Through It All

TWENTY EIGHT

"He what?" Lucia exclaims flustered.

"Please try to understand, he wants to start anew with his wife, you can't blame him for that," Sophia explains trying to calm her down. Their mother sits on Lucia's bed not saying a single word.

"Why did he speak to you and not me? What kind of a man is he?" Lucia snarls angrily.

"I don't know, maybe he was nervous. He wanted me to prepare you."

"Coward," she scoffs. "A big coward. He might look like an intimidating man but he's a five year old child."

"Lucia, please try to understand him."

Lucia paces from one end of her room to another. "Understand him? He left me. Me. And I have to understand him? Why can't he understand how lonely I was, huh? Why can't he understand how much I suffered being known as the woman who was left behind? That's the mere reason why I told everyone he died."

"Lonely? Suffered?" their mother shouts. "You suffered so much that you got married again? You were so lonely that you forced that husband to leave you for your promiscuity?" She stands firmly and walks up to Lucia decisively, Lucia doesn't dare to move. "Listen to me now Lucia. This man wants to do the correct thing and take you with him because you are his wife. You hear me, his wife. You can be angry all you want but you and I know that you have to go with him now before you start that long journey into a miserable life. This little game of sleeping with every man that crosses your path is getting old, so you better grow up and start living a decent life."

Lucia's eyes start watering as she stares at her mother astounded. In all her life she had never been yelled at like this before. Sophia sits agog at her mother's outburst.

"You want me away from here, don't you?"

"Lucia don't..." Sophia tries to stop her before she says anything hurtful but Lucia interrupts her.

"You just want me as far away from here as possible because I'm not your perfect daughter. I'm not what you wanted me to be, well you know what? I am sorry for not being a hypocrite. I am sorry for trying to enjoy this hell hole you call home. I am sorry I can't be more like Sophia the immaculate fool that has no mind of her own."

Sophia looks down at her hands trying to avoid her own emotions.

"I am so glad you are apologizing," Mrs. Willis replies. "Because you don't know how many nights I spent asking myself why you couldn't be like Sophia. Sophia never gave us any of this nonsense. Your father and I have been put through enough because of you. You are nothing but a selfish, spoiled, shameless little girl that I have sheltered for way too long. I am done. I finished covering your immorality, I am exhausted pretending that all that you have done does not make me want to slap you."

Lucia starts crying quietly and Sophia watches her. She couldn't remember the last time she saw her sister cry.

"How can you say that?" says Lucia miserably. "I'm your daughter."

Mrs. Willis doesn't react. "You are. That is why I am telling you everything that I should have told you years ago."

Sophia moves uncomfortably as their mother leaves the room leaving a gloomy feeling behind. Lucia sits on her bed beside Sophia defeated.

Sophia considers leaving Lucia alone with her thoughts but her soft voice stops her.
"I deserve this, don't I?" Sophia doesn't answer. "Everyone hates me. Mother hates me, father hates me, Gilda hates me, and you hate me, what else is there for me to do here?"