MAYA

gone

FOUR

THE HOUSE felt terrifyingly empty. More often than not, Maya's father was gone. He slept at their summer house whilst Maya was left to pick up the shreds that were her mother. And as the clock ticked by, Maya felt her emotions slip away with each second that passed.

"Your father has gone mad," her mother said, pacing the kitchen as she stared at Maya with tears in her eyes. "He just left me to take care of this house all by myself while he starts fresh."

Maya didn't say anything. What could she say?

"I sacrificed eight years of my life to stay home with you children so that he could build his career."

Her mother started crying and Maya felt helpless. Hopeless.

"I think he has feelings somewhere else," her mother softly said, her tears thinning.

Maya snapped her eyes to meet her mothers, "You can't be sure of that."


Her mother didn't say anything, and Maya was relieved when she walked down the stairs to her bedroom. It wasn't the first time her mother had told her those exact words, and each time she sounded angrier than the previous.

Maya didn't want to hate her father, but every time her mother spoke ill of him she could feel her resentment for him growing. Because Maya did feel abandoned, and she did feel angry. But in a way, she was also glad that her parents were separating. Because she knew that in the long run, they would both feel happier than being stuck in a one-sided marriage.

But, Maya didn't feel happy. She didn't feel sad either. When it came to her parents, she didn't want to feel anything. The only thing she dimly felt was anxiousness over what her siblings were dealing with, because they were taking it harder than her.

"Are you all right?" Maya asked her little sister, her thin frame enveloped by a soft robe. A couple of months ago, the robe had sat much tighter on her body. That was before her parents divorce.

"Yes." was the only reply Maya got before her sister walked out of the kitchen and into her room, shutting the door. It broke her heart to see her once joyful sister so closed up, and she was sure that her sister felt the same about her.

They were a broken bunch – but Maya still didn't wish for it to go back to the way it had been.