Finding Her

24|I now know

It started getting late but Miya didn't want to go home so I took her home with me.

Mom and Clara were happy to have her. They even welcomed her with chocolates.

I wondered what she thought of my small house. My house only has one bedroom while her's has a dozen.

To my surprise Miya seemed to be happy she was smiling and giggling. I think she really liked my mom and Clara.

I thought everything was perfect until my mom asked the one question.

“Miya why do you have so many bruises.”

“Oh I fell”

My mom looked at me and I knew that she wasn't buying that story either.

“Come my child let me clean up those bruises. Now you be careful next time, okay?” My mom said.

She and Mom spend a while in the bathroom while I finished my homework.

I made noodles for dinner and just as I was about to eat Miya came out of the bathroom with her hair in a towel. I had never seen her hair up before as she always wore them down and in her face.

Despite all the bruises, her face looked like a masterpiece. She was breathtakingly stunning.

We ate our noodles and Mom asked Miya if she informed her parents she was staying over. Miya said she did but I think that's a lie because I didn't see her take out her phone not even once so how did she tell her Dad? I didn't want to ask so I just played along.

That night, Miya and I slept on a mattress in our living room.

“Thank you for letting me sleepover, I really like your family especially your mom.” she said in the dark room.

“You're welcome and I'm sorry for sticking my nose in your business earlier.”

“These occasional bruises started 2 years ago right after my mom's passing”

I rolled to her side to listen to what she was saying.

“Dad use to hit Mom. He would do it everytime he was drunk and in a bad mood. He never cared that I saw. And then 2 years ago Mom was in an accident and she died. I thought that all the screaming and crying was over. I thought I would never see Mom crying in the kitchen corners only I was wrong. He started abusing me, he started beating me up everytime he was upset. He says I remind him oh her and that I should cut my hair. Everytime I refuse he gets angrier but I can't cut my hair because it's the only thing I have left of her. He burnt all her pictures and her memories are slowly fading that's why I have to keep my hair so that I always remember her and the times she would come into my room at night just to tell me there was a better tomorrow.”

She said all that without pausing or shedding a single tear. It made me wonder what kind of hell she's seen.

  I felt my heart sink into my chest. I now know why she prefers sitting at the cafe all day. I now know why she never wants to go home. I know now why she fears her dad so much. I now know...