Kittie Tales

Chapter Six

Chapter Six: Nuestra Familia.

Alessandra

"Are you all packed yet? Juan should be here any minute!", Roxie called from her room.

"Yeah. I'm coming out now", I yelled back. After checking that I hadn't forgotten anything important, I grabbed my suitcase and dragged it out of the room. Today, we were going to the Benedict Louis Dumonte - that is Roxanne's father - mansion for our weekend getaway and his birthday bash, and I was super excited for the trip, even if the mansion was just on the other side of town. Roxanne, on the other hand, was indifferent about it.

My eyebrows rose up on instinct as I took in my friend and roommate's outfit. "Really? A dress?", I couldn't help the sarcasm that coated my tongue.

Roxanne shrugged. "I have to play the good daughter now, Endra. Get used to it", she said dryly and picked up the gold and black feline. I shook my head at her and headed for the kitchen to get a glass of water.

Just then, the rhythm to Revolution by Diplo blared through the speakers of my mobile phone. I changed my direction and hurried up to pick up the call. It was an unknown number calling.

"Um... Hello?", I said warily.

A pause.

"H-hey sis", a voice broke out from the other end of the phone. The signal was too bad to hear clearly but I would recognise that voice anywhere anytime even if I were reincarnated into another life.

"Ferdie?!", I asked.

Pause.

"O my God! Ferdie! It's you! How long has it been? Where the hell are?! You got me so worried", I raised my voice on the phone. Roxie's head popped into the kitchen and with her eyebrows raised up to the roof. I covered the speakers and told her it was Ferdie calling. She rolled her eyes and went back out. She too was fed up with the Ferdie drama.

"I've being in bad shape, hermana", he said. I smiled at his choice of always calling me 'Hermana' which is Spanish for sister or 'Sasa', his childhood name for me.

"When are you never in bad shape?", I rolled my eyes at him, sad that he couldn't see it.

I heard him sigh on the other end. Then I heard voices in the background. "Are you- are you alone, Ferdie? Are you back with them again?". Silence greeted me. I took it for the affirmative. "You promised me, kid", I whispered.

Silence.

"I'm sorry, I- I can't. They won't let me be if I don't pay every dime I owe them. This is the only way", his voiced sounded pained.

Salty tears stung my eye lids. I didn't let them drop, I'm a big girl after all . "But you promised me", my voice broke.

"I'm sorry. I just need more money. Once I pay off all my debts, I'll be done with them. I'll come back home". The voices in the background grew louder and almost deafening. I had to remove the phone from her ears and put it on speaker.

"Ferdie?!"

The background voices grew louder and more persistent. "Uh.. I've got to get going now, Sasa. I love you, Bye"

"Wai..", the call ended abruptly. Just like that. Like always.

"Love you too", and just like that too, I whispered to no one in particular.

I sat there brooding for three whole months nonstop.

Well, just six minutes actually. But it seemed like an eternity.

"Yo! Our ride has arr...", Roxie's voice broke into my depressed thoughts. I hadn't even realised that the traitorous tears had betrayed me once again until I felt Roxie throw her arms around me.