Chapter 4 Four

She came back, very, very late. Kimberly ignored the throbbing pain in both of her knees and palms. She tried forgetting about her headache to stand up. She groaned, wondering why her body feels so heavy like a lead. As far as she knows, she’s not that heavy.

“Kimberly?”

Ah. A familiar voice.

She tried not to look around, in fear to confirm that she was not hallucinating. Kimberly tried her best to stand again, ignoring the auditory hallucination. “You are drunk?! Do you know what time is it?! It’s 9! Get back home before 9, that’s the rule!”

‘She’s not a hallucination,’ Kimberly concluded in her head regrettably.

“It’s still 8 in the evening, mom.” Kimberly corrected her. She busied herself with removing herself from the dirt road. But her butt somehow turned into metal with the road as a magnet with a strong magnetic field. “Is your clock that advanced?”

“You are talking back?!”

Pa!

“Ow!” As if Buddha decided to descend and slapped her back, Kimberly can feel her soul flying out of her body. She almost stumbled forward. She lacked the strength to fight against that fearsome slap.

The pain was enormous. She turned her head to look at her mother and complained cacophonously like a child. “Mom!”

“Mom, mom. Don’t mom me!” She tugged on her hair, and she sobbed.

‘No! I just went to the salon this morning!’

“Why is your hair orange?! Or red? Whatever color it is?! Do you want to set a bad example to your kids?!” Harley said in anger after seeing the color of her daughter’s hair that stood out. She saw it far away earlier and thought it was a lamp.

“I’m sorry, okay?” She pleaded. “I just… felt the color! Love at first sight—you know?”

Utter bullshit and weird reason, but she’s in a pickle and has to find a way out soon. Fortunately, her mother calmed down and let her hair go. Kimberly almost rejoiced as she does not like the idea of kissing the money she spent on her hair goodbye.

“Get up and fix yourself.” Harley tugged on her arms this time.

‘Ah, my mother is loving.’ Kimberly commented in her mind. Harley tugged her again when Kimberly did not move. “Get up! Your twins are still awake!”

“Huh? Why are they still awake?” She stood up as if she drank a strengthening potion, then patted the dust on her butt. The world swirled again when she did, if not for her mother, she would have fallen down, or worse, landed on the puke.

“Waiting for their mother, of course. Why did you puke here—in front of your own bakery—of all places?!” Her mother mumbled the last sentence.

Kimberly forgot to listen as they approached the bakery.

“Those naughty brats, it’s past their bedtime, but they are still awake!” Kimberly grumbled as she opens the door.

“Wait up, lady. You wash up first.” Kimberly’s mother runs up to her, following her to climb the stairs to the second floor where their house.

Their bakery is composed of two levels. The first floor where the baking area and the bakery, and the second floor is where their rooms are.

Harley noticed that her daughter was not listening to her. So before Kimberly can even step inside her and the twin’s room, she got dragged towards the bathroom.

Kimberly protested, telling her that she has to discipline her sons. But Harley’s glare was enough to shut her mouth.

“It seems like it is you who needs discipline. Do you want me to bathe you?!”

“... I will bathe myself. Thank you.”