The Second Air I Breathe

Chapter 4

Free Bird

Water symbolizes freedom and after spending the night out in the cold, she and her sister needed a hot bath to make them warm and cozy but as expected, they were denied this. Wrapped in each other's arms, their comfort was short-lived as their mother had watched her younger sister walk into the rainy night to meet her.

That morning, their mother locked them out in the compound and kicked them out of her car. This time, her argument was disobedience on the part of the younger sister and her punishment was a day out of the house with no food or a hot bath. It was like they would freeze to death but their mother cared less. All she knew was that her daughters were being disobedient.

She felt so enraged and sick in her stomach. What the hell was wrong with their mother! Was this really discipline or was she just a big bad bully? She swallowed hard and her heart raced. She wanted to hurt her but she kept her cool.

She had a plan but her younger sister would have to be the girl their mother wants them to be. As her mother left for work, she decided she'd move in with one of her two friends and made arrangements to leave. Her sister would have to stay behind with their mother until she had gotten a place to stay and a well-paying job. This was her finals so her younger sister only had to endure their mother for a while.

She lied to her father about needing money for school and was able to get enough pocket money for the month like she usually did. She didn't tell her father why she needed the money or what had happened. Even if she did, he'd be on their mother's side anyway so there was no point.

Her younger sister begged her to take her along but she couldn't. She was safer with their mother for now as long as she did what mummy wanted. She had to make sure she had her own place and enough money to take care of two people. She didn't plan to squat with her friend for long. It was only temporary.

By the time their mother returned from work, she was already gone and her younger sister was left to face the vicious tongue of their mother. However, their mother didn't punish her further. Now, all she had to do was do what mother wanted. That wouldn't be easy but her older sister had endured it this long so she had to be brave enough to wait until her big sister came back for her.

Her friend and her parents were kind enough to accept her into their home temporarily. She told them she only needed to get on her feet and she would be out of their hairs. For the first time, she felt relieved and at peace.

She could finally have that hot shower she craved. She took a hot shower and stayed in the shower for minutes, allowing the hot water of freedom to wash over her body. It was the only warmth she'd had her entire life. The heat sent relief deep into her skin and she moaned.

After the "shower of freedom" as her friend teased, she ate what she wanted to eat, not what her mother wanted her to eat because she was in control of her life and she enjoyed it. Freedom tasted so good, she didn't want to ever return to her mother but she'd have to go back soon for her sister. That was the only reason she wanted to go back. She ate like she'd been starved for days.

She used part of the money her dad sent her to satisfy her cravings. This was the life she wanted. That night, she was introduced to the world of filters and snaps. That way she could be free and freely express herself - and make a few friends or "find a boyfriend". At least, that's what her friend told her when she made her sign up on Snapchat and TikTok.

Those were a girl's comfort, she told her. I guess she was ready to explore now. She finally had her life in her hands and it was too good to be true. She spent the entire night on TikTok and Snapchat and by morning, she had a lot of Snapchat requests.

It was all fascinating to her, like she was being introduced to a new world. She was anyway but it was all too exciting. Compliments from total strangers made her feel safe and better about herself. Her friends felt sorry for her but they were happy she was free now. Now, she could finally breathe.

She thought about her sister everyday and imagined what she was going through but she had to let this new found freedom settle in her stomach. She wanted to live in the moment for now because honestly she had never felt this happy in her life and even now, better days seem to be a concept she may yet believe to be true but at least for now, she was living life like she wanted.

She wouldn't let anyone or anything take this away from her. No one.