Shades of Gold | L'Esperance 2

6 - Here and Now

Theresa.

3 Times.

Three times I've called BR and it has consistently gone to voice mail. I understand that she's busy but it's majorly unlike her.
No biggie, it's not like I was parked up in front of her house driving thirty six minutes or anything..

I jump out and slam the door shut, the overcast weather greeting me with a monotone shift. From the front to the sides is a majestic ocean front view. Sometimes we'd sit outside and reminisce. The exterior is similar, but the vibe is not as cold as her— our father's house.
I knock and wait in silence, then turn the knob. It clicks open.

"Yuh home?" I call out.

Silence responds.

The smell of booze hoovers in the air. Oh God, it's too early for this.

I walk, picking up the beer can i found crumpled up on the floor. Then another one. And another.

Five in total.

I feel my stomach sinking as I enter her bedroom. Ah shouldn't be here. Ah bruk into mi sista house just so? But wait, ah was helping her though, she should be the one thanking me.

I switch my phone on. 11:13 PM.

I should go back downstairs and wait for her. It's the least I could do.

"Hi?"

"Hello?!"

I squint my eyes and look around. My limbs feel stuck in place. How long have I been waiting for? I must've fallen asleep.

Bella Rosa is back.

Her face is twisted in anger, dark circles paint over her eyes like a panda.
"What the hell yuh doing in mi place?" She yells.
I look up at her in disbelief. "Yuh should thank me enuh! Ah clean alllll 'round di place fuh yuh. Why yuh back so late?"

BR's takes a step back. "Who asked you to clean up? I sure as hell didn't! And I'm a grown woman, I can be back anytime I want!"

"Yuh have work yuh fool!" I clap back. "How can yuh be out drinking when your shift starts at 4?"

She points a floppy finger at me. "Don't tell me what to do. Why yuh ass so controlling? Yuhz not mi mudda."

Anger boils in my throat. I want to spit everything in her face but i just can't. I don't know...it just doesn't come up.
"I knew something was wrong with you when you ordered alcohol at the restaurant that day." I hissed. I throw the cans in the garbage and pour her a glass of water. "You said you stopped in school— and i was naive to believe every word of it!"

BR flopped on the chair. "Don't take your pregnancy frustration on me! Leave!"

I slam the glass, letting water heave everywhere. "I will!"

"Then GO!"

It ends with a door slam.

———

Bella Rosa

I release the phone from my grasp and catapult it on the other side of the bed. So what if she's my sister? Would she like me to barge into her house while her husband is there?
My head pounds constantly like an alarm. I wince in pain.
I turn on the tap and strip bare. Memories of last night flood through my head in a sweep of wind.

I tipped that waiter from LaLuna extra, and he wanted to make it up to me. That's all..and a few drinks of regret afterwards.

Maybe if I scrub harder, all the nastiness will fade away.

Theresa is painting it as if I'm some addict— why can't I enjoy a couple drinks? Oh right, she has no idea what working a corporate job as a news anchor feels like at all.
The suds race downwards as the cold water hits my back. "What should I thank her for?" I chuckled to myself. Acting like some holier than thou as soon as she's due to be a mother.

Stupes.

—-

"You've got the script for today, Marquis?"

He nods.

"Amazing, get Santos on set now fah mi please."

A head pops out from the corner of the wall. I turn around quickly to see Marquis motioning me the other way. "You're due now."

I tuck my hair behind my ears and watch the gold earrings glow underneath the black tresses. They were Mom's earrings.

I scurry behind him and take a seat, pressing down my dress. The camera stares with beady eyes and light diffuser cutting everything in place. Marquis holds three fingers up behind the teleprompter.
"We are live in 3...2....1 GO!"

We are live for GBN Evening News on Friday July 7th I am Bella Rosa Santos. For todays local news.."

Theresa

I snuggle under the covers. Ray's laptop screen is the sole exception in the wave of surrounding darkness.
"Yuh think yuh could do sumn fuh mi?" I ask slowly.
He doesn't look. "Depends on what it is."

"Can you add Bella Rosa to your AA meetings...like 1 on 1?"

Then he turns at me in both annoyance and confusion. "What di ass yuh talkin about, Theresa?"
I sift back up to face him. "Ah know yuh doh like her but she's been drinking so heavily these days. I thought nothing of it until I went up to her place and—"

"You went to her place??"

"She's my sister??!! What yuh want me do? Sit and watch har drink til she dead? For heaven's sake Ray, have some empathy!"

He shuts his laptop shut. "Ah doh having emp..emph— whatever you said for that tramp."

I shake his arm. Why is he being so difficult? "Please..she's my sister."

"Half sister."

"You know how she is though."

"I do, which is exactly ah doh doin it."

I clear my throat, and as he gets out of bed, I hold his arm firmly. "People change. For my sake, Ray..please."

The tension in his muscles disintegrate as he sighed. "Yuh paying mi though."

"Whatever floats your boat."