Anabelle

part two

        Anabelle was roused from her sleep this sunny Friday morning as a cold liquid hit her squarly in the face. She jerked up quickly and spluttered about wiping the water off her face preparing to confront the person who had the nerve to wake her up this way. The anger died away and gave way to fear when she came face to face with Imelda who was watching her with disdain and undisguised hate.
"What is it?" Anabelle asked quietly. Imelda did not answer immediately, she kept on watching her younger sister, also, she played with a fancy, gold envelope in her hands.
"We've been invited for a gala by the Genovases. Mother says to get up and start preparing." Imelda replied finally, her tone cold. Anabelle turned her fearful gaze from her sister and looked at her bed side clock. It read five minutes past eight.
" When do we leave?" Anabelle asked again
"Four o'clock."
" But it's just past eight!" Anabelle stated in shock. Sometimes her mother was annoying. The gala was four o'clock, why wake her up now? Getting up early is good. Granted. But to wake her up, at 8am, to get ready for a gala they won't attend till four? In the evening? How strange was that? Or just basically horrid.
"Mother's instruction. What business is it of mine?" Imelda said disdainfully and started to go.
"Couldn't you have woken me up, the normal way?" Anabelle asked, the real question that was on her mind. Imelda stiffened but did not turn back.
"It's a good day, I didn't feel like touching dirt." Imelda's words dripped disgust. She continued towards the door. Anabelle's  expression grew grim.
"Some day." Anabelle started. Imelda stopped in her tracks.
"Some day, you will tell me what I did, what I really did to make you hate me so much." Imelda rolled her eyes and left the room, but Anabelle's words went with her. Some day. Huh, indeed. That some day may not be so far away. Imelda thought as she walked gingerly down the hall. The memories came even when she fought them.
        Imelda was three when Anabelle was born. Even then, she hadn't liked it. She was the last born. The one every one fussed about. Her brother and elder sister like her and played with her, her mother also dressed her up in fancy clothing and called her pretty. Most of all her dad loved her. He played with her and bought her lovely gifts. She didn't have to compete.
That arraignment was very appropriate. Then mother got pregnant, and of course gave birth. Soon she had less and less time to play with Imelda. It was unfair.
         But then, the new baby wasn't so pretty, infact she looked so different! She had red hair and her skin was very white. No one was that white. It definitely was a problem with the kind of town they lived in. Holder town didn't have a lot of pale people, plus they usually had a lot of sun during summer time. So the people were quite permanently tan. Gracia, a kind of person who had problem hiding her feeling  began to disapprove of the baby. Oh why didn't she have blonde hair? Why wasn't her skin less troublesome? Such was her complaints. Sure, it started to rub off on every one. Soon every one had complaints too. Only James thought his last daughter was as pretty as ever. Disapproval gave way to disdain and then to hate for some people. Imelda didn't like her from beginning.
        James tried to stop it but was powerless against it. Every one gave excuses when it came to Anabelle. Gracia had other pretty daughters so she focused her energy on them. Only James was left to take care of Anabelle, so they bonded. It was very evident that Anabelle was his absolute favourite. And Imelda hated it. Even she didn't know how much she hated it.
    It wasn't Anabelle's fault that her mother disapproved of her, it also wasn't her fault that her father loved her more. He had no choice! Not that he didn't love all his kids, he very well did. But Anabelle was the one he spent the most time with, this was bound to happen. Gracia  castigated her last born because of her looks. She encouraged the growing Ill feelings albeit unknowingly. The seeds she planted grew until it became a tree, and it gave way for this to happen...