Magnus pauses the food serving.
"What the hell?" He pauses, looking dreadfully at her.
"I ran and never spoke to her again." She wipes a tear.
Magnus hugs her. "I'm so sorry"
"She liked you", she sniffles, "You and Henry… back then"
He gasps, eyes widening in shock. He withdraws from the hug and stares in disbelief.
Elaine looks down, rubbing her elbows, "Nobody knows this but she kidnapped Henry about eight years ago and tortured him to become her boyfriend", she inhales, "…he never did it. I just assume that's what has made him the bully he is today"
Magnus places an arm on her shoulder, "You've been through so much Elaine… and you're strong", he raises her chin, "that's a good thing so he proud of it"
Her eyes, wet and vulnerable find themselves in the comfort of Magnus' gaze.
Anthemon overhears everything and tiptoes back to Sabine. She sees her from a whole different perspective once again. A bit of the initial perspective creeps in, waiting to grow as a fungus, as long as conditions become favourable.
It's nighttime. Henry calls Julia but doesn't reach her. Scrolling through his contacts, he contacts, he comes across Elaine's.
He pulls his blanket over himself and calls her.
"Henry?"
"Elaine hi"
"Umm hi, what's going on?"
"Yeah, I know it's late but… I think your girls are messing with me"
"Yeah? Could you elaborate?"
"You mean…" he chuckles, quite confused, "You don't know what I'm talking about?"
"Well, I've not been around them for a while" she pauses, concerned, "Is everything okay?"
Henry sighs.
"I think Julia and Ava are trying to play some sick joke on me. First, Julia used to threaten me to bring back their money and all but now, some hours ago, she called and told me it was okay. She said Ava had handled everything. I thanked Ava, right? Cuz, I mean, why not?", he chuckles.
"Yeah, I get it"
"And about two hours after, Ms. Blabbermouth Margot Winters calls me, warning me that I better bring the money or else"
"That's not right. Besides, Ava isn't one to joke around like that"
"Please help me get to the bottom of this"
"Don't worry… okay, bye!"
In Anthemon's room, she sits, arms around her knees, just thinking. She didn't really know what to do with the information she had acquired. Her mind was casted back into the awkward walk between her and Sabine after the whole incident. Sabine had lied about texting someone. Sabine had mentioned the name of her mum on the spot without even having met her before. Sabine's behaviour when she was a girlfriend to Magnus was different from now. Could it be possible that she was the only friend in Sabine's life? But that did not excuse this news. Sabine kidnapped Henry. Sabine has a coffin of body parts in her house. Who knows what she'd find out next? She wanted to confront Ms. Felicia about the phone call she overheard with her parents but that would be disrespectful.
A knock sounds, followed by the entrance of tall dark bald man in suit. Mr. Jonathan Tane. Anthemon slowly turns her head to face her father.
"Hey, there's an emergency at work and I have to go", he walks toward her.
"Mm", she places her head back between her knees.
He takes a seat at the edge of the bed, raises her chin and places his phone down. Wiping her tears with a thumb, he smiles.
"I know growing isn't easy and I believe you have a good reason for being late home today but don't let whatever is happening in your life beat you up."
She nods at this and looks down subtly on her bed, a notification appears on her father's screen from 'Sec. Mary Lin' and it read, 'Hey babe! I'm ready"
On the dimly lit streets, the old man and woman from the cabin walk toward Elaine's house. Cricket's cries scatter across the area as a cold street light flickers.
"It's a really bad idea to be coming here at such a time" the old woman suggests.
"Oh sweetie pie! You said you wouldn't let me come here alone… deal with it" he sucks air through his teeth. She sighs.
He places an arm over her, "We might be old but not weak and you of all the damsels..", she blushes at this, "…should know that"
"Really? Of all the damsels? I am the only damsel" she shakes her head, "Ugh I shouldn't have shown you this place, honestly", her end-curling hair sways, bringing out abundant streaks of gray.
"Oh! We're here" she quickens her steps to the door. She pauses, seeing her husband at a distance, his shadow dim under the flickering street lights. Groaning, she gestures with her hands for him to be faster. He high five's the air, mouthing a 'wait', still quite greasy in his steps.
"Hey don't you think we should come by tomorrow morning?" he rests his hand on a pillar which extended into a wall leading to the door, above a couple of steps.
"No silly! They got to work and that girl would've gone to school"
"But think about it, she has parents and do you seriously think they'd be happy receiving strangers by this time?"
"This apple also didn't fall so far from the tree"
"Ha, ha how many apples have you had?"
She sighs, "Your father also didn't like these risk taking"
He reminisces about their marriage, taking steps back as his eyes well up with tears. She follows behind him silently, giving the house's door one last look before leaving.
Just then, Elaine peeps out her window and sees them walking. She shrugs and assumes they were just passing by.
Anthemon has her head up the wall, her legs outstretched on her bed. Her dad's notification flashed in her mind. That felt impossible to happen but it was actually happening. The family had the façade of perfection but imperfection had imprisoned it in every way. Paula Serwaa Tane, her younger sister had been ignoring her for the longest time it took to remember their childhood.
A knock sounds. Anthemon takes a lazy look at the door in the dark room. That white door. Where it all began. That warmth. That caress. That touch. Those lips. That kiss.
The knock sounds again.
She stammers, "come in." The door creaks open to reveal a slightly short female, walking toward Anthemon. Silent.
"Yeah, can you at least shut the door?"
The figure does so.
It was still dark.
"Sa-Sabine?" she shifts uncomfortably on her bed. The footsteps drew closer. A light chuckle echoes in the room. Paralysis held Anthemon by the hand. The conversation she had heard from Magnus and Elaine came playing back. Her heart thumps harder. Short bursts bass up in her eardrums. The air starts to feel heavy. She gasps lightly, immediately snapping back to life. She turns on the light switch next to her.
"Ah!" the person covers her face with her palm, the other outstretched to the light source. She was dark, fairly short and had beautiful hair. Anthemon tilts her head, examining the person.
"Paula" she sighs upward, "Oh God! It's you."
She's relieved but this relief turns into a frown, "It's you"
Her voice grew darker.
"Whoa calm down"
"Oh now you're ready to talk?" Anthemon asks angrily.
"Well it's not my fault you don't like mum's culture"
"Tell me about it", she rolls her eyes, "Ugh!"
"Look, we shouldn't have fought like that"
"How about you actually say the needful?... Mum's perfect child"
Paula is silent at this. She rubs her elbow, looking down.
"I'm.. I'm.. sor—"
"Yeah I thought so. You know what?", Anthemon tuts, "Mum and Dad give you all the attention just because you're interested in Ghanaian culture. Paula, we fight all the time but for you," she points furiously, "to have pulled that relationship-damaging card to push me into the dark was just over the bar."
"I said I'm sorry", she looks at Anthemon, genuinely sad, broken, but Anthemon doesn't meet her gaze. "I did that because, I thought if I got validation from mum and Dad, I'd feel good about myself and I would've finally won the fight between us."
She throws her arms in the air, frustrated by Anthemon's silence. "Look, I'm really sorry"
"You know what you said that pains me the most?" Anthemon narrows her eyes, starting to mimic Paula's voice, "'Oh don't mind Anthemon, she doesn't care about our Ghanaian roots' Really Paula? REALLY?!"
Paula looks down. She knew this day would come. The big sister apocalypse. A part of her knew her sister spoke from a hybrid of love and pain. What she did was not fair.
"Ugh you're so… you're so fake Paula"
Paula gasps at this stinging statement. It felt like Caesarian Section with a blade. It felt like a deep wound was being stitched with no anaesthetic. Painful but worth it for your own good.
She whispers a tear-choking, "I know"
"Really? Do you? You put on layers, heaps, piles, loads and bundles of make up. Pore-blocking, skin-irritating, complexion-discolouring stacks of make-up." Anthemon's patience was an endless ocean now turned to a desert. Aside that she knew what she said hurt but she meant it. She saw how fragile her sister looked but… "All, all of that! Just to get the G. Girls to see…" she points, "…you"
Paula falls to her knees, face buried in her palms. She sobs. The kind an individual would do when the get denied a job offer for, not the third time, but the tenth. Anthemon's face grows light, getting off her bed. Squatting right in front of her sister, she gently takes off her palms from her face. They felt warm. Paul's eyes were red which did not in anyway compliment her dark skin. Her face, twisted from pure rage. "I hate you" she gnashes her teeth, her head vibrating. Hot tears had painted her face. Anthemon squeezes her palms softly, "You don't need mum or me… or the G. Girls to feel validated." She whispers affectionately.
"You're beautiful just the way you are with only the lipstick"
Paula chuckles at this slightly, recovering from rage.
Anthemon wipes a tear, cupping her face in one hand.
"You're beautiful in every way and I love you"
Anthemon hugs her and she does same, melting into the comfort of her big sister.
In Henry's room, his door is closed and he tries to doze off but he tosses and turns, sleep just refuses to obey his command. Soughing, he slams both fists on the bed. The gossip girls were messing around with him and Elaine herself was probably in on it too. He sat in the dark silence, embracing the warmth from his blanket. He felt lost, almost like the God of Heaven himself was against him. He sat up. He sat thinking of the masked figure that came for Amanda's money. Who was Amanda anyway? Something felt off with the whole deal. Not to talk about the sudden closure of the website itself. It was fishy, maybe too fishy but he had three hundred dollars to think about for his school fees. Suddenly, the swings open and there stood his father, buff almost like himself and furious. He stomps toward Henry who acted asleep. "I told you to always leave the door open young man."
Slap!
Henry winces from pain, presumably awakening instantly. An earth quaking slap was landed by his father on Henry's back. That force could've paralyzed Henry. His spine thumped in pain. He grunts.
"I'm sorry… father" he sits upright, his arm reaching out to his back.
His father was just that parent. He remains silent, inwardly fuming. He walks over to the light switch. Turning it on, he sees tears racing down Henry Cladwells's light bronze skinned face.
"Your brother is coming tomorrow. You better not show him this salty side of yours" he says sternly, hands still on the switch, "Show him what a sweet boy you've become", he smiles through his gray beard and mustache.
Henry mutters, "Psycho, Do you only care about Ethan? Do you even care about me?"
"What did you say?", his father gnashes his teeth, grunting. His face scrunches up in monstrous fury.