Little Footsteps

Rumors:

Paula was in that house for a week. She soon adapted and also to the extravagances of her uncle and Aunt Parker, their silences and their absurd and inconsiderate rules. The days had not yet become monotonous for Paula, since there was always something to do or fix in that old house.

She couldn't deny that her aunt kept her busy since she woke up until she went to sleep. Paula was so tired that she couldn't think of anything from her foggy past. The arrival of darkness didn't torments her as in the first few days. She lay down so tired that she usually slept immediately, and if a noise ever woke her up in the early morning, she wouldn't be disturbed. She learned to identify all the «normal» noises of that huge house.

The arrival of her uncle along with the darkness, no longer scared her as before. Although he still retained the same attitude as before, at least now Paula knew him better... And it all happened one night when she stuck a splinter as she slid her hand down the railing of the stairs.

She suffered with the pain, but when her uncle saw her, he took pity on her and took out the splinter with the help of a needle. He did it without letting his wife intervene. Since then, Paula no longer thought that he was so bad, and her fear of him diminished considerably.

Unfortunately her old fears woke up with the arrival of Sunday. That day was very special for her aunt, a devout Catholic woman who from the morning, began to prepare to go to church mass of the little town.

Paula was surprised when she came down early for breakfast and met

Mrs. Parker dressed in her best dress. She used hair tubes, nice shoes and hummed a tune while preparing breakfast.

"Ah! Hi honey, I hadn't seen you. Breakfast will be ready in a few moments. Today we will go to church, so I would like you to dress more... formal," she said looking sideways.

Paula understood, her aunt wanted that she changed her tight pants, but that didn't bother her because he had gotten used to it. Her uncle and aunt didn't like her clothes too modern.

"Oh, but... Well, it's ok," the girl hesitated.

Actually, Paula wasn't very devout, she didn't even remember when it was the last time she went to a church. In any case, she decided to go, because for nothing in the world she wanted to stay alone in that house and much less give reasons for Mr. and Mrs. Parker to be angry with her.

"Sit down! Here's the tea," the woman said as she gave her a cup.

A long time passed and Paula was surprised that her uncle was not yet in the kitchen. He didn't usually sleep late and was usually the first to wake up, grumbling and shuffling down the stairs with his slippers. That was the first noise that woke Paula.

"Where is Uncle Parker?" the girl was encouraged to ask.

"I think he is sleeping," said Mrs. Parker with a strange blush on her face

"He doesn't come with us anyway."

"Why?" Paula was surprised.

"Oh, hello, honey!" the woman said as she jumped.

Paula turned and greeted him too. He entered the kitchen with his usual bad mood and didn't seem to have been sleeping because he was covered by a fine dust. Paula wondered where he had been and why her aunt had lied to her.

The man sat down to take the breakfast and a short time later, Paula got up to go to change clothes. When Paula walked to her room, thinking about what clothes to wear because she didn't have much to choose from, she suddenly saw the door ajar under the stairs that led to the basement. Then she knew that Mr. Parker was down there. Why so much mystery? Why had his aunt lied to him?