blonde speaks calmer than her. Viona's voice was beautifully soft, the kind of light soft that gives you butterflies in your stomach. Her voice obviously pulled crowds and could calm the angriest heart. She literally put the silk in silky voice. Imagine a bowl of silky velvet cinnamon and caramel mixture that gives a melodious rhythm with every single stir. That's what it sounded like to me.

   Then, there was her perfect cute face to finalize the enchantment. Tall enough, ivory skinned and curvy in a dainty kind of way; just perfect. Ursula, however, just spoke really softly, like if she shouts, her vocal cord would get damage. She was probably a shy or calm person, their voices are cute. Ursula was taller than Viona, too heavy on the chest, slender, but not curvy. She was beautiful, though, black beauty.

   'Will you be okay staying in my room? At least, until I can clear and the basement?' Oh my God! I just love her voice, I want to be like her when I grow up. Hmm, with Ursula's boobs though, Viona needs them.

   'Your voice is so cute,' I said sheepishly.

She smiled. 'Thank you, helps me get away with a good deal of mischief,'

   'Tell me about it,' Ursula murmured to herself.

I giggled and played with the hem of my skirt. 'You don't have to stay in the basement, we can share, I don't mind.' I normally hate sharing but she's nice, and looks clean of diseases.

   'Alright, follow me then.' She instructed, disappearing into a foyer.

   'Be down quick, I'm making dinner. What would you like to eat?' Ursula asked coldly. I doubt she cared, she was being too rude.

   'Please stop looking at me like I'm going to steal your girlfriend,' I said blatantly. 'I only asked for a place to stay temporarily, not forever, so cut your fucked up attitude and act like a fucking adult.' I snarled at her. She blinked, what? I swear, so fucking what! Have you met the people I live with?

   'Good kids don't swear,' she said with arms akimbo.

   'When you have lived in the street and become streetwise, you learn to ghettoize yourself.' I never felt bad for lying until that moment, and the guilt was towards the charming lady with rainbow hair, not the blonde one. I didn't even know how a dark alley looked like, but I didn't need to be streetwise to know how to shoot a gun.

   'Wow, you're smarter than most kids your age,' she smiled. 'I like that. Welcome to the family and please, Viona is my older sister and you can call me UA.' Seriously? Just like that? Where do these girls come from?

   'Eh? Is that a name? I will rather stick with Ursula or better,' I looked at her bright blonde hair and smirked. 'Blondie.'

   'Please don't call me that,'

   'Blondie it is, bye, Blondie!' I chirped and ran after Viona. 'And make me bake beans for dinner!' I shouted. There were four doors in the foyer, each with their tags; bathroom, studio, stay away from my room, and the last one was a painting of a guy being beheaded. Seriously? I knew it was Viona's with immediate effect. 'She is so my style.' I smiled. I walked to the door and opened it. Heaven, her room was a coven!

    The walls were painted black and every furniture either sporting red or gray. Her duvet was gray and designed to look like someone was slaughtered on it. The pillows were skulls and the bed was literally a coffin. And I thought she liked colors. This lady is confusing.

Seriously crazy.

   I turned my attention to the wardrobe when I heard rumbling. She was going through her clothes. 'The towel on the bed, use it. I have extra everything, manage them for now. In the bathroom, there's a pink toothbrush and sponge, in fact, anything pink is for you.'

   'Alright, thank you, Vee,'

   'You're welcome. I will drop what you'll wear, then run to the pharmacy to get drugs for your wounds.'

   'Okay,'

   'Don't touch my stuff,' she warned me. I nodded and picked up the towel on the bed, big but manageable. I went to the bathroom outside the room, cleaned myself up well, and then tied the towel around me. I walked back to her room and used her mirror. 'You're back late,' I smiled at her as she dropped a bag. 'I just bought those, wear it. Tomorrow, we'll go shopping.' It was fascinating how she was willing to help me without even caring about what trouble I could bring.

   'Can I ask you for a favor?'

   'Shoot,'

   'My mother was a brunette, black to be precise. Can you help me dye my hair black and give me glasses like yours? They are cool.' For disguise. I had no idea how long I'd been staying here.

   'You don't need to be like your mother to know she's there,'

   'Yet sometimes, when life throws the worst at you, you need something to remind you of the good things you have lost and why you most remain strong.' I quoted the words I heard from a random movie. Sometimes I surprise me with how things just pop into my head.

   'Brilliant,' she chirped. She cocked her hips and frowned, an expression that made my heart skip. 'I'm not born with fries as brains, little one, I can tell you are running away from something not the orphanage, but I won't ask what because every human has their own shady secret that is best kept hidden. If you, however, feel like telling me, I am here to listen. Don't worry, I won't share with Ursula.' I kept my mouth pinned, not actually knowing how to reply. She saw right through me, she knew from the beginning.

   'Oh, next time you want to pick a fake country, try something believable and simple. Even if it's true, rethink your story and how it would sound to the listener. Plus, Barbie doesn't suit you, you look like a Sofia the first kinda kid.' She winked at me, whirled on her heels and walked out of the room. My mouth was wide open as I stared at her long gone figure.

Maybe I've gotten myself in a bigger mess.