Avelina walked down the empty street, and for some unknown reason, it did not feel as safe as usual. Why was that? Was it because she was holding a bundle of cash in a bag?
In fact, it felt like she needed to walk fast, as that might be better than just walking normally.
She had never cared before, and even the beggars never asked her for money, since they knew she did not have any. So, she never had to bother.
Yet tonight, she felt scared. What if her parents got suspicious? How did she suddenly have such money? She had no job, and that alone was suspicious. Living in a very strict home said enough.
"Calm down Lina no one would take it" she whispered to herself as if that would call her racing heart.
For tonight's sale, she told her parents she was heading to a friend's house for a strict reading session. Staying at home would have meant endless distractions from her siblings' yelling and shouting, so the excuse was enough to finally make her parents agree.
At this age and time, it felt strange that a twenty-year-old still had to ask her parents for permission.
She sighed as she finally reached a wooden door. In front of her sat a small house—not too big—with the wooden main door a sharp contrast to the other houses door on the street. Even though the neighborhood was filled with many middle-class people who weren't very rich, they were considered the "not well-to-do." And even if she knew full well that people meant something else by that, she chose not to argue. Arguing would only bring more insults.
She moved forward and knocked on the door. Just as she expected, her little brother screamed.
They were three children in total: Avelina, a little boy, and a girl.
"Mother! Avelina is home, and she wants to break the door!" her ten-year-old brother shouted from inside.
Avelina's lips parted. She knew her brother was really good at exaggerating. She simply rolled her eyes as she heard the sound of the padlock turning. Not long after, the door opened, and there stood her brother.
"Who said I was going to break the door?" Avelina asked, ruffling Alor's hair. He quickly raised his hands to push hers away, trying to fix his silver hair—which was just like hers.
"Sister Lina, I just had a haircut," he groaned, his eyes flicking to the bag as if searching for snacks. Still curious, he closed the door behind her.
The sweet smell of food wafted from the kitchen, and Avelina's mouth watered. Her stomach growled—she really needed this more than anything. And there was no denying it, it was her mother's cooking. As usual, her mother cooked while her father sat in the parlor reading the newspaper.
"Sister Lina, what did you bring for us?" Alor finally asked as he moved to grab the bag. He wondered if she had bought goodies and was planning to eat them when everyone was asleep.
But before he could touch it, Avelina raised the bag up, surprising him. Normally, she let him grab any bag she brought home. If he found snacks inside, he would take them; if not, he returned the bag. But now, she looked serious.
"Dinner time!"
Their mother's voice rang out. Avelina managed a small smile. She knew her brother would snitch if he saw this, and that was exactly why she wanted to take the law into her own hands and keep it to herself. She would handle all the payments. If she showed her parents the money, they would never accept it. So, it was better to take the risk.
"Go. Mother is calling," she said. He nodded and left, though his face still looked suspicious.
Avelina sighed…her mother had unknowingly saved her.
She walked to her room, or rather, her small, tiny room. Pushing the door open, she glanced at the doorframe. Her door had no lock; in fact, it could not even close properly.
She slid the bag under her wooden bed and sat down, staring at her torn bedsheet with a long sigh.
Her room was the kind of space a claustrophobic person could never stay in—tiny, but just enough to hold a small bed where she laid, a chair and table, and one big bag where she kept her folded clothes. They had no wardrobes.
She leaned down to check if she had tucked the bag in well. Maybe, at midnight, when everyone was asleep, she could count the cash. Now wasn't safe. But just as she moved to sit on the bed, the door opened.
"Alor!" she yelled, glaring at him. "What did I tell you about knocking?"
He gave her a pointed look, his shoulders sagging slightly.
"But the door is broken. Knocking is like pushing it open but with extra effort," he said, earning another glare from her.
"Sorry. I'll knock next time," he added quickly.
A smile tugged at Avelina's lips as she stood and walked to him. Even though her little brother could be annoying, she loved him deeply—with all her heart.
"Mother said you should come for dinner," he said. She nodded with a smile and decided to follow him. Staying back would only look more suspicious. It was better to go.
They walked to the small parlor, where her mother and father were already seated at the dining table.
"Good evening, Mother. Father. Where is Ella?" she asked, referring to her sister as she looked around. Normally, Ella was the first at the table.
Avelina's mother had brown hair and green eyes, just like Ava, her little sister. Her father was bald, but his silver hair was what she and Alor had inherited or so they though not like they had ever seen him with hair.
"She ate early. The doctor said she should sleep early for better health, right now she is asleep in my room," her mother replied.
Avelina nodded, taking her seat as Alor slid into his. Her mouth watered at the sight of the dishes. Even though they were poor, her mother's cooking never failed. She always made sure they had enough to eat, unlike her father, who was unemployed and unwilling to change. Thanks to the farm in their backyard, her mother kept them afloat.
"Let's pray," her father said. They all nodded, and Avelina prayed as usual. Then they began to eat.
Normally, they would talk and laugh at the table, but tonight was unusually quiet. Even Alor, who was always the loudest, said nothing. Something was off—really off. Avelina noticed the way her mother kept giving her father a stare.
Her father cleared his throat just as she was about to eat a piece of meat. But before he could speak, Alor interrupted.
"Mother, Sister Lina has taken more than two pieces of meat. We're supposed to share them evenly!" he complained, glaring at his half and only piece he had been saving.
"Let her be. Remember, she's writing exams and will need lots of strength," their mother said gently.
Alor glared at Avelina, who only stuck her tongue out with food in her mouth.
"Mother, see? Very unethical!" he said, pointing at her with annoyance.
Avelina chuckled, but their mother only smiled softly and slid her own piece of meat onto Alor's plate. His frown instantly turned into a smile as he stuck out his tongue back at his sister who playfully rolled her eyes.
Her father cleared his throat once more. The room fell silent.
"Lina," he began, his tone heavy. "As you know, your mother and I are struggling. Things have been quite hard."
Avelina's heart began to race. Whenever her parents repeated their struggles out loud, it always meant something she wouldn't like was coming. Still, she waited.
"After much consideration," her father continued, "we came to a conclusion."
Her mother added with a soft smile, "You will be going to a reverend school."
The fork slipped from Avelina's hand. Her body stilled, shivers running down her spine.
How was she going to tell her parents that she was already married—not just to anyone, but to a stranger she had just met?