'Cause I Like Him Too Much

Chapter Thirty-Three

“…and so, the evil Queen again asked her magical mirror, ‘Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of us all?”

  Her squeaky voice echoed around the room, I could hear it very clear. Sticking my ear carefully, on the vaguely closed door, I listened in secret to the fairy tale story Mrs. Brown’s little Carmen was telling. It made me wonder whom was she telling it to. Or it could be that she was only reading it aloud for herself.

  I continued listening. There was this kind of emotion in every word she read between her lips. The way she read it, was so pleasant to hear, as if she was the one who wrote it, and telling it to the other kids in town. I’m sure her mother is very fortunate and happy to have that daughter of hers, so gifted.

“..Then smoke came out of the room, until the evil Queen couldn’t see a thing. A flash of lightning appeared before the old castle’s windows, and the thunder roared loudly, waking everyone who was asleep in the whole kingdom.

Out in the smoke and darkness, the pale face of the mirror appeared, the Queen was waiting with her eyes hungrily fixed on the magical mirror, and so it answered:

“It is the little princess, Snow White, who is fairest of them all.”

“Snow White?!”, the evil Queen clenched both her fists, her face turning red with rage. Nobody in this kingdom could be more beautiful than her. It is only her who should be, she believed. And only her forever….”

  I decided to go there inside to take a peek, wanting to see and hear her very clearly. “Hi.”, I smiled, standing by the door.

  “Hi Hannah. Come on in.”Carmen looked at me and smiled in return. She was sitting on her small chair with a Grimm Brothers’ book in her hands. She kept herself busy by reading it to her small rag doll, its small eyes made of buttons were vigorously watching. It just rested on Carmen’s lap, listening to her. It was just the two of them alone, till I came in and said hi. Carmen went back narrating the second part of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, to her doll as if it was alive and paying attention for real. Pausing for a while, she looked at me again, saying, “Mimi needs to sleep.”

  “Mimi.”, I repeated. I found a chair and sat down near her. She smiled at me again and again, moving to me closer, carrying her doll and book. She seemed happy to see me, and I too felt the same. I rarely leave my room, from the time when Aunt Anne and I dealt with something in the same moment we had tea last time. I never had these hard feelings against her. After all, what could I do about it, I could not possibly cry out so my father would here me there, so he would come home this instant for everyone’s sake. For now, all I felt to do was to digest it, and let that hurting truth sink down one toe at a time.

I blinked and escaped from my clouding thoughts.  I looked down at Carmen who was just beside me, and I asked her, “Where is Mrs. Brown?”

“Ma went to work now.”, Carmen gave a short answer, playing with the tuff of hair of her lil’ girl toy.

“Your mother’s working now? But why has she left you here by yourself?”

  Knowing that they weren’t together, it seemed a bit odd. As a mother and daughter, they were inseparable, well I was used of seeing them that way. Aside from that, how could Carmen here manage with no one else around? I didn’t even know that Mrs. Brown was working and her only child was in their room alone.

“It’s alright. Mum said she needs to work for our future and I understand that.”

  I said nothing more, but was very much satisfied with her answer. It was pretty impressive. If I were a teacher, I would certainly give her a golden star with that. Only one more question to ask her, in order to make sure that she was okay.

“Have you eaten already?”

Carmen nodded.

  I stood up. I guess there has to be something we must do for today, I thought while I peeped out of the window, looking at the counted number of people walking around outside. It was a little cold. But maybe going out there for a walk too, wouldn’t be that bad. I could bask in the sunshine, just for a while. Or maybe a stroll in the park wouldn’t hurt so.

“Wow.”, I felt my braided hair which was hanging on my back was being held. “You’re long hair makes you look like Rapunzel.”, I heard Carmen giggled.

I turned to her and sniggered. “Do you want to look like Rapunzel too?”, I asked, getting hold of some of her soft, light-coloured locks.

Carmen’s eyes twinkled. “Yes I do!”

“THERE. Now you just have the same braid she and I got.”, for finishing, I tied her styled tresses with a pink bow—her favourite color, she said.

  She was likely surprised when she saw herself in my quite big mirror. Carmen kept holding her hair, her whole face was looking very awed. “Thank you so much, Hannah!”, she exclaimed, she sat on the bed, swinging her both feet as she looked around my room, while I was delving my cabinet, searching for a clean handkerchief.

“You’re always welcome, dearie. Now you look even prettier.”, I was able to smile at her, though my hand was working on pulling a piece of hand towel I had been looking for out of my other clothings in the drawer.

I was dazed when I felt Carmen’s short arms reaching for an embrace. “Thank you. How I had big sister like you.”, she said and hugged me tight.

“Of course you can think of me as your older sister. Always.”, I gave her a hug in return, and I patted her shoulder.

  Never I expected I would hear something like that from her. I used to wish when I was young that Heaven would be so kind to give me a baby brother or baby sister to love and care for, it was always my great dream. Instead, Heaven took my mother away. Now my father had gone missing and nobody knew his whereabouts. How dark, and gloomy life was turning to be, I should say.

Well at least I’ve got one little angel here with me now, being close with Carmen sounded like a blessing. And she really is a blessing to me.

“Let me show you something, Carmen.”, I said, letting go of our embrace for a while.

   I lifted my body off the bed, where we had been cuddling like real sisters, who hadn’t seen each other for years, I got something off my trunk, an old picture of me, Momma and Papa, altogether. I believe it was taken on my fifth birthday when Mother made a scrumptious apple pie for that occasion. “That’s me, Papa, and yes, that’s my mother.”, I pointed at the faces, letting Carmen take hold of the picture, she goggled at it, and I began to tell her about my family. If telling her so would make her feel better, making her see that she’s not alone if she’s missing her sweet departed loved ones. I could stay by her side you know. I cherished her in my own arms.

“Would you like to walk outside for a while?”

“I would love to.”, Carmen responded, showing me her spirited smile.

  She made me smile too, I got up to find my hat and scarf, I would bring along when we go out, but I needed to find a sweatshirt again. As I looked through my dresser for another round, I heard Carmen asked, I turned and saw her pointing at the framed photograph on my side table, asking where the man in the photo was now.

“Isn’t he your friend? Where is he now?”

He’s not just a friend. I made scant smile inside my head. I stopped searching and went to my side table, picking the picture up. George. How could Carmen and I forget him?

“He is away now to fulfill his plans and dreams.”, that was all I said, giving Carmen a soft pinch on the cheek, telling her to get ready. Carmen got up and smiled, I put the picture back on the table. “He’ll be back, I suppose.”