6 Chapter 6: A Stranger Behind

I laugh hard when Sally squirts out the paint and it comes out on her face, making her look like a clown. She also had a goofy grin on her face, enjoying her own clumsiness.

"I expect you all had fun this summer vacations? Yes, kids?" the teacher asks the class while sitting on a chair, her hands resting on her lap and everyone turns to the teacher.

"Yes, teacher!" class echoes.

"We have a new friend joining us from today. Come on in child." the teacher says, looking towards the classroom door and everyone's eyes direct in the same direction.

Someone hesitantly walks into the class with their head lowered towards the ground.

"everyone say hi to our new fellow." the teacher says, smiling at the class and the class erupts with 'hi's'.

"Don't be shy child, introduce yourself."He hesitantly straightens himself and looks up at the class

Not again. This brat!

His gaze lands on me and his brows turn into a frown. He averts his gaze to the other kids and never looks back at me. The brat introduces himself to everyone and continues to talk, shyly.

"... I'm six years old and I came here from the city a month ago." the class echoes with awes at the mention of the city.

"Dear, tell us about your likes and dislikes." the teacher asks him.

"I love chocolates and blue color. I don't like banana it makes me puke and... I guess that's it." he shrugs.

Banana is his favorite. Check.

"Let's see who would like to be your friend first." teacher looks at the class, searching expectantly and mostly everyone is raising their hands.

Of course, except for me.

"Sarah, Come and take your friend with you and help him around." teacher smiles at me, her eyes twinkling with joy.

WHAT?! Seriously? Did I do something wrong to you to earn this punishment?

I fidget in my seat. When I look at him, he has an evil grin plastered on his face.

I bet he has something bad in his mind, I've got to think something fast too.

I move towards him and extend my hand to shake with his. He takes my hand, I grip his hand tighter than necessary and he squirms in pain.

"Come on FRIEND, we have lots to play," I say, faking up a smile and drag him to my table and push him to the seat beside me.

"Owhh!" he squirms while soothing his hand that I shook before.

"Let's start painting kids and as I promised before, the best three paintings are going to be on the board." the teacher claps her hand while the class breaks into 'yay's'. "So do your best kids and Sarah help the boy with everything." I nod sweetly at the teacher and provide the brat a paper unwillingly, more like shoved the paper towards him.

I don't believe I'm sharing my stuff with him.

He looks at me and smiles but I know it's a fake one. He takes the stuff and starts painting and I carry on with mine.

After a while, I finish my painting and move towards the sink to wash my hands like the teacher instructed everyone to do after painting. I dried my hands with the towel next to the sink and went back to my table.

I don't see my painting anywhere, where it is?

"Sarah! Such a bad girl you are!" the teacher exclaims and I look up in front of me, the brat is next to the teacher carrying a painting and everyone's looking at me.

"Me?" I manage to say between my confused thoughts.

"You ruined his drawing so his work won't be displayed on the board!" She complained, holding a paper in her hand which is actually MY PAINTING and paint is splintered over it. "Bad girl! I'm going to have a talk with your parents."

"It's okay teacher, I made another one." the brat handovers the paper he has in his hands to the teacher.

"Oh my, it's so pretty, this must go on the board!" she smiles at him, adoringly while he has a fake innocent face displayed.

I don't believe it! He is a cunning child! Teacher, you have to see him through it!

"Apologize to him right now miss." the teacher tells me, strictly.

Well, I can't do much this time.

Sarah-1 and Brat-1.

"Sorry," I say, glaring at him and he passes me the same avenging smile.

I hate him.

My eyes shot open, I'm in a big room on a huge bed.

Did I get kidnapped just after stepping in the city?

I sit up and look around and a feeling of relief gushes through me.

Oh right, I'm staying at Aunt Anna's.

I look at the side table and the clock is striking 7 at night. Did I sleep for three hours? Wow, I was very exhausted.

I make my way downstairs and find Aunt Anna on the telephone which is on a small side table of the living room. Back in town, there is no concept of using a telephone, it's such a small town that we don't really feel the need to use it. Few people keep telephone because they would have someone living far off with whom they would consider talking to frequently, another reason for not keeping telephone is the bill. It's very expensive to have a connection in town, most would prefer communication through letters like I did with Aunt Anna but Mrs. Adam has telephone at her home considering her husband used to be in this city than her son but now, I always see a thin sheet of dust covering the telephone and it kind of hurts me always looking at it.

"Sarah come here," Aunt Anna notices me standing and motions me to come where she was talking on the phone.

"Talk to your mother, she's on the line." she hands over the receiver.

"H-hello?"

"My baby! Are you alright? How are you doing? Did the ride went well?" She bombards me with questions, I smile knowing her immediate concern.

"I'm alright mama, every thing's fine. Aunt Anna is very nice and I'm very comfortable here, don't worry about me and don't stress yourself over me."

"Baby, how can I not. I even miss Marisa sometimes now so how can I not, you?" I roll my eyes over her mentioning of Marisa and I hear someone gruff in the background and probably its Maria doing the same thing as I. I hear some sound of ruffling at her side and I hear a new voice on the phone now.

"Don't mind mama, she's just being emotional again," Maria says in a frustrated tone.

"Maria!" I excite, hearing her voice. "Where are you guys calling me from?"

"I thought you were smart enough to guess that." She pauses "We're at Mrs. Adams." she speaks in a low voice

"Oh." she would probably be passing through some emotions right now, after all, her telephone's being used after six years.

She still pays her connection dues on time, perhaps expecting her son to call her one day.

Perhaps, I wonder.

"Listen up sister! I came here to say that if you find him... don't you dare kiss him!" I blush at the memory when we got caught.

Yes, yes, you might be thinking a while ago I was being so disgusted about the scene in front of me while I've done the same. Well, I didn't do it actually, it was him and it wasn't actually that and... Uh! It's a long story so don't blame me because you know nothing right now.

"Maria! You didn't need to say that. Besides we weren't doing what you thought we were!" my voice a notch higher. Aunt Anna whose just standing a few inches away can't help but notice the sudden change in my voice and I dismay her concern with a slight shake of the head.

Can't Maria clamp her mouth shut for once!

"calm down, I was just trying to lighten the emotional situation." and I can feel the roll of her eyes. "We too are going to have a connection for telephone soon. It doesn't feel right to disturb her again and again, knowing it would be painful for her to see us like this." I nod at her words sadly, feeling the pain that probably she must be passing through right now.

"Besides we are just too tired to write to you, you're not worth our efforts actually." and she's back to her old self. I again hear a rustling sound in the background.

"Honey, are you eating well?" now my mama's back.

"Mama it's just been a day but yes I'm eating fine." I hesitate for a moment before asking "How is dad?" I know the answer to it but still, I asked.

"Dad's same" she pauses for a moment "Today again he tried to eat the porridge by himself but he couldn't open his mouth on his own. He dropped the porridge on the floor in anger." I clench the receiver tighter in my hand, in an effort to prevent the pain that is bubbling inside me.

"Honey, get some sleep you must be tired. We will call you some other time." she tries to change the subject.

"No it's alright I just woke up you can talk to me."

"Then... take some rest again, it will be a tiring day for you tomorrow." oh mother, being all considerate.

"Yes mama, as you say," I say, giving up.

"Goodbye dear." I can feel she's near to her tears again.

"Goodbye, mama." I smile at the phone.

The line ended and I'm still holding the receiver as if I can still feel their presence on the other end.

~~~

It's 9'o clock in the night Aunt Anna went to sleep, the lights are turned off, I'm alone in the living room, sitting on the sofa, enjoying the silence and the darkness.

Let's head out. My inner devil pokes me.

Taking my scarf from the bedside, I drape it over my head which I usually do before heading outside. I take a small purse with me which have some money in it.

I head outside, closing the door behind me slowly, making sure not to wake up Aunt Anna. I head towards the nearby bookshop, It's not just a bookshop but more of a small library open for twelve hours a day. Well, that is what Aunt Anna told me about before.

The bell chimes when I open the door of the bookshop. I look around the shop but it's mostly empty.

Wow, in the daytime it was like chaos now not a single soul is present.

I walk towards the reception where sits a lady who's currently busy reading a book.

"Umm... Hi?" I start the conversation and she looks up from her book, her eyes seem to be bulging out due to the highly magnified glasses she is wearing.

"Yes? How may I help you?" she says, putting her book down under the desk.

"Can I have the map of the city?" I ask, arching an eyebrow up not sure if it would be available at this place.

"Yes, wait here and I'll be back in a minute." she stands up and leaves through a small door behind her and I stand on my toes to watch her lead.

Behind me, I hear someone walking inside and then near to me.

There wasn't anyone around here before I entered? I'm alone here and the receptionist left too.

Where did she disappear to? Why is she taking so long to come back? People of the city are weird but I don't have the courage to look back and I am getting scared and stiff as the footsteps close towards me.

How come I took a step out of the house at this time of night!? So stupid of me!

This is not how good girls are supposed to act! Where'd I leave my town manners!?

The footsteps are getting closer.

Close, even closer.

Thump thump thump.

Will he stab me in my back? I don't want to die right now. I tighten my fist and wait for any of their action.

The person puts their strong hand on my shoulder, I turn around and

'PAOW!'