Chapter 10

Blood and Water

"Sllllrhhhhh," that was the sound made by the cold water that poured on me. It's the usual method used by my stepmother to get me out of bed every morning. I am not a deep sleeper so I always wondered why she wouldn't go for tapping me rather than her harsh method she has made me get used to.

Maybe you're thinking I go through the normal poor treatment most kids go through under the care of their stepmother. Well, you're right. I'm Cinderella by name. If my mom knew I would end up suffering like the cartoon character did, maybe she wouldn't have named me that.

My mom died a week after my christening ceremony and till now no one can fathom the reason behind her death. I was told she died while breastfeeding me, though I still find it hard to believe. My father remarried a year after my mother died. My stepmother gave birth to a set of twins the same year my dad married her. They were my stepsisters.

I think I've done enough introduction for you to at least understand my background.

After I had woken up from her harsh "revival" method. She started her usual curse words while I scrambled out of bed to begin the house chores. It was a Monday morning, but I had to finish the house chores alone before I may go to school.

Perhaps you are wondering where my father is. Well, he died some days after my thirteenth birthday, leaving me in the hands of my wicked stepmother and her two daughters. Her daughter Anna is my favorite, as she likes me a lot and cares for me at all times. Unlike Anita, who turned out to be like her mother.

Back to the "punishments" they called work. I had to do it before I left. I began by sweeping the sitting room, then I washed everyone's clothes and made breakfast. I was washing the plates when Anna came into the kitchen and offered to help me rinse as I was washing. To prevent her from getting late to school or me getting insulted by her mother, I rejected her offer.

The next Saturday, I was done with eighty percent of the house chores without waiting for my stepmother to wake me up with the usual method. Anna and Anita were halfway done with their food when they realized they had not seen their mother that morning. Anita ordered me to check her in her room (not like I had a choice. Humph!). I knocked on the door of my stepmother's room, but got no response. I opened the door and entered. The sight before me was not shocking as I was expecting it. Right behind the door laid my stepmother with one of her hands on her tummy and her mouth opened with a foamy-like substance dripping out of her mouth with her eyes wide open. I had heard her wallow in pain the previous night as my room was located beside hers. Of course, I let her die, as that was the plan. I screamed, attracting Anna and Anita's attention, and they came rushing into the room within a minute.

The police investigation started. They figured out she was poisoned. I was the prime suspect as expected, but my joy knew no bounds when my stepmother's siblings closed the case and buried their sister without further investigation. My stepmother's siblings offered to take Anna and Anita with them, but Anna declined, insisting she couldn't leave me to cater for myself all alone. They agreed and left her with me, but not without making plans or sending her money for our upkeep and schooling.

Ten years later, here I am in bed with the love of my life, Anna. Surprised? Well, don't be. Anna and I had been dating before the death of her mother.

If you are still wondering who killed my stepmother, Anna did!

Now, I'm tired. I yawned. It is 9:30 pm. I picked up my phone to call Sarah when I heard the doorbell. I got up to answer the door. When I opened the door, there was Mikel, smiling at me. I frowned. "Where have you been?"

"I have been at David's and that guy wouldn't just let me go," he said, still smiling.

"I will let you off easy, just this one time."

I invited him into my study room. Mikel sat on the chair and picked up the papers to read the stories I wrote while I excused myself to make a call with Sarah.

Sarah and I spoke for about thirty minutes, and it was fun. I was about going into the study room when I stopped at the door to admire Mikel. He read the papers with intense focus and he looked cute doing it, too. Has he always been this cute? I stood there looking at him for about five minutes. Hey! I am not a creep. I think I'm going to tell Mikel what happened between Daniel and me and also how I feel about him.

He dropped the papers, looked at me and said. "You have successfully written stories that put me in a maze and I kept on trying to figure out the way out of it."

"That was my intention!" I said excitedly.

"I broke up with Daniel," my mood changed when I said this.

He stood up from where he was sitting and came to hold my hands. "Are you alright?" He asked.

"Yeah, I am ok. I started feeling uninterested, been a while though. It's just sad how I couldn't bring myself to end it earlier than I did and also he touched Sarah."

Mikel arched his eyebrows.

"He touched Sarah? I never liked that guy, and what did you mean by ending it earlier?"

"Oh! I said that?" I asked in pretense. As much as I wanted to tell him how I feel about him, I just wasn't ready.

Mikel narrowed his gaze on me and spoke again. "You're joking, right? What happened to not hiding a thing from each other?"

I couldn't even look at him. I guess he already knew I was hiding something.

So I just had to tell him.

"I like you Mikel. I didn't know how I felt before, but now that I have observed things, I've realized I like really like like you."

He smiled. "We will talk about this later Kira, because I need to make sure this isn't because of what happened with Daniel and you are just feeling vulnerable."

I had almost forgotten what a gentleman he was. "Thank you so much."

"I'm gonna take my leave now," Mikel said.

"You are seriously thinking of leaving this late?"

"Your mum would kill me if she meets me here."

"She and Dad took Sammy to the Comic con, so they are not coming home until morning."

"Oh, I miss going to that!" Mikel said.

"Well, I am not a big fan of conventions. All Con fans will sleep on the floor tonight." I said.

Mikel laughed out loud. "Okay." He said, making a puppy face.

I smirked. "Just kidding. How would you like to spend the night holding the woman you love in your arms?"

He climbs onto the bed. "Why wouldn't I?"

He held me in a cuddle and told me he loves me. Oh, so this is what the phrase 'Butterflies in your stomach means'?

I held him closer and said, "I love you too, Mikel Frederick."

"Wow, for once, you saying my full name sounds nice."

I fell asleep peacefully, knowing he would be there for me always.