Once Upon a Morning Chapter 2

Chapter 2

I got through the window and winced in pain. The blood had dripped coldly and slowly down my leg and into my tennis shoe and sock.

“Violet! What happened to you?” Sophie asked.

“It’s a slightly long story, Soph.”

“I’m going to get Aunt Nancy!”

“Sophie, no!” I yelled after her, “She’ll know I left the house and I probably wouldn’t get lunch or dinner either.”

“Well what are we going to do? That cut looks awful,” Sophie said worried.

“Soph...go get me a washrag with cold water. Maybe get several. I can take care of this myself.”

“Fine, but if it gets worse I’m going to get Aunt Nancy.”

She disappeared into the other room several feet away. I heard the water turn on in the sink as I began to take off my shoes.

“Here.”

“Thanks.” I said as I began to soak up the blood with the ice-cold washrag. Even though it was water the cut tingled with pain making me grimace.

“Oh my gosh,” Sophie whispered.

“What?”

“Listen?”

I heard muffled words from the kitchen.

“Aunt Nancy is about to come up here. Go! Hide!”

“Where?”

“The bathroom!”

I ran into the bathroom carrying all of the evidence. I heard muffled footsteps clicking against the wooden stairs.

“Where is Violet, Sophie?”

“Uh...in the bathroom. She had to go to the bathroom,” she spoke as her voice shook.

“Oh really? I haven’t heard any racket up here all morning. Are you sure she’s in the bathroom? Your not lying are you?”

“I’m p-p-positive. Go knock. I promise she’s in there.”

“Violet? Open this door RIGHT NOW!” Aunt Nancy screamed.

“I’m sort of busy right now.”

“I DON’T CARE!”

I got up off the floor and hid the evidence. I flushed the toilet to make it seem realistic and opened the door slightly hiding my leg.

“Yes?” I asked trying to sound calm.

“When your...presentable for lunch, which to let you know is in five minutes, I need you to get down here and help clean the house. You need to stop being lazy,” Aunt Nancy said as she turned around the leave.

I heard her shoes clonk down the steps and the door slam shut. I hurried over to wrap my leg up again with bandages.

“What does she mean by presentable?” Sophie asked.

“I’m not sure. I guess nicer than I look at the moment,” I replied.

Once I looked in the mirror, I saw what Aunt Nancy had seen. Dirt globs were tangled inside me hair, my skin was caked with dirt, grass stains, and scratches, my shirt had ripped some near my chest, along with my jeans, which were ripped from my thigh down. I wondered whether or not Aunt Nancy had noticed the dirt on my body.

I grabbed the washrag and put it under the ice water. I scrubbed my face and skin shivering from the cold. Soon enough, I felt presentable.

“Your hair...” Sophie said.

“Yeah.”

I brushed it thoroughly and got all the dirt clumps out of the strands of my hair. I brushed it back and clipped a hair clip to dress it up a tad.

“How do I look?”

“Very presentable. You can’t even tell your leg is hurt anymore.”

“Good. But I can still tell you, it hurts like hell.”

I glided over to Sophie, limping slighting, and brushed her hair releasing all of the tangles out and then braided it down her thin back.

“Lets go before we’re late.”

I marched down the stairs trying not scream. I winced every few steps, trying not to make a sound.

Charlotte was seated at the table with Caroline beside her. Aunt Nancy, who absolutely loved to cook, was putting bowls on the table and saw us entering the kitchen.

“Wow, Violet. Your actually on time for a meal,” Charlotte said from her place.

“Yes, I am. Some people are just never late for a meal,” I replied glaring at her.

She smirked and scowled at me. I knew she would punch me, but she knew she would lose that fight. I was much stronger than anyone in the house...much stronger.

I went around the table to sit down in my place.

“Violet, I need the house squeaky clean. I need every single room including yours, which needs some serious dusting, clean. On Thursday morning we are having a brunch party for a new family in town and I need the house spotless.”

“Its only Sunday. Does it have to be done today? We have plenty of time.”

“For once can you follow orders without questioning or complaining? Wouldn’t that be a miracle?” Aunt Nancy said sarcastically asking the rhetorical question she asks herself often.

“I wasn’t complaining I just find it unnecessary to clean today if we’re having company on Thursday.”

“If you don’t shut up, you will be grounded to your room. I’ll drop your meals off in there for you. So shut up and follow orders. Hear me?”

“Yes.”

“Sophie, you can help her.”

“That’s okay, Aunt Nancy. I’ll do it myself. Sophie needs to rest.”

“No. Sophie is going to help you. Now eat,” She then mumbled, “Ungrateful children.”

I ignored her as best as I could as I ate the spaghetti she had made.

“Mother, Caroline and I would like to go shopping today for school clothes.”

“Hmmmm...I guess it is about time isn’t it,” She said getting up from her chair, “Do the dishes and clean this kitchen, Violet. Sophie go start cleaning the attic. We are going shopping. I want this house spotless by the time I get home,”

I nodded silently as I got up to clean.

*****

Aunt Nancy, Charlotte, and Caroline were still gone by the time it was dark. Sophie had finished the attic hours ago and I had only the living room left to do.

When I finished polishing the wooden table the front door flew open reveling Aunt Nancy, Charlotte, and Caroline and their ten plus shopping bags.

“Finished?” Charlotte asked wishing the worst upon me.

“Yes, as of ten seconds,” I sighed.

“Good,” Aunt Nancy stated, “Here.” She handed me two sandwiches she had gotten at a cheap fast food restraunt. I grabbed them from her hand and proceeded to the attic.

I went into the bedroom finding Sophie’s bed empty. I looked around for her in the bedroom until I heard a faint, muffled cough coming from the bathroom. I limped a bit into the bathroom finding Sophie’s thin, gaunt body lying limp on the floor next to the toilet.

I ran towards her and pressed my cold hands against her flaming hot forehead. Her face was flushed with fever and at the same time white with sickness.

Time passed slowly as I laid on the bathroom floor with her. I wasn’t sure what time it was. I didn’t know if minutes had passed or if it was hours. Finally I could tell she had drifted off to sleep. I carried her skinny, weightless body to her bed. I coaxed her face again with a washcloth doing everything I could possibly do to get her fever back down.

Sophie had congestive heart failure. She got sick often. I knew I should tell Aunt Nancy at times like these, but all would happen is she would go to the doctor with Aunt Nancy complaining and the doctors would say there’s nothing they can do until she’s ready for a transplant.

I sat by her bedside until I saw the sunlight start to break through the window. I was exhausted from a sleepless night and I knew I wouldn’t get sleep all day and maybe not even tonight. I groaned as I went to the bathroom to clean up. It was a horrid mess, and I knew eventually I would have to clean it anyways.

Several minutes later I heard Sophie cough again sending me running toward her. She was sitting up in bed looking just as tired as me.

“Violet...” She whispered.

“Are you alright?”

“I feel better.”

“Good. Would you like me to go get you some breakfast?”

“No. I’m not hungry,” She said making a face at the thought of food.

“Sophie...you have to eat something. Why don’t I get you some water and toast? You need something in your system. It will help you get stronger and almost back to your normal self.”

If you looked at Sophie without knowing her age, you would believe she was a severe underweight five year old.

She groaned in disgust.

“I’ll take that as a yes.”

I walked quietly down the steps already hearing sizzling from the stove. I walked in and immediately saw Aunt Nancy looking at me with a surprised glare.

“Well, well. Your two hours early for breakfast. Isn’t that a change?”

“May I have some toast and water?”

“Get it yourself. And what is that awful smell?” She said glancing at me.

“Sophie’s sick. That’s why I need the toast.”

“Of course. I should have guessed. That sickly child...she has so much potential.”

I knew exactly what she meant. She had so much potential. Too bad she would never get to use it since she wouldn’t live that long. Of course I had though of that, but out of Aunt Nancy it was sarcasm. It is true; Sophie has a lot of potential. She’s smart and carries a sweet tune in her voice. Sometimes the thought of her never getting better makes me want to cry, but I know if I cry it will worry her and I know I have to paint on a good face for her.