The Blind/Gangster

Chapter Two

Eunice Mariano

We walked to Mollie's house. We walked in a very uncomfortable way. She held my hand, wrapped her arms around my waist, and she was telling me every step of the way. "Yes.I know, I look like a blind person." I said in my mind while sighing every step of the way.

"We are almost there. ..wait, there's a rock, let me kick that for you. ..now there's a hump, just not that high but make a step, please, carefully. ..you might trip." She whispers.

"This is going to drive me crazy. I'm starting to reconsider living with my father. Everything around here is just wrong." I said in my mind while looking at Mollie. "This is all my mother's fault. And I am now regretting meeting Mollie."

"For the tenth time, I am not blind," I said, and rolled my eyes.

"Hush. We are already here." She said and stopped. I looked at the house and noticed its aesthetics. There was no gate, just a three-step walk to the front door. The door was colored maroon, there were bushes on the side of the staircase, and two windows on the sides of the door. The neighborhood had the same exact design and structure as the house Mollie owned. Mollie guided me up the three steps to the front door. I sighed, stepped one at a time, until we got inside. "Welcome to my humble house." She said and I looked around. It is a humble but a nice one. She's clean and neat. There's a white sofa in the living room, stairs on the side to the second floor, a toilet room, a TV, and a guest room, and a kitchen in front of the living room, with a square dining table. "Oh. Where are my manners? You can't see. Anyways..." She said and guided me to the guest room. "This will be your room."

"Okay." I whispered. It is a simple room, a small one, with a bed, a shower room, cabinets, and no windows. The only light in the room is from the ceiling.

"Okay. Now you should get settled in. There are three steps from the door to your bed, and from your bed there are three steps to your shower room..." She explains.

"I can't take it anymore, I want to hit her on her head. My patience is getting thinner, and she might be the first person I will kill. She may be my cousin but she is worse than my father's wife," I said in my mind while clenching my fist and deep breathing to keep myself calm. She explained all the unnecessary things to me while making me count my steps.

"You can stay here with us if you don't want to be with your father." Mollie said and looked at me in the eye for a second, but immediately turned away. "We can buy things for you to live here, if there is anything you want."

"Clothes," I answered. "I need clothes. I'm starting to feel disgusted with myself,"

"Sure. I actually have many brand new clothes, unused and I think would perfectly suit you well." Mollie answered and ran outside.

I sighed and shook my head. "Thank you for leaving me for a moment," I said, and walked over to the bed and noticed the telephone. I immediately picked it up and dialed my mother's phone number.

[Hello.]

"Of all the places you can think of, why in the world would you send me to the house of that man, Eldon Clemente?!"

[Address him properly, he's your father.]

"I hate it here!"

[That is just because you don't know them.]

"I hate that family! I hate his family!"

[Wait? Did you leave your father's house?]

I smirked and laughed. "Give me back my passport, my cards, and my contact lens." I said, with my mouth closed.

[Where are you?]

"Give me my lens! Mollie thought I was disabled! She thinks I'm blind!"

[So you are at Mollie's house.]

"Mom!"

[Eunice, you are already an adult, you can buy yourself a lens.]

"I have no money! The only money I have now is Eldon's money, which I am going to use to buy a plane ticket to America."

[You took your father's wallet?]

"So?"

[You can use that money then, you cannot even get here without your passport. So, just use that and buy yourself a different kind of contact lens if you want. And, please, return your father's wallet."

"Mom! Please, I don't want to be here! I hate it here! I don't like it here!"

[Oh. Please, Eunice, stop your whining, you are not a child anymore, and you are there only for what? 12 hours? And you want to get back here again?] Mother asked and laughed at the other end of the line. [You will stay there. As long as possible. I will give you my support. I will give you anything and everything you need to start a new life there.]

"What?!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. "You are useless! You will regret sending me here!" I shouted and slammed the phone down. My breathing deepens, and my heart is pounding like crazy because of anger. I sat beside the bed and tried to calm myself.

A few moments later, Mollie came back. "Here are your new clothes." She said and walked inside the room and put everything in the bed. "Okay, now..."

"Mollie," I called to stop her.

"Yes?" She asked and looked

"I can handle things from here," I said, and held her hand.

"What? What do you mean?"

"You can leave now, so that I can wash myself." I answered and smiled fakely at her.

"Okay." She responded and walked to the door. "If ever you need my help, you can just call or yell my name, and I will be right here. Okay?" She asked.

"Yeah. Sure." I answered and she left the room. I then looked at the clothes she brought. "These are nice," I said after seeing some of the nice things in the pile of clothes. "Mollie could be of use. Just not the talking part." I shook my head and started picking clothes to wear. I picked out an off-shoulder tube, mesh shirt, paired with denim shorts. She also gave me brand new underwear for my size.

After doing everything to clean myself. I sat down next to the telephone and dialed a number.

[Hello.]

"Hello."

[Eunice Mariano?]

"Yes. Kath Serrano."

[Where the hell are you?! You demon!]

I sighed and looked up at the ceiling. "My awesome mother, put me away, far from home."

[Where?]

"My father."

[The Philippines?]

"Yup."

[So far away. What are you planning? Are you going to do something about it?]

"Yeah. Actually, I am in the process of making a plan. I am going back."

[But? There's a but, right?]

"Yeah. I have nothing other than having that thought in my mind."

[What do you mean you have nothing?]

"I have nothing, no money, no phone, no lens, no home, but I am in a house, no friends, no proof of my living existence here, I am just here, a foreigner, an alien."

[Oh. You are such a pity.]

"Help me."

[I can't help you. Not without your papers, at least a birth certificate, but just so you know, Aron has been trying to dig up your papers, but it just keeps him in the loop.] She said. I sighed and looked down. I heard a sigh from her. [Eunice. Cheer up. You can just do what your mother wants.]

"And then what?"

[And then, we will do all we can to come to you.]

"What?"

[I miss you, I feel like you have been gone for a year now.]

"I don't understand."

[Let's just say, I am starting to get bored with our slaves here, I want a new one.]

"That is just the opposite of what my mother wants."

[I know. You can just play pretend, show your mother your angelic side, pretend to be blind, pretend to be weak.]

"You know what? My cousin is such an i***t genius." I said while smiling.

[Why?]

"She thought I was blind, even after so many times I told her I was not." I said, laughing. Kath laughed too.

[Then let it be.] She said. I paused and thought for a moment.

"Mother said that I should stay for as long as possible, and she will give me everything I want and need, and she will support me," I said in my mind.

"Okay."

[Okay. Good thing you are my friend.]

"I can't even do anything without you," I whispered.

[Hush now. I will spread the word to our men. You will have to do things there. You should know what we will need.]

"Like a house?" I asked.

[Yeah. Like a house. I don't want to live with your cousin.]

"Yeah. Me too."

[Okay then. It's settled. You wait for us there and hang on because we will be together again soon.]

"I can't wait," I said.

[Bye.]

"Bye." I said and put down the phone. I was about to get up, but the phone rang.

I picked up the telephone and put it in my ears. I didn't make a sound and I just listened.

[Hello?]

"Mother?"

[Yup. Eunice.]

"You called?"

[I was curious about your progress?]

"We just talked earlier."

[Yes. I know. But you are not pestering me. So, it feels new.]

I sighed. "Okay. I accept it."

[Accept what?]

"I said I would stay here in the Philippines."

[Good! Great! I'm so glad, Eunice.]

"But on a condition."

[What?]

"I don't want to live with Eldon's family."

[You know you are eating your word earlier? You dare say something about my regret? But why does it seem like you are the one who are regretting it?]

"I don't care. You told me that you would give me what I need."

[Okay. What do you want?]

"I want a house built for me, and designed by me."

[Okay. I will send someone there to satisfy you with your dream house.]

"Of course you should." I whispered.

[Is that all?]

"I need money."

[For what?]

"I need a new contact lens!" I shouted.

[You don't need to shout, I will send you money.]

"Okay."

[How's Mollie, by the way?]

"She's talkative."

[She needs to be more careful with you.]

"She is careful of me. And I hate it."

[Well. I have no words about her.] she said, laughing.

"I hate you."

[I love you, Eunice.] Mother said and I put the phone down.

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