millie's reaction after hearing the punishment::
"I don't get why this time my punishment is worse!" she protested. Kelly and Robert stared at her angrily. "Because this time, it has been the very last straw!" Kelly's voice echoed around the living room.
"Why a farm? Please.. not a farm. I cant bear it there." she pleaded.
Kelly stoned her face. She had learned and mastered not being shook by Millie's pleas.. but Robert, not very much.
Robert looked as if he was to explode. He was holding on to the arm of the chair. He never wanted to witness conflicts, but this time, it just seemed that he had to.
"You are to stay there for three months. Your career will take a break. You need to suffer for you to learn."
There is a different kind of pain seeing a mother and a child's relationship break into pieces. It is like seeing a dog crave for its bone, a mermaid struggling out of water, a heart begging and yearning for the chance to be loved.
Millie whimpered, eyes closed, tears pouring.
;
"Toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo.." Millie enumerated. She was rechecking her toiletries. Her eyes were sunken and swollen from crying hard last night. She did not want to go to a farm, nor live there for 3 months.
She looked frustratedly at her room. The fairy lights she hung up two years ago were placed on the ground, looking sad without lights.
Her cream walls that looked so nice before seemed to be off white. Her bed looked weird without the sheets. Everything looked strange.
She wasnt used to change. Millie never had been exposed to change as much as others have. Her life had a specific cycle. Everyday was the same.. go on set, shoot, go home, get ignored by parents, and do the same thing again. If ever there was something special or different, it wouldve been everyones change. Like the change of season, they way the clock ticks.. its the only things that have change in her life.
And now, she is to experience the biggest change in her life.
;
Millie sat miserably in her seat in the car. Her shades were on and her arms were crossed. Her hair was in a messy bun and she made sure that she looked 100% okay.
Her sweater and her leggings hugged her body as if it was afraid to let go. She was too shy to ask if the air conditioning could lower the blast, because it was so cold.
In total, Millie had 4 luggages. Not including her toiletries bag and her backpack that she held onto the whole ride.
Her dad, Robert, sat in the driver's seat while Kelly in the passenger's. The latter was scrolling through her phone. Millie stole a glance and it said "Hotels in New Jersey."
Her heart broke a little inside her.
;
"So I guess this is goodbye." Kelly's voice was hard as steel. It was metallic and straight, no hint of love.
She automatically turned back to the car. Robert was left awkwardly while Millie stared at the ground.
"Um," Robert began.
"Bye."
And he was gone too.
The pain is seeing your parents walk away, drop you off and drive away as if it never hurt them is real. It grabs your heart in your chest and crushes it, as you are forced to watch the people who you entrusted everything, the people who gave you lifex and the people who provide you everything are the ones that never even really cared.
Her eyes were taled with regret and pain, no hope left. She felt worthless and unwanted. She doubted people here will appreciate her too.
She had cried five times now because of this incident. And she promised that this.. would be the last.
Millie stared at the ugly, muddy area. The smell made her gag. "What the hell is this place?" she whispered.
Suddenly, a balding man wearing checkered polo shirt and trousers walked by. He was smiling.
"You must be Millie," he grunted. "Im your uncle Clint. Welcome!" His eyes were sparkling with excitement and his cheeks twitching up happily. "Everyone has heard the news of you coming here."
'Great,' Millie thought to herself. 'More problems.'
She forced herself to smile. "Thats.. nice."
"Erm, Uncle Clint?" she asked as he was pulling her 4 luggages all in one, muttering 'How long will she even live here?'
"Hm?" he grunted back. "Where is the bathroom? I need to retouch my make up."
Uncle Clint chuckled. "If you are to fiddle with your make up, Im sorry but we don't own mirrors here."
Millie's emotions took a somersault. No mirrors for 3 months? Wifi was gone already.. even make up?
She pursed her lips and took one of her natural fruit balms. She applied some onto her lips and noisily smacked it repeatedly. People started to stare at the cross armed girl carrying two small bags and retouching make up while allowing a poor old man carry her luggages.
Once they arrived into a small nipa hut, Uncle Clint placed the heavy luggages into one side. A small bed frame made out of bamboos with a thin mattress on top was perched in the corner.
"So here is your room for 3 months," he said with a smile. "The bathroom is outside. You'll have lunch, breakfast and dinner at the middle of the town, where everyone takes their meals.
And by the way, every meal has a schedule. Times have been tougher. Before, every family could eat their meals in their own houses, but sadly, finance for our town hasnt been that great.. so we will have to stick with that. Breakfast starts at 8:30. Lunch at 12:30, and dinner 7:30. If ever you are late, you will miss your meal."
Millie's eyes bulged.
"Um--"
"And you will have to choose between 3 jobs, to live. Your parents told me to expose you to heavy work and labor so.. it's either farming, animal work, or fishing."
Millie's blood boiled at the mentioning of her parents. They were once again, the reason of her hardships and difficulties.
"You start labor tomorrow, so better make a decision now. I'll introduce you to townspeople later, you have the whole day to think about your choice of job." Clint smiled at her.
Millie watched as he walked out of the Nipa hut.
She looked around at her little hut. It felt so icky and strange. The mattress was thin and hard, the floors dusty and filth covering it. She tried to explore the bathroom but gagged and almost vomited at the smell. Clint forgot to tell her that they also had to get water from the well, and when she decided to take a quick shower, she spent her whole morning getting water through heavy pails.
As she walked back and forth to well and hut, she became to observe more this small town. People were too busy with work to pay attention to her, but sometimes glancing. She was used to being ignored, so it was not a problem.
On one round, she tripped and spilled the water all over a bed of mud. Her knees were caked all over the wet soil.
People looked around her, suppressing laughs. She looked around ashamed and embarrassed as she hid her face, sobbing. She hadnt even lasted a full day but felt like she wanted to go back.
"Are you alright?"
hai guys so i made sure this was long!! hahaha its soup basically but hey.. hahah! thanks to the ones who vote and comment, you inspire and motivate me to write moree ❤ thanks guys!!
