Worry In Silence

"Antonio, don't be like that, Eleanora is an adult, don't beat her anymore" Alana sobbed with a sore heart. It was all her fault that her daughter became a victim.

"I'm used to it, mom " Eleanora moaned because the tug in her hair was getting tighter.

"Don't worry, I won't beat her at place be able to see by people, Alana," snickered Antonio like a devil.

"let go of Eleanor, Antonio!" Alana grabbed her husband's hand, irritated the middle-aged man and pushed her down. His hands are raised,

PLAKKK, the sound of a slap was heard in the house. It wasn't Alana who was slapped, but Eleanora. Her mother looked worried holding her daughter's red cheeks,

"GO TO DEATH! You animals! That's what you get if you don't give borrow your money to me!" The middle-aged man's legs kicked Eleanora who was squatting hugging her mother. Her tears dripped slowly, she bit her lip to hold back a sob.

It hurts, very hurts. No matter how often and accustomed she was to violence, she still felt pain all over her body.

" ENOUGH!! " shouted Alana who could not bear to see her child. She pushed her husband back as hard as she could, she grabbed her daughter's hand to run out of the house. Antonio looked surprised while Eleanora and Alana had already run quite a distance.

The mother and daughter continued to run until the bus stop was quite far from the house, Alana stopped her steps to look at her daughter. The cheek that was slapped earlier seemed bigger than the cheek on the other side.

"I'm sorry, El." Alana hugged her daughter who was now crying silently.

"This is my fault, honey. I'm sorry" she continued

"Mom is not wrong, that Father is wrong. " said Eleanora who didn't want Alana to blame herself. They decided to buy flip-flops at a nearby shop for a while instead of going barefoot.

"Let's sleep at the hotel tonight, okay, Mom? After we get a hotel, we'll look for clothes at the mall for a few days" suggested Eleanora which was immediately approved by her mother, they knew that even when they came home they would be beaten again.

*****

After finding a hotel for them to spend the night, Eleanora looked at herself in the mirror.

Eleanora's appearance was disheveled, puffy eyes, puffy cheeks, slightly bleeding corners of her lips, disheveled hair, not to mention wrinkled work clothes. She washed her face and fixed her appearance, then headed for the mall near the hotel where they were staying. She would shop using her spare card which she tucked in her cell phone case.

Eleanora and Alana picked out some clothes that weren't too expensive, bought some toiletries too. As the girl was looking through the heels she would wear to work tomorrow, Patricia appeared beside her.

*****

"Hey, Eleanor! Are you looking at heels too?" said Patricia cheerfully. Eleanora turned to the side, to find Patricia coming with Alessandro. Damn, her current appearance was too messy to show.

"Hi, Patricia. Yes, I'm looking at heels" replied Eleanora in a hoarse voice.

Alessandro moved in front of Eleanora, "What's wrong with you, Eleanora?" asked the man holding Eleanora's chin, see the girl's face in detail.

Eleanora grimaced lightly when the cheek that had been slapped was touched, "Just a family matter, sir."

" What happened?" growled Alessandro. It was the first time he'd seen Eleanora's appearance this chaotic, but she could more or less guess what was going on.

Alana approached her daughter who seemed to be held by a handsome man, "Who, El?"

"Mom, this is Mr. Alessandro, my boss. The one over there is Patricia, Mr. Alessandro's cousin." The girl pulled her face away from Alessandro.

"Hello, Auntie. " said Alessandro and Patricia at the same time.

"Auntie and El definitely haven't had dinner right? Let's eat together, "said Patricia in a friendly manner.

Alana glanced at Eleanora, asking her daughter to make a decision and Eleanora nodded.

*****

The four of them sat stiffly in front of the food that was already served, Alessandro who continued to stare at Eleanora while Patricia and Alana were confused.

"El, are you going to stay quiet like this? Tell me what happened" insisted Alessandro worried. He looked at Eleanora's whole face that didn't look okay.

"Just a matter of course, sir. There's no need to worry" the girl smiled as she winced softly because the corner of her lips hurt.

"Your stepfather? " guessed Alessandro right on target.

"Yes, but please don't ask anything, sir," Eleanora interrupted immediately. She wasn't in the mood to explain. Moreover, every time she moves, her mouth hurts.

"Where are you guys staying tonight, Eleanora?" asked Patricia.

"At the Malone hotel, the nearest Malone hotel branch" replied Eleanora. Patricia nodded.

"Mom, let's eat" Eleanora asked Alana.

"Please eat, Auntie" said Alessandro with a warm smile. Alana felt that her daughter and Alessandro were strange.

"Thank you, Alessandro. "

They ate in silence, while Eleanora only scooped up her food bit by bit.

"Your mouth hurts, Eleanora?" asked Alessandro who had been watching the girl's behavior. Eleanora just nodded, she was lazy to lie.

"Auntie, could you please tell me what happened? We're worried, maybe we can help" Patricia asked hopefully. Alana, who heard this, finally recounted the incident in full. Eleanora was silent, not that she didn't want to talk, but her mouth hurt. Her mouth was bitten when she was slapped.

Patricia who heard the incident pounded the table in annoyance while give speech that such a person wouldn't change, while Alessandro just silently gritted his teeth.

"Want to go to the doctor, Auntie and Eleanora?" bargained Alessandro.

"No need, Alessandro. Thanks, we're used to it. But this time I was tired and finally ran away" said Alana.

"Then, we'll take Auntie and Eleanora to the hotel." This time it was Patricia's turn to make an offer. And the child's mother nodded.

*****

They were escorted to the hotel, even to the front door of the room. Patricia hugged Eleanora and Alana in turn, cheering them on and asking them to contact her anytime.

"Stay comfortably as long as you want, I have told the hotel management to serve you well. You don't have to pay anything, don't worry. Then, you don't have to come to the office tomorrow El, I will make a permit for you " said Alessandro to Eleanora and Alana.

"Thank you sir, thank you also Patricia. Be careful on the road" said Eleanora whose voice was still hoarse.