In the Apple

Chapter 3

I listened intently. The house was quiet. My sister's even breathing told me she was still asleep. I slipped out of bed quietly and donned a new dress I'd bought with my diminishing allowance in a hippie store in the town. It was an unstructured A-line cotton in a bright African print and it smelled of incense; a far cry from the tailored earth tones my mother had always encouraged me to wear. I'd also bought some earrings and a necklace made of seeds, African as well, and thought, when I looked in the mirror, that I looked quite hip and funky. I didn't know exactly what I would do that day, but I knew I was bored with riding my bicycle around the town. I took my small shoulder bag, checked that I had some money, and crept down the stairs. I hesitated in the kitchen. If I had breakfast, would I wake everyone up? Breakfast being my favourite meal, I decided to risk it, and took a bowl of cereal out to the back yard. I came back in, washed my face and cleaned my teeth, and groaned as my mother called out. I went into her darkened room, gloomy and stuffy with the scent of stale cigarette smoke. I headed to the window to open the shade. She stopped me. "No, don't, sweetie! I have a migraine. Can you please bring me a glass of water and a cup of tea? I need to take my pills." I sighed, and went back to the kitchen to make the tea. Anticipating her next request, I soaked a facecloth in cold water and brought it in to her along with the tea and a clinking glass of ice water. I laid the cool cloth on her forehead and she gave me a small, grateful smile. "Thanks honey," she said in the pathetic tone that set my teeth on edge. "I hope you don't mind, but I'm going to stay in bed for awhile."

"That's fine," I said, relieved. "I'm going to go out and explore." She made no protest; the family had become used to me not being around the house much. She didn't mind; she trusted me.

"Did you have breakfast?" she asked.

"Yes."

"Where's your sister?"

"She's still asleep." I stood in the doorway, eager to go, praying she wouldn't ask me to bring her anything else.

"Okay," she said weakly. "I think I'll go back to sleep until your sister gets up."

"Okay, bye! Feel better!" I turned and skipped out as quickly as I could.