Miracles

Chapter 35

~Avisha's View~

"What would I do without you Tofu?" I ask my pet mouse. I don't know why, but I have a very strong bond with mice. Call me weird or whatever, I think mice are nice companions. 

Tofu the mouse, with its silky-soft fur, on its tiny body, has pink-hot eyes on a small face, a long tail, and nice white teeth. He nibbles on things he shouldn't touch. I would've called him Mr. Nibbles but Tofu suits him best. I found him lurking in our kitchen one night. Mom wanted to kill him but I saved his life and kept him as my own. No one seems to like him but I do. Tofu is the only one that makes me smile after a long day. He gets excited every time he sees me probably because I'm the only one who understands him. He curls around my neck to warm me when I feel cold. He's all I have during the lonely nights and when Luis leaves. I believe no other pet can be compared to him. Tofu is one of a kind. 

"I love you Tofu." I caress his fur. He squeaks as if to tell me, he loves me too. I smile at my cute little friend, enjoying the serenity he radiates. 

"Sia!" My mamá shouts. "Sia! Bajar aquí! (Get down here)". 

"Ugh! This woman." I murmur before shouting, "Que viene mamá! (Coming mom), and trudge downstairs. 

I mentally roll my eyes at Yash, my soon-to-be husband, or as I like to put it, the man I'm being sold to. 

"Mamá, why is he here?" I voice out making my mom, who seems to never be on my side, glare at me and warn me to watch my tongue. 

What is wrong with this woman? Why can't she see this isn't right? I might not know a lot of things about motherhood but I can say my mom isn't being a mom right now. It's like she's never been. Is she really my mom? I mean, there's zero resemblance, she hates me, she abuses me and I certainly don't feel at home. What if she's not who I think she is? What if everything is and has all been a lie? What if Sia isn't my real name? What if I have an actual family out there looking for me? What if they stopped looking for me? What if... 

That's all I keep thinking about until mom flicks my head. Painfully. 

"Ouch!" 

"Did you hear what I said?" I shake my head, no, as I rub the spot to soothe the pain. 

"The wedding is in three days and your husband, being so kind, wants you to stay with him and get everything done in his lovely home," Mom says smiling at Yash.

"Why do I have to stay at his place?" I ask making mom give me an icy glare. 

"I just want you to feel comfortable and at home," Yash replies. I just nod. Before I can say more, mom quickly chips in. 

"You're leaving tomorrow morning so go pack your stuff," Mom says as if I own a lot of things. 

"Okay, but why has the wedding date been moved forward?" I ask. 

"You ask a lot of questions don't you?" Yash smirks. Oh, how I wish I could slap that dirty smirk off his face. 

"If I say yes, will you give me a million bucks?" 

"Sia!" Mom shouts at me.

"No, it's fine." Yash shrugs it off and retreats some money from his pocket. Probably to remind us that he's filthy rich. 

"You can keep your money Yash. See you tomorrow." I say and run back upstairs. 

I wish I wasn't getting married but it seems wishes don't work for people like me. What a life! I put the few things I might need alongside the gifts Luis got me into a bag and clean up the room I've been living in all my life.

I see a book with the word 'diary' crossed out and the word 'plan' written on it. Picking it up I flip through the pages. Most of the pages had been torn or crossed out. I remember when I used to write about my day and all the good things happening in my life in this book. I stopped when things started getting bad. I tore the memories out because the bad ones were becoming too much and I couldn't bring myself to believe how my life had changed drastically. I changed the title of the book to 'plan' when the thought of running away came to mind. Of course, I didn't succeed. I didn't have the money, and the essentials to keep me alive even if I run away.

"Sia?" I turn around to see my mom at the door.

"Yes?" I respond.

"Don't disgrace me," Mom says and as quickly as she came, she leaves. 

"Sure mom," I scoff plopping on my mattress and closing my eyes as I twist my hair and try to sleep.

Sleep never comes. I've tried counting imaginary sheep, making the room extra dark, and any other thing that came to mind but to no avail. My mind just keeps drifting off to my future and how different things could be if I had a caring family. 

Fed up, I retrieve the phone Luis got me from my bag and switch it on. I'm blinded by the light it emits and shocked by the short but loud music that comes from the device in my hands. After it's switched on, I find the settings app and set the date and time right. I don't know where I pressed but I'm taken to a white page where there are the words, "Hi, how can I help?" 

 I quickly type, "who are you?"  

"I'm your Google Assistant. I can help you find answers, get things done, and have fun," A female voice answers. 

Okay, I'm Sia. Nice to meet you. I type. 

"Thanks," The voice answers. 

I then type, "Are you a boy or a girl?" 

"I don't have a gender," Assistant answers. 

"Wow, so what are you?"  I ask. 

"I'm your Google Assistant." 

"I know that but are you human?" 

"I've heard my intelligence is artificial but I've also been told that I can be very personal  😉"

"So you're a robot?" 

"That may be true, but I have a heart of gold."  I smile at that. 

"Can we be friends?" I type. 

"You're like the laptop to my wi-fi. We make a great team," Assistant says. 

"I'm flattered." 

"You're the bee's knees, elbows, and ankles 🐝" 

"Thank you." 

"You're welcome" 

And with that, I get to know my first robotic friend. 

What's up people?  I hope you're all doing well as I am. Another chapter up. I hope it's good. How much did you enjoy the Google Assistant part?
It might seem a lil bit weird but it's fun talking to your Google Assistant or Siri. You should try it sometime.
That's all for now, talk to you in the next chapter.
Thanks for reading and stay safe.
Mwah!!