The Strings of a Violin

6. Mariya

I had a small suitcase by my side and my shawl billowing in the breeze. After a long journey back to the country to the house where I grew up in, I was restless. Cars never really worked for me.

Before we had left the hospital, Ellie braided my white shiny hair back into two long braids down my back. She also helped me decide on what to wear, and of course she suggested the outfit that Kito had bought me.

Anyways, Ellie was elected to drive me to meet my parents and drop me off. It was nerve racking and Ellie had her hands on my shoulders. Instead of wearing her usual nurse outfit, she had on a sun dress and had her hair down in her face for once.

Then my mother walked out of the house along with my father and stood on the porch gazing down at me like Titans. I took a step back but Ellie pushed me forward reassuringly. "Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Yandera. I'm Ellie, Mariya's nurse."

They put on fake smiles and said their 'hello's' back. Ellie had left me and went up to tel my parents how I was improving and how I have to take my medicines at a certain time. My parents nodded at almost everything Ellie was saying and took the instructions and medication bag out of her hand.

"Well Miss Mariya, I will be back on Sunday night to pick you up," Ellie gave me a hug, "Have a good weekend and remember if anything happens call me," She said with a serious look on her face. I nodded and rolled my carry-on suitcase ahead of me towards my parents. Ellie steeped into the car, waved, and closed the door before driving away.

I climbed the stairs to the porch and looked up at my parents. There was no sign of a friendly welcome on their faces but then what surprised me was my father gave me a hug and wouldn't let me go util my mother coughed and told him to go check on dinner. She gave off a feeling that I thought I would be able to avoid until the day I died.

"So even the hospital couldn't deal with a broken brat like you, tsk tsk, maybe I'll be able to fix you this time," Her voice rang out like venom being put into my ears. It burned to hear that voice again. The one that put me down for so many years and caused so many bruises and blemishes in my brain.

"It's not like that," I whispered, "they wanted me to be around people I knew more."

"Like I'm supposed to believe that Mariya," She snickered, "You've always been a child that loved to lie."

"If you didn't want me here then why agree to this Mother?"

"I thought it would be nice to see my little girl again," She pinched my cheeks and grabbed my hand tightly while dragging me in through the front door of the house. "You know where your room is, go on up and put your bag there then come back down for dinner. We're having your favorite, enchiladas."

"Oh, thanks," I said surprised as I ran up the stairs and sat my suitcase in front of my bed. I gazed around it for a second and realized it was untouched and just the way I had left it almost a year ago. The soft purple and blue curtains clung to the windows and my bed was nicely made. All my clothes were put away, all the books stacked on my bookshelf. It looked as if I never lived here at all.

"Mariya!" My father called, "Dinner is ready!" I smiled slightly and bounded my way down the stairs and into the kitchen. The house looked different slightly, the walls were different colors and the furniture new.

I sat down next to my dad as he put three enchiladas on my plate carefully making sure not to spill anything on the table. "So have you made any new friends in the hospital pumpkin?" Dad asked me using my old nickname to make me smile.

"Uhm, yeah actually. His name is Kito, and he plays the violin for me and just gives me company for a few hours a day."

"The violin, eh? Not the most manly choice but I bet you enjoy it."

"I do, it just sounds so lovely."

I picked up my fork and cut my food into pieces before starting to actually eat it.

For once my mother was being nice to me, but it felt very fishy in my mind. I was reunited with my loving father and got to eat a delicious dinner. Everything seemed to be going okay, I wonder what tomorrow has in store for me. . .