SHATTERED

╣ELEVEN╠

     Trudging through the pile of snow on the sidewalk, Ethel climbed the stairs to the porch of her former home. She wanted to go back home to tell Miss Sebastian that she didn't see them but she fought the urge to do so. She knocked gently on the door but no one answered, she knocked again, still no reply. She tried peering through the window to see if she could see anyone or hear any voice  but she didn't see or hear anything. She stood on the porch for some time and then sat on the wooden chair on the porch. She saw her former neighbour walking towards her direction.
“Ethel!” her neighbour called her, surprised.
Ethel stood up from the chair she sat into greet her.
“Good morning, Mrs McKinley!” Ethel smiled.
“Good morning, how are you? You've grown. Look at how tall you are.” Mrs McKinley looked at her from head to toe.
“I am well and you?”
“Great! You're looking beautiful.”
“Thank you. Um… how is Jessica and Monica doing?”
“They're doing fine. Those two girls, they've grown tall too. They'll be celebrating their tenth birthday on December 29th, they went to spend Christmas with their grandparent, I'll be joining them tomorrow.”
“Good to hear, I really missed them.”
Mrs McKinley moved closer to the porch stairs, resting her hand on the porch railing. “So what brought you here?”
“I was thinking of inviting my family over for christmas.” she said as her eyes darted from Mrs McKinley to the door.
“Aw, that's so sweet of you. But your parents moved out yesterday.”
“Yesterday?!” Ethel's jaw dropped.
“Yes.”
“Do you have any idea where they went to?”
“No”
“Why did they leave?”
“I don't know your mother didn't tell me, I just saw them packing their things and then they left.”
“They left without informing me?” Ethel shook her head bewildered.
“Ethel, can I ask you a question, why did you leave home?”
“I left because I wanted to be away from my stepfather.” she said looking away from Mrs McKinley.
“Do you like where you stay?”
“Yeah, I do,” she said and came down the porch stairs. “and I'm safer there… I have to go now.” she said tucking her already cold hand in her wool jacket.
“Okay… Enjoy your Christmas, bye.” Mrs McKinley waved as Ethel started down the road.

                  ➰➿➰

“Rex, you haven't told me why we moved out of our former house in London to come all the way down here to Cambridge?” Thelma said as she took out the last box containing their shoes from the boot. They had arrived at their new home in Cambridge, very late in the night so they left their belongings in the boot till this morning because they were very tired. The house was a small bungalow, compared to the duplex they where living before in London,
“’Cause I wanted to.” Rex said as he took the box from her, walking into the house.
“You didn't even give me the chance to say goodbye to Ethel.”  Thelma said following him into the house.
“She wouldn't even want to see you,” he said dropping the box noisily on the table in the kitchen. He took her hand, caressing her cheeks “Don't you like it you are away from her troubles and the memories you had in London?”
Thelma jerked his hand away from her face, yelling, “No! She is my daughter, don't you understand?!”
“Fine!” he yelled back at her and walked into the room, slamming the door shut.
“Mum,” Eleanor said. Thelma turned to see Eleanor standing at the entrance of the kitchen. She had been sleeping on the couch. Probably, the noise made by the rattling sound of the door woke her up.
“Oh my baby, you're awake already.” Thelma lifted her up, carrying her.
“Mum why did we have to leave?” Thelma took her little hands and kissed it.
“We left our former house so that we can give you a better life?”
“I am going to miss all my friends in school and in the neighborhood.”
“Yeah, I know baby and I'm sorry about that. Don't worry you are going to make new friends in your new school and in this neighborhood.” she said and kissed her forehead.
Eleanor smiled and kissed her mother's forehead.
“I love you mama.” she said
“I love you more.” Thelma said, looking into her daughter's green eyes.
“No, I love you more.”
“No! I love you more, more…”
“No, I love you more, more, more, more, more, more…” she said and Thelma tickled her laughing.

                   ➰➿➰

THREE MONTHS LATER.

      Blinking back tears, Thelma snatched the divorce papers from Rex's hand.
“Please, sign it.” Rex told her.
“Why do you want a divorce? Why?” she said stifling a sob.
“I no longer want a relationship with you.” Rex told her plainly.
“Why, Rex? Don't you love me?” she said her lips trembling.
“I do, but… but, we can't work together, our marriage can't work.”he sighed deeply taking his hand through his black hair.
“We can work Rex… we can.” she moved closer to him taking his hand in hers.
“No! Thelma, I lied to you… I am married Thelma, it's true Melanie is my wife, we have three children– Davis, Travis and Mavis, all triplet… I am sorry.” he confessed, tears glistening in his eyes.
     Thelma gaped,  she felt her heart shattering into pieces. She found it difficult to breathe and swallow pass the lump that had form in her throat, “It's not true” she muttered, tears trickling down her cheeks.
“It's the truth thelma. I am so sorry for being a liar all this years… I told you I wasn't married and all… but those were lies…” he cried.
“Are there more you need to tell me? What about my daughter?” She said in fury.
“I don't know!”
“After all this years Rex, after all this years!” she yelled shaking her head. “I trusted you with my soul but what did you do? You broke my heart, all the shattered pieces of my life I was trying to fix you destroyed it,” she cried.
“So, what are you planning on doing now, go back to your family?”
“Yes” Rex twisted the wedding ring on his ring finger, pulling it off. He leaned closer to her kissing her on the cheek and then walked over to the kitchen counter to place his ring on it.
“We shall meet in court.” he said before leaving the house.
      Plopping herself on the couch, Thelma bowed her head supporting it with her palm and her elbow resting on her lap. She didn't know what to do, either to scream or cry. She was confused.