"Hey Mother?" Roxelana (Roksolana) asked as she played with her mother's hair. She and her twin sister, Anastasiya, were sitting on their mother's lap. The twins had just turned 6 the other day yet it was spent like any other ordinary day. Her mother's tired, green eyes looked into Rocky’s green eyes.
"Hmm?" She replied as she finished braiding Anastasiya's straight, black hair and moved on to braid Roxelana's hair. "How come you married father even though he is always so mean and hits you?" Roxelana asked with great curiosity. Alessia chuckled a lifeless laugh and smiled bitterly. Her hopeless eyes were now filled with nostalgia.
"It was 15 years ago... I first came to America with my parents from Russia.Your father was the child of our landlord. Back then, he was a kind and ambitious man and I fell in love. Six years later we got married and we lived happily for 2 years, until I found out that I was pregnant with you two. Your father had just lost his dream job and the stress just started to get to him and so he became violent. I sometimes thought that I should leave but we had been in love for so long, how could I? I didn't want to give up on my husband! I believe that one day your father will return to being the man I once knew, I'm sure!
Alessia tucked her children into bed and went to her room. Her husband was not home as usual. Alessia sighed and went to sleep.
10 Years Later....
Roxelana hopped from one foot to the other, a piece of toasted bread in her mouth. She stuffed and swallowed it and yelled," поторопитесь! Hurry up! Anna!" Anastasiya rushed down the stairs and the two twins rushed to school.
Back at home after school, Roxelana washed the dishes and hoped her mother would come back soon. Her mother started working 11 years ago because even though the government paid for school, since their father didn't work and had no income they needed money for clothes and food. Their father was rarely home and when he did come it was only to get money or get his things. Her father kept his things here and he came once in a while to take some of them.
Rocky thought her mother was too kind to still let their father back and keep his belongings. Regardless of that no one touched his things because the door was always locked. Alessia always believed that her husband would come back one day and have changed back into the man he used to be.
After washing the dishes, Rocky headed to her room and passed by her father's office. She stopped and looked at it, Roxelana always wondered what was in it but she never ventured in. It was strictly off-limits, but she was still curious, she could check couldn't she? Her heart thumped as she reached for the door and her hand perspired, she stopped as she heard the front door opening. It was hard not to, it was always so loud and squeaky. Rocky froze, whenever her mother came home, no matter how tired she was, she would announce it by saying, “I’m home!" but there was none of that today.
It couldn't be! Her father was home! Rocky rushed to her room and quietly yet swiftly shut the door. Anna raised an eyebrow as she looked up from her homework. "He's home," Roxelana replied her heart thundering. Anna's eyes widened and she paled a bit; nonetheless she continued her homework, soundlessly. Rocky now hoped her mother wouldn't come home any time soon; her father ignored the twins and only beat Alessia.
Rocky heard a door shut, she guessed it was her father's office.' Why did he come home?' Roxy wondered, as she sneaked out her room and held her ear against the office door. Her father, Richard Clarks, was talking on the phone. Rocky leaned more closely to hear more properly.
"-she's such a simpleton. Even now she believes that I'm going to change. Yeah, she signed the papers without even reading them. Now, the whole debt is in her name. Oh, I'm sure she'll have problems, after all the loaning company Silver Sharks, are known for their high interest rates and illegal tactics in getting back the money. The only reason I got a loan from them was because they were the only company who would lend over one million dollars. Truthfully, Alessia doesn't have long until they come to get the money and then-" Roxelana had heard enough, she slowly walked back to her room, her head in turmoil.
