Natalie

Chapter 11

I stood outside my picket white fenced house. Freshly cut and watered lawn that would welcome anybody else with its earthy scent, working my sinuses.

I walked up the daily swept pathway to the pinewood carved door. Hearing the laughter of children playing in their yards and small dogs yapping at any passers-by.

Putting my foot on the first step up to the door, the familiar tune of the neighbourhood ice-cream truck became audible. Children's excited screams made my picture of the perfect suburb life crisp in my mind.

Home sweet home.

...

"Lee it's so good to see you! But shouldn't you be preparing for exams? When do you start?"

My mother pulled me into an embrace as soon as the barachade called a door was out of the way.

Hair pulled up into a high ponytail, straightened blue blouse and black jeans made her look too ready for unexpected guests.

Before I could answer she spoke, "Come inside! The banana loaf is almost ready."
She said smiling, walking into the house, leaving me in the doorway.

I shook my head, my mother had always been fast paced, yet cool and collected at the same time.
I closed the door behind me and made my way to the kitchen. I looked at the photos proudly hung up on the wall.

Some of me next to trophies or at the beach. Some of my mother with her friends. Mostly of my artworks, as a toddler and adolescent years. I heard an oven close and the instant smell of freshly baked banana loaf.

I sat at the middle counter, watching my mother gladly cut and butter the bread for her long lost daughter.

"How you been, mom?" I asked. She looked up from cutting for an instant.

"Great! I've been going to the gym more often, keeping my heart pumping," she said, flexing her arm for me. "I can't complain really, the house is finally paid off, I installed solar panels so I've been saving a lot more."

"Not to mention saving the environment, take that Obama!" I laughed. She flipped her hair and made as if she was thanking a crowd.

"And what about you? How are the studies?"

"It's been good. I'm ready for tomorrow," I didn't know what else to say. Practically the entire month had been taken up by the drama of Uncle Cornelius. I knew it was the reason for me being here but I still felt like avoiding it.

"And Ashton?" She pressed.

Another thing I didn't know how to answer, "Good I guess."

"You guess? Are you two fighting?" She frowned at me. Stopping her buttering.

I sighed, knowing I might as well just say it now.
"Kind of... long story short; he believes in Uncle Cornelius's theories and then said dad did too."

Her face went blank and pale.

I didn't know what to say next and I didn't know how she was going to reply.
The silence went on too long for my liking.

"Well? What do you think?" I wasn't sure how the question fitted in to our conversation but I had to push her to say something.

She went back to buttering the banana loaf that had already gone cold, still in a trance.

"It's probably just a phase..." she said monotonously, spreading too much butter on one slice.

"Just a phase? And the theory about dad?" I was slightly irritated by her lack of answers, I was old enough to hear it and I'd never asked her before so she owed it to me this one time.

"I don't know, Lee, irrational theories don't usually bring out the brightest ideas in people," she said impatiently, throwing the knife in the zinc, turning away from me.
She was with holding something from me, I just knew it.

"Mom?" I asked, standing up from my seat.

She sighed and regained herself, "Yes?" She turned around with a smile.

"Tell me about dad," the request caught her off guard. Her smile fell away.

"No."

"No?" I asked, annoyance reaching dangerous levels quickly.

"No," she repeated, placing the slices of bread on plates and handing me one.

"Why not?" My voice was slowly rising with my temper, but I kept it under control.

"Because I've moved on."

"Well I know nothing to move on from!" I snapped. She looked at me surprised.

"And you should be grateful for it! You don't have to remind yourself everyday to forget about the love of your life so every other person you meet doesn't seem like a complete drag! And didn't have to throw away every piece of evidence of a good husband so your child won't feel like she just missed out on a good father!" Her eyes began to tear up, but as if on command, they got sucked back in as she took a deep breath.

Then I realised; I was drained these past few days from hearing about The Conspiracy. She had to endure years of it, while single handedly raising a child.

I knew I wouldn't get any answers from her. And as much as I understood her reasoning, I still felt the anger well up inside me.

I stared at her, the anger escaping me not through words, but tears suddenly flowing down my cheeks.

I didn't say anything to her as I walked out the door.

...

"I just want to know something for certain in my life!" I knew of only one person to go to.

"Oh sweety, don't worry yourself over this. And you do know some things for certain," Aurora said, stroking my hair as I cried on her lap.
I had to explain my crazy uncle's theories to her and Ashton's new involvement in it. She took it well. Probably because she's used to hearing impossible things everyday.

"And what's that?" I asked, I was interested in what she could possibly say.

"You know that you have friends that would go through anything with you and love you so much. You know that you have a boyfriend who thinks the world of you and- in my opinion- would easily take your hand in marriage today if you asked him. You know that you have the best grades in your class, triumphing over even the idiotic yet surprisingly intelligent Ashton!" She said laughing lightly, I laughed with her.
"And you know you have exams starting tomorrow..." she got serious, I couldn't see her but I could hear it. I knew what she was getting at.

I sat up slowly... wiping my tears away.

"And I can't have silly matters distracting me," I finished her sentence.

She smiled sympathetically and nodded.

"If you want something interesting to hear about that might just comfort you let me tell you what I've been learning in Anthropology class," she winked at me, getting ready to recite what she'd learned.

I laughed and sat cross legged, facing her.

"So in ... East?... Asia," she thought for a moment and looked at me as if asking for sure, I shrugged and laughed at her, "there's this god... well goddess... The Saviour of Souls and keeper of children," she said it to glorify the diety. I noticed the gleam in her eyes as she spoke about her learnings.

"As explained in her title, she saves souls that are in need of saving. So don't lose hope just yet, because there's always someone watching over you, and she thinks you're doing just fine."

That comforted me better than what I would have thought. I smiled at Aurora.

"Thank you," I said, and meant it, "so what do we call this Saviour of Souls?"

"Amitabh."

A/N

Hey guys! Hope you enjoyed this! I'm only posting again till this chapter gets 25 reads☺.

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-Courtney