After that, time seemed to fly…
Before I knew it mother was nine months pregnant.
She wasn't in any conditions to work anymore.
So the responsibilities fell on me to take care of her around the house.
Luckily father had been sending us portions of his earnings each month.
They were a massive help.
It was enough for my mother to finally quit her gruelling old job.
Since I was staying inside to help her.
I used to hear it every single day…
…the joyful shouts and laughter of children playing outside.
Having the best absolut times of their lives.
I broke my rule and used to stare at the windows for hours.
Watching them run through the cobblestone streets.
It hurt, but I had to stay strong, after all I did make a promise to daddy.
One morning mother caught me staring outside the glass window.
The reason she kept me inside was because an accident had happened when she was a still a child she had lost her best friend... to the slums, they found her dead, lying on the cobblestone floor the in the streets outside. That day she locked herself in, until she met my dad after he was hired to fix their family's broken sink.
She viewed the slums as dangerous, ever since.
But seeing me looking outside every day and aging.
Pained her deeply.
She walked up behind me and spoke.
"Gloria it's fine you can… go outside today."
"Really?"
I asked her with shock.
Then I looked at her growing stomach.
"What about the baby?"
I was worried.
"Don't worry at about that. I can take care of myself and the baby. I did after all give birth to you as well, you know?"
A million different emotions hit me all at once.
I didn't waste a single breath before wrapping my arms around her waist.
Embracing her tightly as I humanly could.
When I finally went outside for the first time in my life.
I was scared and incredibly nervous at first.
But the neighbourhood kids surprised me—they welcomed me with open arms.
From then on a natural routine formed.
I played outside but I always made time sure to rush back and take care of my mother the absolute second she needed help.
Until one bitter winter day.
She was entirely alone inside the house.
Completely unaware that her water was about to break early.
When it happened the pain was severe she couldn't move.
She screamed my name over and over but…
…no one came.
I wasn't there at the time.
I was still playing with the new friends I had made.
Completely oblivious.
She was totally alone.
But, luckily one of the neighbours had heard.
A close friend of my mother Martha, happened to hear her frantic cries just in time.
She rushed in to assist.
Then immediately sent one of her kids to find me.
He practically looked everywhere.
The moment the boy burst into the town square and told me everything.
My heart dropped.
We all rushed back immediately.
My mind racing with what if's.
When we finally arrived.
I threw the front door open.
Panting for air when I saw her lying on the mattress in a utterly fatigued, exhausted state.
But when she turned to see my terrified face.
She just let out a weak teasing smile.
"Your late."
She said, cradling the little one who turned out to be a boy, a healthy baby boy.
Right in her arms.
I scrambled to her bedside.
While the other children stood outside the door.
"Is the baby alright?"
I begged.
She looked up at me with the warmest and most radiant expression I had ever seen on her face.
"If you mean your new little sister and brother are okay, then yes."
My eyes shone with a profound, lingering awe.
The kids outside seem to lite up.
"You can come in too."
My mother said.
Warmly, they came in and stopped beside me.
"Twins?"
Meanwhile, Miss Martha was gently rocking the other infant wrapped in a warm a warm blanket.
She looked up at my frantic, wide eye expression.
Smiled warmly and gestured towards me.
Then she asked me.
"Do you want to hold your little sister, Gloria?"
***
It wasn't long after my mother fully recovered.
With daddy's steady wages and the extra income.
She even found a lighter, better job.
For the first time in our lives.
We actually had enough money to hire a housemaid to help out.
Her name was Enola Wilson, she was in her early twenties.
She was an absolute angle.
She took care of the babies and she seemed to take a special, protective liking to my little sister, Luna.
Ofcourse I helped around the house as much as I could too.
My friends would usually visit me to see the little twins.
I used to play with my little brother, Leo all the time.
He was a bit of a handful—always squirming—but we got along just fine.
When he would cry when I left to play.
He would always immediately calm down when he saw my face.
I was especially excited during that day because we had finally received a long awaited letter from papa.
I can still remember the words written in his clean, and neat handwriting:
'I hope this letter finds you well. After so much time had passed, I finally get to see your beautiful faces. And I read from the letter that you sent me that you safely delivered the baby or… should I say my two little miracles.
I was so delighted when I found out there were twins, that me and the others here celebrated. Anyways the reason I wrote this is because my contract nearing it's end and I am finally about to return home.
That's right— tomorrow I'll be seeing your faces once more and we can all be a family again old and new. I don't how long my stay will be, but it doesn't matter if I get to see your smiles.'
After I read that letter, I was incredibly overjoyed.
As a nine yer old.
I could barely contain my eagerness.
I stayed up all night preparing what I was going to say.
Then… when the day of arrival came.
I ran to the living room.
My mother was standing by the window.
Holding a fresh, different piece of paper.
I ran up to her, my heart racing.
"Mom, what's wrong? Is that another letter from daddy? Did it specify exactly what time will he be arriving at?"
But she was entirely silent.
She just stood there staring blankly at the ink.
Then slowly wiped away a stray tear from her cheek.
"What's… wrong…?"
I begged, the first seed of panic planting itself in my chest.
Evelyn was standing right next to her.
Her face was completely pale.
She stayed silent and looked down at me with a look of pity.
Then mother finally spoke.
Her voice dead.
"Your father won't be coming back today."
Everything in the world went completely silent for a moment.
I didn't have the capacity to even process the words.
A tight suffocating pain flared in my chest, making it hard to even breathe.
But… looking at how broken my mother looked… I forced a tight smile.
I looked up at her spoke.
"It's okay, mother I know how busy daddy is… after all he works so hard to make sure that our lives are good. So… it's okay."
Although the words came out of my mouth.
My soul completely refused to believe them.
But I had to stay strong for mother… and Luna and Leo.
I couldn't break down infront of them.
"Oh, Miss Gloria… that's…"
Evelyn stammered from the side.
Placing both her hands on her mouth.
Before I could say another word.
Thud-!
Mother suddenly dropped to her knees.
Her arms wrapped around around my small frame.
Enveloping me in a desperate, crushing embrace.
She brushed her face into my shoulder.
Crying her eyes out.
Her body shaking with loud, agonising sobs.
It had seemed that all this time.
She had missed him just as much as I did.
This time… I was not the fragile child who was breaking.
This time it was my strong… unbreakable mother…
…and this time I was the one who comforted her.