When a curse is broken

1. Broken Marlyn

Marlyn was a failure, that was how she felt. If being without a job was not enough, she had no more electricity, or warm water running anymore.

The bills were due last month, and that day the lights had flickered off. In her opinion, she couldn't get any more pathetic.

Maybe stripping was the ultimate solution, but then again, she would be a cluz on a pole with a broken arm, moreover her balance sucked.

She looked sadly at her plastered arm; she had slipped with her bicycle on a rainy day that ended her up with a fractured arm and a sprained foot. Since then, her life had sucked even more, she could no longer make food deliveries in that state, and her job paid per delivery. No deliveries, meant no money.

She was finally going to take off the plaster the next day. She had no idea why she had to go to the doctor for that. Couldn't she cut it for herself? At least she'd have less fees to pay.

Trn trn trn trnn Bzz Trin trin Bzzz Bzzz BZZZZ

The phone rang, at the same time the cry of a child filled the house.

She sped up to the bedroom, there was a bundle of clothes moving, it was her bundle of joy.

She took the baby in her arms, "Ohhh, don't cry darling, moma's right here", she moved her healthy arm back and forth soothing the child. That is when her nose picked up the smell of burnt. Marlyn looked up: the curtains were on fire. 

Horrified, Marlyn laid back the child on the bed and immediately took one of her thickest blankets to suffocate the fire.

With a heavy heart she looked at the remaining half of the curtain, her daughter had rolled up to sit and stared at her mom with wide eyes, the phone had gone silent.

Dumbfounded, she looked to the source that might have caused the incident, there was a half burned candle still lit on the sill.
Marlyn glared at it. The candle suddenly flickered off, as if guilty. Marlyn blinked.

The phone started ringing again and so did the cry of the little girl.

"Why are you crying, Ellie?" Marlyn wrapped her arms around the little thing and went into the living room to pick up the phone.

Her antique phone almost fell to the ground, but then she managed to click the green button.

"Hey" she answered.

"HELLOO girl, what's up? Is that Ella crying? Tell her, aunty is coming back soon!"

"Hey Ella, listen, it's aunt Ali on phone, say hello."

"Booh, hello awnty," she said in middle of her crying, then got back to sniff in her mother's shoulder.

"Why's she crying?" Alice asked.

"Woke up without me, you calling scared her," Marlyn said, "How's work going?" she asked while rubbing Elaine's back.

"Maybe that was god's sign to change your scary ringtone," Alice said, "and work's awful, I wish I could smash some people's heads, btw I'm coming back next week."

"Aunty Alice is coming next week baby, aren't you happy?" Marlyn spoke to her daughter, who still was half in dreamland.

"And how are you doing?"

"I'm fine" she spoke in reflex, then signed, "as fine as a person can be with a smelly arm 24/7," she replied. Then started to laugh and changed the topic, she didn't want Alice to feel bad for her. She would do just fine as long as she was able to feed Ellie. "I'm searching for a decent job," she said.

After talking for half an hour more, she put Elaine on the floor to let her hyperactive child run around the little apartment. She got in the kitchen and warmed some water, at least the gas was still working, it was time for a warm bath for Elaine.

"Come here, Ellie", Marlyn tugged Ellie's clothes to get her out of them and let her little clumsy arms do the work. Marlyn carefully watched her daughter as she sat in the water, almost expecting something to happen. She had a strange feeling in her heart that she so desperately pushed away.

"Mommy, are we going to do mats after?" Ellie brought her back to world.

"Of course, would you like to learn how to multiply?"

"Multipee?" she asked, wide green eyes full of wonders.

"It's multiply darling," her mother laughed and splashed her with some water. Ellie giggled and hugged her mother, "We are going to multipee!" She screamed.

Marlyn's laughter mixed with her child's. Her daughter was her world, her joy, her peace, it was impossible to not laugh with her. That is when she decided she would get rid of the plaster by herself, there was no need for a doctor.

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Hey guys,

I apologize if there are too many mistakes, I might not realise I made them, so if you think it was a mistake of grammar or a way of saying that is not used and I wrote it intentionally(especially if I keep repeating them) please kindly let me know, while I'll correct the typos once I'm editing it as whole.
Do not forget to comment and vote, it will encourage me to write more, until next time!

I will get back to updating regularly after the 15th July, got too many exams now!

17/06/2021