Indoors episode 19 – 20
Indoors
EPISODE 19
*
The family meeting ended that afternoon with Laura in a really bad mood. She tried all she could to try talking to her stubborn neighbor but he was too adamant to listen. Nothing she said made sense to him. He seemed to be so self centered. This got her really baffled. Of course, there was no other choice for her but to accept his condition.
“Fine. You want your children to be in the dark, it is fine by me. I have nothing to do with a family of this kind anymore ” She had confronted him with a hurtful look. That was the last time the two families came together. Emerald saw this as a flaw to her plans since she still needed Gerald. She needed means to call the girl’s bluff without her father being around to stop her but she had no means of doing that. The treats she’d promised the young boy couldn’t be given. There was a straight imaginary line drawn between the two houses that none of the two families members is to cross. This hadn’t affected the parents as much as it affected Becky. She felt really hurt losing a friend she had just found. She tried all she could talking to her mum but couldn’t convince her in anyway.
*
The twins weren’t convinced on what was actually happening. They wished they could speak about it with their father but the fear of him stopped them. As if their dad read their minds, he came into their room that night in his pajamas with his usual strict look.
“None of you is to speak with the neighbor’s children anymore. Not in school or at home. Understood? ” The children gave him a blank stare. They clearly didn’t understand.
“Why dad?” Felicia asked.
“DIDN’T YOU SEE WHAT HER USELESS SON DID TO YOU TODAY YOU STUPID GIRL?! ” He yelled at her on top of his hoarse voice causing her to tremble. “He has no shame at all. How could he have caused you to be scared like that? No sensible child ever does that”
“I am sorry daddy” She apologized hoping he stops yelling. Her ears are hurting.
“Don’t speak to any of his children….for as long as you live or you will regret disobeying me” He warned pointing his index finger at her with a squeezed face. She nodded promptly. He gave them both one more sharp stare before walking out with heavy footsteps shutting the room door bang.
“That is it. We have to obey” Felix spoke breaking the silence which was beginning to build up between them.
“Gregory is a really bad boy. He is so bad. But Becky has been such a nice girl too. She seem to be the only girl who cares about me in school”
“So what do you want to do? Disobey dad? ”
“No. I don’t want to disobey him but I see sense in what Aunty Laura said. We can’t be all by ourselves all the time. You see, she had said Becky knew about her brother’s plan. If I had not avoided her today, she would have told me”
“You want to make her your friend? ”
“Yes. She is the only one willing to be my friend. In that big school, I can’t be all by myself. I need her” She explained causing him to think. “You should make a friend too Felix. I know dad is against this but we just have to try. We can’t snob people anymore. Let’s do this”
*
The pupils walked into the class with jovial looks on their faces ready for the new day. Felicia wasn’t an exception. She seemed to be in a good mood that day and this got her classmates confused. They’d never seen her looking excited before. She always loved being by herself and that was what they knew her for. Becky walked in and sat slowly beside her not saying a word. She didn’t bother to turn toward her direction a but. She looked like she was in a very bad mood. The young girl wouldn’t be surprised if it was due to the previous family fight.
“Hi Becky! ” Felicia greeted grinning really big. Becky got astonished and turned toward her direction hoping she had just heard right. She tries speaking but couldn’t. “Becky, I love your hair pin. Is it a gift from your mother?” She went on.
“I am dreaming. Felicia will never speak to me” Becky said to herself not ready to believe the young girl had really stepped out of her comfort zone.
“I am really the one speaking Becky. You are not dreaming. Can I see your hair pin? ” She asked stretching out her palm. Becky did as she said still in shock.
“I love this kind. It is exactly like the one my mum usually get me on my birthdays ” She confessed handing it back to her.
“Why are you speaking to me Felicia? Our parents warned us not to speak to each other.”she reminded her hoping she hadn’t gone crazy.
“Well, it should be Gerald I shouldn’t be speaking to not you. You have never hurt me since we first met each other. Why will I fight with you? ”
“I don’t get it. Do you want to be my friend now? ” she asked.
“Yes Becky. I don’t want to fight with anyone at all especially when you haven’t done anything to me. I want you to be my only friend in school and no one else” Becky smiled in hearing this. She felt really proud of herself as if she had just performed an impossible task.
“I can’t believe you finally decided to be my friend. I have always wanted to be your friend. Okay. Okay. We will play together during break ” She suggested still so excited.
“No. No. We will study instead ”
“Study? Why do you like studying? ”
“That’s why I top the class in my former school. I love studying a lot. My mum always told me that for one to gain something one has to sacrifice a lots of things”
“My mum never told me that. Your mum must be a really intelligent woman. But she is strange you know. I don’t like the way she yells at you” Becky confessed rolling her eyes. Felicia gro-ned in disgust realizing she meant Felicia.
“Not Aunt Emerald. No way she is my mum. I mean my real mum, Mrs Lisa James. She is the only mum I know and no one else”
“Good. I was already thinking she was your mum. I hate her a lot! ”
“She is so ugly” Felicia whispered into her ear causing them both to laugh.
“You’re fun Felicia. Friends only in school right? ”
“Yes of course but Gerald shouldn’t know about this”
“Promise ”
EPISODE 20
*
The friendsh¡p between the two girls seemed to have benefited them perfectly well. They shared most secrets with each other and spent their time getting to be use being around each other. Felicia discovered the essence of having a friend. She regretted shunning the nice girl in the first place. From spending the wh0le break studying they upgraded to spending the wh0le break talking and playing little games. Felix discovered how close they were and discovered how lucky she was to have found a friend to trust so easily. He hadn’t found any friend trustworthy yet. This got him hurt a little. He was beginning to feel lonely and his classmates were getting more and more annoying. As he shut his bag during break one beautiful day, one of his intelligent mates approached him with a textbook.
“Felix, do you know what dinosaur is? ” He asked sitting beside him.
“Huh… Yes” The young guy replied wondering what the boy wanted.
“Then what do you know about it? I am sure you are just showing off”
“No I am not. I read in a textbook that it was one of the first ancient beast that existed even before humans came into existence” he replied promptly. The boy got surprised at his response. His classmates stared toward his direction.
“I am sure he is wrong. How can anyone ever know if he is right or wrong. Teacher isn’t here” A girl said with jealousy not ready to believe he knew it. Felix realized what was going on and smiled.
“That means the rest of you don’t know it” He said chuckling.
“I know what a dinosaur is and I am happy to say that you are wrong Felix. That’s not what a dinosaur is” The young boy who had approached him earlier had responded trying to hide his guilt.
“Then what is a dinosaur? ” Felix asked hoping he finally gives in.
“A dinosaur is… A dinosaur is… I won’t tell you” he replied angrily. “I can’t tell a guy like you. You’re not even intelligent “.
“Felix is correct. That’s what a dinosaur is” Their teacher had said walking in. They had no idea she was listening the wh0le time. “Anthony, you shouldn’t taunt Felix like that. It’s so obvious he knows it and you don’t. He is more intelligent than any of you in this class. He is quiet. During break he takes his books and read but you all go about playing. You asked him a simple question and he answered straight away but you yourself had no idea the answer of the question you asked. That’s why it’s good to pay more attention to your studies than just playing around. Make him your friend and study together. It is more better that way” She advised them. Anthony gave Felix an upset stare while the rest of the class nodded. “From today onwards Felix will be the captain of the class. Clap for him now” She ordered knowing they weren’t so happy about the news. The pupils clapped reluctantly while Anthony watched not clapping at all. He felt defeated. As soon as the teacher left, he approached the young boy who saw everything happening as a mystery.
“You are not intelligent at all! You are a dull person” He insulted him with hatred in his voice.
“Stop it Anthony. Why do you like insulting people? ” A young girl voice had asked from behind them. It was Blaire, there teacher’s favorite. “As for your information, you are jobless and have nothing to do. Now please leave our captain alone. He has the right to punish you now. He is just being gentle as doesn’t want to do it. Right Felix? ” She asked Felix who nodded promptly. The rest of the classmates laughed enjoying what was actually going on.
“Go away Anthony. It’s break. Go and play as usual” He mocked the poor boy who was burning in anger. The young brat walked off not saying another word.
“You really fit to be a captain Felix. My mum says anyone who doesn’t talk much, knows even more than when he talks too much. I am Blaire. I sit at your back” She introduced herself smiling.
“I am Felix” Felix responded smiling.
“Actually I have always wanted to speak to you but your silence scares me. Anyway I have gotten the opportunity now. Can we study together? I have lots to learn” Felix agreed in no time. From then henceforth they became very good friends. Both children discovered they weren’t innocent anymore as their dad saw them but tried as much as possible to hide it from their parents.
All was going well until, Gerald got suspicious of his sister and eventually caught her hanging out with Felicia. He got upset discovering this.
“Why are you talking to her? ” he asked Becky who froze discovering he had caught them. The two friends were dumbstruck. “I am reporting you to mum”
“No! ” Felicia stopped him promptly feeling nervous. “Do not tell your mum? ”
“Who are you weakling? I didn’t talk to you. As usual you are scared”
“Don’t speak to her like that. She is my friend now ” Becky told her brother who laughed.
“This weakling is your friend? You are just going to be her bodyguard ”
“Gregory!” She shouted at her brother ready to blast at him forgetting their age differences but Felicia stopped her.
“Stop it Becky. He is your elder brother ”
“I don’t like the way he is talking to you” Becky confessed.
“He is talking that way because he doesn’t know me yet. He thinks I am scared but it’s alright. With time he will discover I am not who he thinks I am”
“I don’t need to discover anything. You are scared easily. You are a cry cry baby and I will report you both ”
“Gregory I will… ” Becky raised her voice again but Felicia stopped her.
“I also get angry too Gregory. You are also not innocent. As if you didn’t help my mum lock me up in the store room. Why did you do that? Because she promised you something? Who is the weak one now? She promised you things and you suddenly fell for what she asked you to do. No strong boy ever does that” Felicia answered with a frown. Gregory got belittled by the way she spoke to him and frowned. He’s never expect her to speak like that before. “Report me and I will continue to remind you of how weak you are”
“Yes! And me too ” Becky supported her smirking. Gregory didn’t say a word. He gave them an angry stare and walked off. “Wow. I never knew you were could talk like that”
“My fake mother knows me very well. We don’t get along at home. I am just scared of my father and I am also afraid of losing him. He is all I have now. That’s why I let her do whatever she wants”
TBC.