Falling For The Enemy

Chapter 6: Food

The best time of the week, the weekends. To others it meant, they could let their shoulder rest and hang out with friends, try various foods or do some unpacking on their journal. While Lyla's journal is covered in dust at the desk by the window, she was busy doing laundry, dishes, cooking and organizing the house.

Her father packing up to go visit his friend till Sunday night, his weekend ritual to avoid seeing Lyla at the time when he needs rest and peace of mind. He didn't have problem with her, yet he couldn't stand to see her for anything other than food and groceries. She didn't mind at all, deep down knowing that her father rather not see her too. She had the whole apartment to herself. Her mind wandering to the one hour lunch break she gets at the office.

"How can I think of that one hour so much more than my other 15 hours of my life. I'm living that 1 hour even in those 15 hours." She spoked to herself.

After she finished her household chores, she decided to watch some video on utube and relax whole day. She came across a shorts of meal prepping. The video awakened something in her, the idea was fantastic. She wouldn't have to see the disappointed face of her father now, she could just meal prep her dinner and lunch box which will ease some of the tiring cooking she does after her work.

Firstly, she checked if she had required utensils and bags and enough groceries to meal prep for a week. Not satisfied with seeing the empty fridge but felt a relief seeing good amounts of glass vessels, she started to get ready to get groceries.

The scorching sun was doing it's duty before it would rain heavily in few days . She liked walking and seeing many different people on her way, she wondered how their social life was. She couldn't help but think of all the adults in life went through similar situation as her at some point of life and how did they tackle it.

"What's my mom doing?" She wondered as she swiped opened her phone to spy on her mom through Instagram. She had made a spam profile to keep herself updated on her mother's whereabouts, who do don't want to be associated with her only daughter.

She felt the sting looking at the story of her mother with her brothers, all happy and smiling; leaving her with her miserable father, overworked and unhappy. She put her phone back in the pocket as she reached the nearby mart.

The mart was midsized, never crowded in the heated afternoon, perfect time to shop calmly. She bought all the necessary items she felt was needed for meal prepping, not wasting even a single penny on anything unwanted as she was already tight on the monetary matters.

"Mom would've bought lots of unnecessary stuff. Lots of snacks as well." Lyla looked at the glowing snack corner which she tried so hard to ignore. "We ate a lot of them while watching TV serials." She thought.

"Whatever" She muttered under her breathe and went to check out counter.

The mini shopping spree was over and now she was home, onto meal prepping immediately. She really needed some rest but remembering all the frustration of cooking after long, draining day at work, she had to push herself.

It took her longer than expected but she managed to complete it before 7pm. The sun was setting outside the window; air midly hot, and chirping of birds had started to slow down. She lived in a quite neighborhood, barely any vehicles could be heard, just some dogs barking and children crying here and there.

She stored all the boxes in the freezer, couldn't wait to try it for dinner tonight. She couldn't believe how fast she finished the work, she made fourteen servings of food in a one go. She was definitely proud of herself.

As she laid down on her bed to relax, her mind was crowded with many painful thoughts, her mother, her father and her colleagues. She was being hunted by the people, whom shouldn't been her protector.

She has always protected herself.

Now she wanted to protect herself from these thoughts, overpowering her wits. Her eyes welled up but she couldn't give it.

"I'm an adult now." She thought as she fisted her hands subconsciously.

She felt anger, that damned anger.

No, she can't let it surface. She's more powerful than her anger. She just needs a little distraction, afterall time heals.

She went to the fridge, opened the freezer and saw the boxes of ice-cream. She checked the date and unsurprisingly, it was expired. She couldn't care less and she grabbed the soon, right before the fridge, sat down and gulped the spoonful of ice cream.

The sweetness engulfed her taste buds and she was pleasantly in love with the strawberry flavor. She couldn't stop eating, it was delicious, on top of it, it numbed her thoughts. Her mind was floating with colours and her stomach felt generously filled.

"I still feel like eating." She said after she finished the whole ice-cream box. "It's time for dinner anyway." She removed one of the boxes she made this evening. She put in the microwave and within few minutes, steaming hot sweet honey chicken wings, along with rice was ready.

The sweet and savory flavor, and the adorable of spice filled her with immense pleasure. She felt good. She felt happy. She couldn't stop eating.

"I love my cooking." She eyes rolled back as she finished one serving of chicken and wings.

She wanted to eat more; she wasn't yet satisfied. As she was grabbing another box from the freezer, she halted. As if back to reality, she herself in the reflection of the floor. She looked unrecognizable. She stood up to see the mirror.

"No wonders nobody likes me."

"Why am I like this?" Tears finally found her way out of her eyes, making her vision blurred and her reflection in the mirror faded.