31 Elena's Past (1)

Elena looked at William who was staring at her intently. He was so serious that she was sure, he would listened to her story. "This is my story..."

...

The sun was almost set when a toddler around four years old was walking happily as she sang some nurse rhymes she knew. She hold a rainbow lollipop that was big enough to cover he whole face. She would stop singing to lick her lollipop. After she did it, she would sang even louder as if the lollipop was her energizer. 'It's so sweet. I love Mommy and Daddy so much.' The toddler decided to ask for more when she came back home.

The toddler was walking alone but she was not scared at all because she lived in a village which each villager knew each other. Although the road was quiet and it was mountanious area surrounded by lush forest where wild animals like wolf still roamed freely, she still walked without worries because she was used to it.

The toddler had just played in the rice field some hundred meters away from her house. Almost all parts of her body covered with brownish-grey mud, only her mouth area and her hands were cleaned. Even her hair was not black instead it was grey. She and the other kids were playing mud. It was fun but she needed to clean herself before her almighty mommy got mad because she forbid her to play in the rice field.

She walked faster. Soon, shee arrived at her house. She screamed, "DADYYYYY..."

After she screamed loudly, a man in mid thirties got out from the house. He wore a pair glasses and his brunette long hair was tied in ponytail. He wore a typical countryside clothes but it couldn't diminish his charm or handsome feature. When he saw the toddler appearance, he instantly cursed. "Holy sh*t!!! Baby, did you play at Aunty Xu rice field again?"

The toddler replied as he urged her Daddy to hurry. "Yes daddy. Please help me clean myself up. I'll help you to wash my clothes later."

The man nodded in agreement. They must get rid the evidences as soon as possible. If not, he couldn't imagine how the empress in their house would torture them. "Yes. Come to the back door. It's safer."

"Yes daddy."

Both man and his daughter worked as fast as possible. The ruler in their house almost returned home. If she found they had broke the rule, they would be punished by her.

After he helped his daughter to take a bath and put her clothes on, he and his daughter went to the washing place near the well in their backyard. The man took the bucket that had been tied with a piece of rope and began drawing out water from it. The daughter, on the other hand, prepared the basin, washboard and detergent. They worked in harmony as if they had already done it for many times. Well, it was because they indeed had done it most of the time.

The man washed the mud on the clothes with water first before he submerged it in water that had already added with detergent. Normally, he need to soak it first but they had not much time left. After that, he began rubbing the clothes on the washboard.

Since the toddler couldn't help her father, she went into their kitchen and took a glass of water. She put a bamboo straw in it, brought the glass near his daddy's mouth and let her daddy sipped it. She reminded him with her cute tone, "Daddy, there is only fifteen my left."

The man's eyes wide opened. "Fifteen minutes left?"

The toddler nodded. She supported her daddy as she cheered on him. "Daddy, you can do it. Fighting." The toddler balled her fists and punched the air, trying to fire her daddy up with more spirit.

The man smiled as he heard his daughter antics. He laughed loudly while his hands was still washing the clothes.

They had finally wash the clothes. The only question now, how should they dry it in fifteen minutes?

The pair of Father and daughter looked at each other as they discussed. "Baby Ji Eun, what should we do?"

The toddler, Ji Eun, was a kid with a bright mind. She replied, "Dad, why don't we ignite fire in the furnace? It'll be faster although the clothes would be a bit damp."

The man nodded as he agreed with his daughter idea. He took wooden matches near the chimney in their living room. Then, he went to the kitchen and brought the clothes. Ji Eun brought dried leaves and branches and it near the furnace. They were about to ignite the fire when a soft, raspy voice called them. "Hubby, baby, where are you?"

Ji Eun and her daddy frightened when they heard the voice. They cried inwardly.

'Mommy, don't come here!'

'Wife please forgive me.'

The woman didn't hear reply from the inside. She walked around the house before she caught a pair of father and dauther red handed. She almost blurted out curse before she tampered her anger. She walked over and asked in a menacing voice. "Hubby, baby, what are you doing?"

The man and his daughter trembled more vigorously the closer the woman to them. 'Gods, please protect us.' They wished to every Gods they knew so they could escape from their current predicament.