1 Rain ៚

I touched my swollen arm the moment it ached. I looked at my arm and feet, it was covered with bruises.

"Who told you to stop?!" I look at the man behind me who is now shouting at the top of his lungs.

"I am very sorry uncle, I will make it fast"

I immediately grab the basin and fill it with water from the well. I am now washing their dirty clothes while my family are busy sitting and watching TV.

"Make sure it's all clean or else !" He shouted at me again. Before I lost sight of him, he threw his heavy jacket directly to my face.

I wipe away my tears. Since my father died and my mother married another man, I experienced hell. I am the only daughter from the first man and now, I have three step sisters and one brother.

My mom has nothing to do with me. I thought she loved me but the moment he married that sucking man, she changed.

She never cared about me. She allows my stepfather to torture me with all the household chores. Well, I have been doing this for almost 10 years.

My dad died when I was 10 years old, a month after his burial my mother married another man. How hilarious.

I do all the cooking, cleaning, washing the dishes and their clothes. I also fixed everything in our house and became a carpenter, a plumber, an electrician at a very young age. Yeah, my mother became the queen bee and her new daughters are the princesses together with the King and the Prince.

I wipe away my tears again and put the jacket into the pail. If he saw even a little stain in his jacket, I'm sure his gonna shout and hurt me again.

RIIINGGG

I jumped out of surprise when my phone rang. This phone was given to me by my employer. I never had a phone on my own unlike my step sisters and brother.

I'm a second year college student and a working student as well. My part-time job is during morning because I took up night classes so that I can sustain my studies.

"Hello?" I put the phone between my shoulder and ear so that I can still use my hands to wash.

I hear her cough. She's Monnica, my employer. "Dennice, I will make this straight okay?"

I am still nervous every time I hear her voice. She has this low but authoritative voice. She is very calm and never move her eyebrows to the point that she rarely shows emotions on her face.

"Yes madam, go on" I know what she is going to say. I heard yesterday from my colleagues that the school library is going to terminate some part-timers because they already cannot sustain the large set of students who are still working.

"Don't get me wrong, I know that you already knew why I call you". This is it. I hope I can still work. I don't know where to go and I also do not want to live in this house full of arrogant and abusive people.

"I am very sorry Dennice but I have to let you go. I know you understand right?" Ms. Monnica is a good person. I never heard of anyone who disliked her.

"Yes madam, I understand." I said those words with a very calm tune. I do not want her to feel guilty about this.

"Its almost summer madam, I can find work in the city. Don't worry about me. I'll be fine" I said that with reassuring voice.

"You are a tough lady Dennice, I know you can find work easily. Well, you are very hardworking and all. I will call you when the class starts. I am going to hire you again. Okay?"

I can feel that she is smiling over the phone right now.

She's the first and the last person who knew about my life that's why I trusted her. She's like a mother to me.

"Yes madam. Thank you so much. I will wait for your call" I put a smile on my lips. I want to give motivation to myself. Now that I do not have any work to do, they are now going to abuse me with all their might.

"Okay dennice always take good care of yourself and wait----

My phone slipped through my hands. I touched my head as it ached. Blood.

I immediately pick up my phone from the basin ignoring my bleeding head. Gosh, it is now drowned in water.

"You are such a brat!" I shake in fear as I saw my stepfather walking towards me with his paddle.

Please. Could somebody help me.

"Uncle please no!" I shouted in fear.

"I told you to wash my clothes didn't I?" He shouted me back.

I nodded. I felt a hot liquid running down to my cheeks.

"U-ncle, m-my e-employer wa-was c-c-calling m-m-me" I stutter. I know his not going to believe me.

He smirked. He is very evil.

I saw my mom looking at me as she stepped out from the door. Her eyes widened. Mom, help me.

"Philip, that's enough" she said those words slowly. I smile. I know she's not going to help me.

"Kneel!" He shouted at me. I immediately kneel down. I do not want him to beat me again. My body is already tired for this. Too tired.

"Hahaha, such a brat!". I touched my swollen arm the moment it ached. I looked at my arm and feet, it was covered with bruises.

I looked up and saw my sisters. Step sisters.

They are always like this. They feel happy when they saw me struggling life. All of them do not have any conscience. They are happy to see someone suffer. How pathetic kind of family they are.

I looked to the ground and wipe away my tears. I do not want them to see me crying and see me weak.

"You've been washing that d*mn clothes for almost three hours and you are still washing it until now. Are you playing dumb with me ?!" Uncle shouted at me again. I washed all of their clothes that is why I have a long time finishing it. I even skipped breakfast to make everything fast.

It is always been like this. One wrong move, he is going to punish me like I did something bad that the whole world will suffer. I never felt love from my family.

"Philip" I heard my mom but I never looked at her again. I do not want to see her, she loves her family more than me. The reason why she is still keeping me because of the last will given by my late father.

She is after our family's money.

"What?! Are you going to help your useless daughter again?" He shouted back to my mother. I cannot stand this anymore.

"Uncle, stop shouting to my mom. You can shout at me, you can hurt me and abuse me but do not hurt my mother like that ! I can Stan with your abusive treatment but don't you dare to treat my mother like an old maid!".

Shocked filled his face. This is the first time I shouted at him. I can't stand him anymore. I know my mother is just after our family's money, but she is still my mother and even if his husband is hurting me, I do not want her to get hurt.

"Stop it Dennice! I do not need your help! Just continue washing!"

My tears started flowing. This is what I am saying. I love my mother, but she can't love me back.

"Hahaha you hurt?" Uncle asked me.

"You fight for your mother, but she can't fight for you, how does it feel?" He continued.

I think he is just mocking me. He wanted me to get hurt emotionally. I know his moves.

"If you are tired for all of this, I know that you already knew what to do Dennice. Give me the money and you can live your own life" My mom stated that without hesitation.

I stand and confronted her. " Why mom? Why are you after with our family's money? For you and for your new family to live a good life while I am struggling to hell?! I can't believe this. You are my mother and you treated me like I am not your daughter. How could you do this to me mom?!" I shouted at her.

My heart feels light when I said those words. I want to tell her everything so that she will realize what she had done.

"You told dad before he died that you are going to take good care of me!, that you are going to give me a good life but look what you have done!. You married an abusive and arrogant man. Your children are more social climber than you do!. You never supported me with my studies. I worked hard in a very young age so that I can support myself. How could a mother like you endure the sufferings of your daughter?". I looked at her in the eyes.

" All of you are hurting me and treating me like I am your servant! I have feelings too mom". I continued.

Tears are inevitable. We can't control them and that's okay. Tears are one of our ways to tell our feelings when our mouths can't.

"Wow, are you now shouting at me with my short comings as a mother?!" My mom is now shouting at me.

"I told you, she is a b*tch" I heard my sisters laughs.

I look at my feet. How could a mom withstand her own daughter?

"Aaah" I felt my knees on the ground.

He is hurting me again.

I saw my Uncle clinched his fist. He beat me with his paddle. I can feel my legs shaking. It is very painful.

"Leave this house now!" Uncle shouted right in front of my face.

I cried.

"Mom, no. I don't know where to go. Mom, please!" I kneel down in front of her.

I felt the coldness of the ground into my face as she pushed my hand right away.

"Leave! And don't you dare to come back!"

"Do you want to get hit again?" Uncle asked. I shook my head. NO.

"I want her to be out of my sight or else I will punish her again" I heard my uncle said that to my mother.

"Leave now Dennice" she lowered down her voice.

"Mom please hel-----

My sisters are throwing my things away.

"No!!" I ran immediately to get them.

No please. Huhuh.

"See? Just left b*tch. We don't want you here. You are not our sister, we don't want you to become our family. So get lost!" My heart skipped when I heard those words from my step-brother.

I pick up my things and refrain myself from crying so hard.

I can make this.

I saw my mother walking towards the door. But before she stepped in, I heard her saying:

"Please Dennice. Please".

And her shadow left.

I am now by myself. I looked at the sky and saw the vast and huge firmament. I hope I can feel the happiness that I deserve.

✻✻✻

I am now walking into the middle of the woods. This is the fastest way to get into the city. I will look for Miss Monica and asked for her help.

A drop of water touches my skin. It's raining.

I walked through the empty woods with the bags and luggage in my bare hands.

I love rain, no one can see me crying out of pain.

I let go of the burden I am feeling right now. I started sobbing and I hugged myself.

The world is unfair. Why I can't feel the happiness I longed for?.

Hunger, Pain, bruises, and mental ached makes my body weak. I slowly slipped the bags in my hands.

My body touches the wet leaves. Before everything went out, I saw someone standing in front of me.

"Help"

And everything went black.

✻✻✻✻✻✻✻✻✻✻

❦Maria❦