One Big Family (Camren & Norminah)

Part 55: Fire burning

For a long pause Becky just stood there watching her son innocently play with her sister, Max's Aunt. It was very surreal moment. It had been a while since Becky had seen Vanessa in fact she hadn't seen her since she went to visit her parents a few months ago. There had been many times where Becky wanted to go back there to see her little sister but she didn't dare go back in fear of what her parents would do. Her parents were never physically abusive but they were cruel. Becky had just hoped that her parents had changed at least a little and didn't treat Vanessa the way they treated her.

"Bec, do you want me to go get him?" Hannah hesitantly asked.

"I...I don't know what to do." Becky admitted.

"She looks a lot like you." Hannah quietly spoke as the two watched on.

Before they could even really form a plan Max and Vanessa were heading their way and before she knew it her little sister was standing right there in front of her.

"Mom, Ma this is Vanessa she's my friend and guess what we have the same last name! How weird is that?" Max told them excitedly.

"Imagine that...Hi Vanessa I'm Hannah." Hannah laughed nervously.

"It's nice to meet you ma'am. I remember you." Vanessa smiled as she looked towards Becky.

Becky just nodded and gave her a small smile.

"So Vanessa are you here on your own?" Hannah asked to break the weird tension.

"No ma'am my baby sitter is over there." Vanessa replied politely as she pointed towards an older woman sitting by the trees.

"Jackie?" Becky muttered in surprise.

Back when Becky was a little girl her parents were far too busy to watch over her so they had their next door neighbour Jackie look after her sometimes. She wasn't what you would call an ideal babysitter. Her husband died in a car accident a few months before she started looking after Becky which turned her into a bitter woman hating the world for taking her man away. Even though she was no ball of sunshine she wasn't a complete tyrant. Sometimes she would give Becky sweets and let her watch cartoons and she would always let her go off to the park when she wanted to but mostly Jackie just ignored her like her parents did. Becky had always wondered what happened to her or if she knew why Becky had suddenly gone. When Becky turned 10 Jackie had stopped looking after her because her parents figured she was old enough to look after herself now. That was the last she ever really saw of Jackie.

"You know her name?" Vanessa asked in surprise.

"Oh...um, yeah I...I know her from somewhere." Becky quickly replied.

"Would you like me to bring her over so you can say hello?" Vanessa asked.

"No, no that's...that's fine." Becky laughed nervously.

"Ok...well I better go my parents don't like it when I'm late." Vanessa informed them with a hint of sadness. She really didn't want to go home just yet, she wanted to stay and play.

Becky really didn't want her to go she wanted her to stay but there was really nothing she could do or say without confusing the poor girl and causing trouble for her. That was the last thing she wanted to do. Becky knew all too well how her parents would react if they knew she was in contact with Vanessa.

"I had fun playing with you Max, hopefully we'll get to see each other again." Vanessa quietly told the blonde haired boy.

"Me too! And I could show you my horror comics I was telling you about." Max smiled brightly.

"Goodbye Mrs. And Mrs. Marshall." Vanessa gave them a small wave.

"Bye Vanessa, it was nice meeting you." Hannah smiled back.