Final Oath {Octavian}

III

"Dad? Mom?" I whispered as the door to my house creaked open. It was a very small house, only two bedrooms, one bathroom,  a kitchen, and a dining room for four residents. 

A figure came running to me, it was Lucretia. My six year old sister. She meant the world to me. I crouched down to her height. 

"Hey Cretia." I said. "How was school today?"

"Hard." she pouted. 

"What is?" I asked.

"Subtraction. Will you help me?"

"Sure I will." I said. 

"Oh yeah," she said. "Dad isn't home yet, and mom is making dinner for us. I heard it's spaghetti and meatballs!" 

I crinkled my nose. Yes, I love my mom and all, but she usually wasn't the best cook. I mean her meals usually are quite...an exercise and challenge for my taste buds. That's probably one of the reasons why dad is so cranky.

I shuddered. And don't even get me started on her meatloaves.

"Wait..." I said carefully. "Dad isn't home yet?"

She nodded. "Yes."

I secretly breathed in relief. Thank goodness. My dad can be a bit...off sometimes. Like he's mad. No, not like I-am-so-angry mad, more like the insanely type of mad. Like Mad Hatter mad. Yes, and before you judge, Grandmother Serena gave me Alice in Wonderland as birthday present. She insisted that I read it, she said she had loved it ever since she was a child. So her assumptions were that I do too. Not wanting to disappoint the only grandparent that was on my side, I read it. Overall it wasn't too bad. So I know what I'm talking about.

"Well, we at least have a little while." I said. 

"Come on," I gestured with my hand to her. "Let's go to your room, I'll help on subtraction there."

My sister followed me and we went into her room together. I was again met with color of pink walls and her drawings pinned on them. And on her bed laid her only teddy bear. The room was small, but it suited Lucretia's personality quite well. Loved fairytales, creative, and well, a six year old.

We stopped at her table. And she took out her homework. 

"Let's see," I said. 

#1. 5 - 3 = _

#2. 7 - 4 = _

#3. 8 - 5 = _

#4. 2 - 1 = _

Review: 6 + 2 = 8

The review was the only problem that wasn't left blank. While the other four had no answers to them.

I looked at the problems and cringed silently. I could solve it in a matter of seconds; in fact, I can just write the answers for her right now. But that's a bad example. Academic dishonesty. Wouldn't want her to get a bad habit like that. Not doing homework.

"Well," I said. "If I give you five apples, and I take away three apples, how much apples where there be left?"

"Five." she said. "Because the apples didn't disappear. They're still there, but you have them."

I laughed. Sometimes I forgot how smart she was. 

"Okay," I said. "What if you have five apples, and I then ate three of your apples, how much apples would you have left?"

"Why would you eat my apples?" she asked, shocked.

Hastily I added, "What if you ate your three apples?"

"Ummm...." she started to count on her fingers. After a while she said. "Two apples?"

"Yes, correct." I said.

Her face brightened and she happily wrote a "2" on  the blank line.

~~~~~

After thirty more minutes of helping Lucretia, Mom called us for dinner.

We got out of her room and went into the kitchen where a table was placed. On there was spaghetti and meatballs. Her spaghetti and meatballs. The infamous ones.

We sat down and I heard it. Everyone else heard it as well. The door. I heard the locks turning, creaking of the correct keys. He was back.

We all held our breath as the door opened. What would he be like today?

And there he was. Smiling with happiness and that playful glint in his eyes.

I stood up. "Hello father."

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Chapter 3. Hey sorry that it was kinda confusing, but you'll understand later on in the story. I promise. Otherwise then that, bonne journee!