Semia

Breaking Bad

Picture: Yvez Lort (Semia's Mother. At least how I imagine her)

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Semia's mother, a plump woman in her late forties, was sitting in the frontyard. The resemblance between her and Lesly very obvious. She had her salt and pepper hair pulled back into an uncomfortable looking top bun. Her eyes watched Semia's languid approach toward the house.

Semia analysed her mother's face to determine just how much shit she was in. From the squinted eyes, to her monther's unsmiling face, it was serious shit. Very serious shit.

Her senses perked, starting a slow ringing in her. One that whispered danger so faintly she would miss it if she hadn't been hard-wired not to

Her mother always had her feel that way with that gaze.

Yvez beckoned and Semia was momentarily distracted by the dark pink coated manicured hand. It was the same as always. Square-oval in shape and never too long. The cuticle always extending a few millimetres away from her nailbed. She had never seen her mothers nails without that pink tint. Ever.

She never quite liked change

"Hey mum" Semia greeted cheerily. Her mother replied with a small nod of her head and motioned for Semia to follow her into the house.

"So, how was your day?" Semia asked still trying to keep the air light.

"It was good"

"Baby!" Her dad called out to her. At least someone missed her.

Semia half smiled, stepping into her fathers' embrace.

"I see you guys haven't changed anything"

"We did change something" He said, a mischievous grin on his face.

He whirled Semia around to face her mother, but pointed slightly to the left of her. Tiny photos of gap tooth grins, graduation photos and school nights of Semia and Lesly took over the fridge.

"You turned them into fridge magnets?"

"Maybe come home more often" Her mother replied.

Was that a smile? Or just the aftermath of talking? Semia thought

Semia wasn't sure what to make of the comment, so she noded politely in her mother's direction and turned into her father's embrace.

"That's even more embarassing" She whispered for only his ears and he chuckled softly in understanding.

After their exchanges of love, her father ushered her to the place she had been dreading all day.

The table was alive with colours from the rainbow. Foods she had not eaten ever since she moved out. Despite herself, she could feel her appetite rising. Ma noticed and beamed, ushering Semia to the seat opposite hers.

While her parents busied themselves in the kitchen grabing tableware and the last bits of food, Semia scanned the room.

From the hard worn algae green love seats to Lesly's pre-school painting disasters hung proudly next to all Semia's achievements. Best at Sports four years in a row, Best Spokesperson, Most innovative...All had their goosebumpy effect dulled next to the 'abstract' nightmares Lesly procured. Now she smiled at them, feeling a sense of nostalgia.

Semia could remember lounging on sofa, thinking of how perfect her life would be in the future. The imbedded television hadn't been upgraded to slidescreen since forever ago. Even the yellow bulbinella flowers lining the window sill by the imbedded television was immortal in Ma's house.