The listener

chapter 1

It felt so hot in the house.

Sara had a very bad day, no, she has been having series of bad days, one after the other, consecutively, following each other. She always took out her anger on the objects in the house,throwing them as far away as possible so that she wouldn't reach out again and throw them for the second time
If Arthur didn't listen to her she would just yell and walk out of his room,nowadays he always is busy and doesn't have much to say to her. She missed the good old days when things still seemed promising.

But she felt sad and sorry, she had a turmoil of emotions surrounding her,mother had always seen that as strange.
She had to make it up to Arthur, she would prepare his favourite meal of spaghetti and boiled egg and take it to his room and he would be happy and listen to her again. His room was stuffy and smelled a little, he has really been busy and so has she. She sprayed air freshener around and dropped his plate of food for him, she smiled as she walked out knowing he has forgiven her, now he would always listen. Oh, the joy that gave her.

She hated work, every morning she didn't look forward to it. She hated her boss he was too stern and impatient with her. She hated the other staffs, they ignore her most of the time but still carried hushed whispers around anytime she walked by. She hated the customers so much, always acting like they have all the rights in the world, and she hated that she could do nothing about it. For now.
As she took her bath she watched the water go down the drain with so much blood,so much blood as she has seen before,some of which was her making. Before she left the house she put Arthur's food on the small kitchen table. Arthur always slept in, it didn't surprise her.

That day did not go well at all, she slammed the front door and threw her bag on the wall, why would he touch me?, she kept asking herself. She picked up Arthur's food from the table and went to his room. He was there and he listened , like he always did. Her boss yell at her and the whole staff avoided her like the plague, she slapped one customer because he grabbed her buttock when she reached up the shelf to get him what he wanted. She pictured Arthur, he would smile and tell her the customer was crazy and they would both laugh in a way that was peculiar to both of them.

She sat on the floor and listened to the radio. They still talked about the burnt down family house. They talked about how they were still trying to uncover the source of the fire and how it affected everyone in that house. If only they were right.

She was fed up, she was frustrated, she cursed out loud as she walked into the house, she just got fired, it wasn't her fault entirely. The boss called her out and told her she had been causing trouble lately because of her attitude and she would need to see a psychologist.

Was he trying to tell her she has gone mad?

Mother use to think of her as strange.

Daddy use to look at her in a different way.

Everyone was always against her, except Arthur.

She got so mad and she made a fist and shoved it at his face , he fell to the ground. The other staffs ran into the office. Some of them were afraid to touch her, but some of the guys held her back. The boss had epitaxis and this made her happy. She walked away before he could call the police. Good thing she gave them a wrong home address and wrong names before starting to work there.

'' I don't know what we are going to do Arthur, we won't have enough money for food.''

She stared at him and he stared back, there was something different in the way he looked at her, was it fear or was it indifference.

'' why are you looking at me that way, this is a serious issue Arthur, and your room smells, you have really got to do something about this.''

She looked around there were flies everywhere and she could smell mud. She turned back to look at him and he just stared at her.

'' So now you won't even pity me, you won't say any thing, so now you are just going to let things be this way.''
She fell to the ground and grabbed her head. She was angry, why was Arthur acting this way. Everyone had left her, everyone thought she was crazy. Even Arthur.

''No! No I'm not crazy! I'm not crazy at all, you all are!!''

She picked up the bread knife and hit it continuously on his chest. He didn't move. He didn't say anything, he hasn't said anything for a month now. She looked at his face, flies were everywhere on him and they sat on his eyes mostly.

She remember when she ran out of her house, the house was on fire and she started it, Everyone hated her at home. Her parents were ashamed of her, her siblings always stayed away from her. She was sad and lonely, she had Arthur but he wasn't enough and she needed family. And if they didn't want her, it's better they just go.

She left the gas open on purpose that day, and when her mother put on the matches, the whole house was on fire but she opened her window and jumped out.

Arthur's house wasn't far away and he stayed with his old uncle. He was far better off without him.

''Arthur come on we need to go.''

''Where exactly?'' He asked, he always ask.

'' Someplace far away.''

'' What about your parents? they would be looking for you.''

She bit her lips and look away
'' You don't have to bother about that, they are dead already.''