MELINA

chapter six

I woke up the next morning and the events of last night flashed in my head. I remembered how my cut already healed up and there was no bruise. I ran quickly to the window to confirm it and I saw that, there was really no bruise on my face. I sat down on the floor and contemplated on what to do. I decided to find something to make a fake bruise on my face. I actually wanted to continue my daily activities normally but, it crossed my mind that my father or king Quan might notice that there was no bruise on my face and that would raise a whole lot of questions and suspicions and I wanted to stall and find out the reason why the cut healed all by itself.
I quietly went to the back of the palace where the garden was sited, packed up a little wet clay in my hand and patched it on my face. I also quickly went to the flowers which the artists used to paint and plucked a red one, squeezed the liquid out of it and made a line on the already dried clay on my face. I made it look really disgusting and when I looked in the pond, I loved what I saw. It looked like a very nasty wound and I chuckled to myself on my achievement.
I tiptoed back into the palace and started cleaning out of the trash cans in the kitchen. Everything was just messed up, scattered and very dirty. Leftovers from the party littered everywhere and was smelly. I sighed and tried not to gag because it was really smelling like a dead body that had been rotten for ten days in there.
As I took the last bag of trash out the door, I saw my father and king Quan chatting animatedly while walking around. I bowed in respect and walked off. "I really got her good Arthur, that wound looks really nasty", I heard king Quan say to my father. They both boomed in laughter. I wasn't in the least bit bothered and I really did not care about them. Let them laugh till the insides of their cheeks hurt.
I was able to find some dried bread and stale soup. I helped myself to that and afterwards, went to do the laundry for heaps and heaps of dirty and clean clothes left for me by my mother and Nylah. I was just drinking a cup of water when my brother walked into the kitchen. "Melina", he said quietly but, it was loud enough for me to hear. I spat out some of the water I was drinking in shock and turned to face him.
"Yes", I answered timidly because I wasn't sure of what he wanted to do or say, and a red alert was circling round my head. "See me in the garden at midnight, I have a lot of things to tell you", he said and walked off. Okay, that was the weirdest thing that had ever happened to me in the entire history of my very terrible life. I really did not know what to expect from him, but I made up my mind to stay awake till midnight and see him.
I continued my day's work and was kind of excited. I did not know the reason why. As soon as it was eleven fifty, I snuck out of the attic into the garden and, waited for my brother. For a split second, I thought he set me up so that I would be caught and land into a severe punishment but, when I was about to turn and go back to my room, I caught sight of him. He sat down and sighed after which he proceeded to talk. His voice was so calm, deep and husky. He sounded so mature.
"Melina, first I am sorry that I have ignored you all these years. It hurt me so much to be ignoring my baby sister but there was nothing I could do about it, I mean no one can go against the king's orders. I tried sneaking food for you but Nylah always caught me and she threatened to report me each time. It is not your fault you don't have powers and you should not be blamed for it but, nobody in this palace has such sense of reasoning and they treat you like trash because of it".
He paused to catch his breath and I just sat there with my eyes as large as saucers and my mouth gaping open like that of a fish. I pinched myself countless times to make sure I wasn't dreaming, and I realized that indeed I was wide awake and actually having a conversation with my brother.
He continued "I fought countless times with mother. I was disappointed at how she allowed status, society and people to determine how she should treat her daughter. Most of the time, she would just look down and not say a word. I tried to remind her of the joy she always felt when she still carried you in her womb but, all my efforts proved abortive. Father's case is another problem entirely. I did not even know what I could say to him to change his mind. He already locked his heart and zeroed it"
"Melina, I know you would have been wondering the main reason why I am here. I just came to tell you that I am here for you. I am sick and tired of watching them treat you like trash. I know that your powers are not showing but I believe deep down that you have powers. I will find every possible solution to bring your powers back even if it will cost me my life" and, "Melina, there is one more thing I want to ask from you; can you forgive me for all these years?"
Before he said that, tears were already streaming down my face. it was the first-time luck ever smiled down on me. I nodded my head and managed to whisper yes. The smile that graced my brother's face was priceless and I could see that he was very happy. We both stood up and I wanted to go back into my room when, something that had never happened to me in my entire life occurred. He hugged me.
I burst into tears.

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