The Widow Among the Woods

Trouble

Christan gave her parents a big smile and waved them goodbye and was about to go to her room when,

"Honey, you came home late today. And Mr. Barker informed me that you were nowhere to be seen in the time period 4-5. You have an explanation for that?"

Christan looked at her Dad with a gloomy face. He was so strict in some things and so lenient in others. And then there was Mr. Barker. Mr. Barker was the butler and he was supposed to keep an eye on Christan as per instructed by her parents. It was extremely annoying. He would just pop out of places just like that and be suddenly behind you. It was like living with a ghost

"Well... You see, that...uhhh...there is this..."

"There is this what?" Her mom gave her get-to-the-point look.

"There is this...uhhh..."

Christan was desperately thinking for an excuse when she came up with the worst one.

"Bathroom! Yes. There is this bathroom and I was there." She smiled at her parents.

Great job, Christan, she thought to herself. You came up with the worst excuse in the history of excuse. No the worst in the history of bad excuses. No the worst in the history of worst excuses. No, maybe there is no place in History for your excuse. It is a new kind of history itself.

"You were in the bathroom for one hour? "Her Dad shook his head in disbelief.

"You were in no bathroom. I checked them all." Christan jumped. The voice came from behind her.

"Mr. Barkerrrrrrrrr!!!!!!"

"Yes? Mam?"

"Ugh. You gave me a surprise. Stop doing that."

"My sincere apologies, Mam. And what should I stop?"

"Appearing out of nowhere."

"I didn't appear out of nowhere. I can't even appear in places. I just walked in this room an-"

"Yes, yes, yes. I know you can't appear in places. What I mean is that let people know that you are in the room."

"People feel my presence. They do it for all."

"But I don't feel yours."

Christan was getting frustrated. Mr. Barker was a very straight and simple man who always got to the point and would need a huge explanation.

"You know what, it is okay."

"What is okay?"

"You coming in the room and I not feeling your presence."

Mr. Barker just looked at her with an expressionless face. His face was always expressionless. Christan sometime wondered that did he feel any emotions at all?

"And about the bathrooms, I changed every time."

"Well I-"

"HONEY!!!"

"Yes, Mom?"

"YOU ARE CHANGING BATHROOMS AND SPENDING 1 HOUR IN THEM! THIS IS THE BEST DAY OF MY LIFE! YOU ARE LEARNING WHAT IT IS TO BE A WOMEN!"

Her mom looked so happy. Christan smiled. Thanks, Mom she thought. Now I better start spending time in the bathroom, so her happiness doesn't go wasted or lied to.

"Okay... Spending time in bathrooms. I don't understand you women, so no hate there. But for coming home late, you are going to be grounded for a week."

"DAD!!"

"Yes and that is final."

Christan sighed. Her dad was a man of his words.

"Okay. It is okay, daddy."

"Good and we will play some games." Her father smiled.

Her Dad didn't really understand what grounding meant. He had never been grounded, ever He just thought is as no going out and playing and instead spending time with the family. Christan had a phone but she never uses it until you are supposed to call someone for help when someone is already dead.

"Can't wait." Christan smiled

"BYEE"

As soon as Christan reached her room, she had a mental breakdown. She was grounded for a week and some wacko lady for coming for her best friend and her parents had got dead threats, she started screaming and crying. She had acted happy in front of her parents and then they added the threats' news, her inside started screaming.

"WHHHHYYYY?"

"Mam, is everything doing good?"

"Arderia, how many times will I tell you not to call me, Mam? My name is Christan. Call me Christan."

Arderia was a young maid. Christan and her were of the same age. Christan didn't like people picking up her stuff but her parents still assigned the girl to her. Christan always helped Arderia when she could. Christan was in the middle of teaching the girl English, as she heard her dream to apply for a collage but she needed to learn English for it.

Christan's parents supported the idea fully. They said they will pay for the fee, all Arderia had to do was study and get admitted in the collage. Since that day, Arderia had been studying hard. She studied the other subjects apart from English in her native language.

"Sorry. I forgetting all time. But why you screaming?"

"Ohh, Arderia. Something bad happened."

"No. How bad?"

"Very Bad."

"No. Should I call police?"

Christan laughed.

"No, Arderia. You don't call police for this and you will put the before police, so the proper sentence will be: Should I call the police?"

"Ohh. Sorry. I care next time. You impossible and amazing talking English, Mam. No, I mean Christan."

Christan smiled. One thing Arderia just won't get right. When she means to say 'The way you talk in English is amazing and it is impossible to talk like that' she ends up saying 'You impossible and amazing talking English'.

"Thank you. You also take amazing in English."

Christan sighed. She didn't know whether to cry or scream.

"It is a very dangerous world, Arderia. I didn't release that until now."

Christan looked at the ceiling, lost in her own wisdom.

"Why, Christan? Why you don't understand it before?"

Christan smiled at Arderia's blankness and lack of understanding.

"Because, I refused to see the truth that was lying in front of me the whole time."

"What truth?"

Christan looked at Arderia with sad eyes.

"My brother's murder"