Pain of the Whispers

Chapter 18

            Red gave a small squeeze to my arm; he was concerned at how ghostly pale I went.

       I gave a sharp but small pitch back to his forearm; concernment filled his expression as well. He understood, he knew something they were talking about wasn't good. 

    Both Mother and the old man kept bickering about how her plan was going to fail if she didn't listen to his plan.

               Mother was growing angry, so I knew the conversation was about to be over.

         Red gave a soft tap to my ear and mouths the words. "Tell me now." I shook my head and point to the door as I tap my ear. Red shook his head in response, he taps my ear once again and demands as he mouths. "Now." 

            I give him a death stare; he was so stubborn at the worst moments.

              I point at the door, then point at myself. I take the belt off of Red's upper knee and gently wrap it around his neck. I shake my left hand, meaning it was me. I give it a tug and mouth. "People." The color drains from Red's face, he knew what I meant. I slowly take the belt from Red's neck as I stand up to put it away. When I put everything away, we both sit there in silence, not moving or pointing to communicate. Mother and the old man might be far away from the bathroom and probably couldn't hear us if we whisper, but we didn't chance it. 

          After ten minutes of sitting there, I flinch when I feel Red wrap his arms around me. He hugs me tightly, hugging me so tight to the point where I couldn't get my arms from under his hold. So, I just sat there, letting him hug me as I knew that was his way of letting me know he wouldn't let that happen. But we were only kids, how was Red going to protect me from Mother's wrath and training? I still let myself sink into his hug, pretending as if he could protect me. It comforts me, knowing Red always be at my side. 

         But how long will it take Mother to finally catch me one of these nights? 

         Or to finally notice extra food missing another night from the kitchen? 

      What would Mother do to Red? 

      Would she train him like me or cast him out of the village where he would have to fin for himself? 

     Red was smart in general, more street smart then anything. But he couldn't survive on his own. He doesn't know how to get food or how to get money to get food. How would Red get a house to live in? Poor Red would be living in a box! Even worse than a box would be him living in an alley full of rats. Every night the rats would be munching on him like a snack! All the thoughts stay hovering in my head, I felt tears swell up in my eyes. I didn't let them fall; I wasn't going to let Red see me cry. Especially at a time when he needs me the most because he's wounded. I will have to take special care of him till his open wounds close. Hopefully the wound on his calf wasn't deep or wide enough to need stitches. I knew how to do stitches but I used up all the numbing medicine in Mother's cabinet, earlier this year. I couldn't really tell because it was too dim of lighting in the bathroom without turning on the bathroom lights.      

         There was an itty bitty, tiny window to the left of the bathroom wall, which the moon light shines through every night. I wish the window wasn't so small, so Red and I could get out of here. But the window was too small for either of us to fit. Mother began yelling and shouting at the old man, while the old man just slightly raises his voice at Mother. They both speak so loudly that Red can now hear what they are saying. Mother shouts. "This is complete nonsense you are speaking!" The old man says vividly back, in a raised tone. "The only one whose saying nonsense here is you! You won't face the fact that we will get caught soon. Neither of us is powerful enough to keep this up. We cannot bring other people into this, no one is insane enough to believe in this big master plan you got for both kids!" Mother says aggressively. "Don't tell me what I can and can't do, also watch your tone. I will get more people in on this, you watch and see." I could tell by the old man's voice that he has given up on trying to reason with Mother. "Yes, Ma lady, only the future can tell us what may happen, other than that we both don't know how our fate will become." Mother was repulsive with her words. "Don't dare talk with such nice words. You aren't fooling no one with them." The old man calmly says. "Yes, Ma lady you are always right." Mother commands. "Say it with dignity you old fool!" The old man says it loudly with a bit of irritation in his voice. "Yes, Ma lady you are always right." Mother says serene like. "We shall never bicker this loudly ever again. Learn your place next time around, do you understand me?" The old man must bow at Mother because his voice becomes a bit muffled. "Yes, Ma lady I do understand." 

       After that heated discussion, I hear heavy but deliberately furious footsteps leave the castle. Red pulls away from the hug as both me and him stare at the door and wait. Mother goes across the floor, up the stairs, to her bedroom. Not bothering to check on me to see if I heard them yelling and bickering pretty much the whole night. When I hear her bedroom door close, I don't wait for her to fall asleep. I take Red by the hand and quickly open the bathroom door. Red knows to take quiet footsteps as we scurry as fast as we can across the hall floor towards the door.

       But when I swing open the big front door, I see the old man was still there on the front porch. I was such an idiot! I never listened in on if I heard the old man leave the porch! 

    That was the most foolish mistake I ever made. 

      But that night was when I learned how to lie and trade things for freedom.