” Oh Damn it Marilyn what the hell is going on in your life, first your car goes away and secondly you can’t even pay your bills. You used to be my star girl in this hood babe. What the hell happened to you?” Alice asked after being shock that her admired neighbor couldn’t even pay her water bills.
” My dear it’s a long story. We happened to have our money locked up in some investment deal you know. The coming days would be rough but by the month end, it’s going to be a bumper harvest for us all. I won’t forget you,” “Now I need some water for my daughter and myself.” Said Marilyn and staged a fake smile.
” Look at the time. It’s just four AM in the morning. Why do you want water so early. Sis you scared my arse away. I thought you were a damn burglar. ” Said Alice who stood stunted with her pajamas.
” Alice!” A male voice called out to her from inside her room.
” Yes big man. I’m coming just give me a minute.” She echoed living her friend in shock. She did not know her to have a husband neither did she know her to have a devoted boyfriend which she even brought home
” Get that arse over here bitch. It’s Monday morning and I won’t want to tap that arse before I go to work.” Said the vulgar oriented tone.
” Oh my Goodness. Shut up Japheth. My kids can hear you.” She clapped back, turning towards the direction of her room.
” You kids don’t pay the bills. I do! now give that Creepy neighbor what she wants and get back to pleasing a man.” Said Old Japheth and hummed angrily.
” Damn it! You shouldn’t be hearing all this shit. What do you really want. The tap is outside!” She said in a transfer of aggression.
” Oh sorry. I needed permission. I will just have a bucket or two. Thank you.” She stuttered and winced out in the freezing cold.
” Welcome.” Said Alice and shut the door while Marilyn was yet to move an inch. All she did was hold the plastic bucket quite close to her while she fought hard to wade off the cold. She had just turned to hit the tap when the door was opened again.
” Damn it Marilyn you don’t plan on pelting that little girl with this freezing water do you. Give me your bucket.” Said Alice and stretched her hands in an empathetic manner.
” Thank you. Oh thank you. I swear I really needed hot water. I’m almost out of gas and as you know my electricity units is just a little over zero. I try to keep only the bulbs on for now. It’s really tough till the month ends.” Said Marilyn and smiled genuinely, knowing she could give her baby a warm bath.
” Babe! You can’t go on like this. It’s too risky to be left broke in the winter. You should get a job if you can’t do like I do. You know I have four mouths to feed. I do it all on my own. You really have no excuse to reduce yourself to these.” Said Alice, but in sullen tone before shutting the door. Leaving her neighbor to nod her head in agreement while she rubbed her palms together for friction. Soon the door was thrown open again and Alice was back with a steamy bucket of water.
” Here you are. Think about what I said.” She said and stretched forward the bucket with her two hands, applying caution to make sure no drop of the scalding water was flooding it’s brim.
” Alice! I want that arse now!” Said Old Japheth again in a furious tone.
” Shut up!” She clapped back in fury.
” Thank you Alice. I’m grateful” said Marilyn and didn’t even get a welcome before the door was shut at her again. Of all her neighbors, it was only Alice she related with even though they weren’t that close. The rest neighbors were on a hello basis and most times, she was contented to pass them by without saying a word. Now her world was falling apart and she had no family member she could call for help. Her family in Mexico were poor and depended on her for financial support. It wasn’t going to be late before her aged mom was going to ring her for the months upkeep.
” Baby wake up. Baby wake up please.” She pelted Erica with her palm.
” Mummy I want to sleep some more.” The little child protested and tucked herself into her duvet. It hurt Marilyn to cut short the sleep of her daughter and wake her up so early yet to think she was doing it out of love was what drove her the most.
” Baby please wake up. I got some hot water. Let’s go and have a bath before it gets cold. I got some of it in the flask for your cereals.” She intoned in a plea of understanding but the little child was having none of it. If she could think, then she wondered why she was taking her bath so early when it wasn’t even five yet.
” It’s so early and it’s so cold. I want to remain in bed.” Erica cried out, her voice very muffled from beneath the blanket. Marilyn knew petting the child was only going to render her efforts futile. If the water turned cold, then her effort would have been washed in the drain.
” Erica get up! Let’s go have our bath. I won’t raise a spoilt child.” She yelled out, transferring some aggression to the little girl before raising her duvet clear off her and lifting off the bed not minding her cries of woes. She headed her straight into the bathroom and undressed the child before undressing her own self to make the child feel at ease.
” You see baby. It’s you and me. The hot bath would do us good. Don’t always cry like a baby. You are now a big girl and very soon you will have boobs just like me.” “I can’t imagine my Erica crying with boobs” She said and dipped her index finger into the surface of the water. It was perfect for a bath. The boobs saga had sent the three year old into a frenzy of thoughts. She couldn’t help but picture herself with boobs and thought it was ridiculous.
” I don’t want those on my chest. Like balloons.” She sobbed and cleaned her eyes while her mom chuckled softly. It was odd for her to bath with her daughter as it wasn’t a thing she had done since the little girl turned one. Circumstances where now making her seek different means of survival.
” You will want them soon. All ladies want boobs and they can’t escape it. Now come let’s brush those little milk cubes of yours while this water cools a little more.” She said and smirked out the last squat of toothpaste on her daughters Pokémon toothbrush. Before Five AM little Erica had eaten breakfast and was packed with at least three jackets and a woolen muffler. Her lunchbox was packed with tea which was made with some of the water from Alice’s house. There was a couple slice of bread which only boasted of margarine spread and had no ham in it. It used to be laced with chicken or ham but since Marilyn was broke. She could only afford to put butter in it. The little girl didn’t complain. She couldn’t think pass the change she was experiencing. Ham or no ham was fine with her as long as she didn’t starve to death. She was all dressed for school on the couch and it wasn’t even five yet and all the bulbs in the house was put off ” Perhaps she could steal some sleep.” She said to herself and began to dose off. Little more into a minute sleep and she could here her mothers call.
” Baby wake up. Let’s go.”
” Let’s go?” The child thought amidst the shock and swore innately that she ought to be dreaming. ” Erica please smirk it off. We can’t be late for school.” She said again causing the child to throw her eyes wide open in shock.
” Mummy it’s cold outside. It’s dark to.” She cried out and almost screamed for help cause she could see her mother gradually loosing her senses.
” Yes I know. Baby you know mammas car is at the Mechanic workshop and Mum has no money for taxi. I will take you on my back to school so you don’t miss your test papers. I plan on talking to your headmaster to extend his bus services to us. By tomorrow they would come to pick you but I’m afraid today we would have to walk.” Said Marilyn and sighed deeply in exasperation. It now became apparent to the little child, why her mother had woke her so early. There was no use crying. She was young but old enough to service empathy. Her being complacent was paramount the help her mother at this stage.
” Come over here and hop on my back. It’s going to be fun just like the old days.” She said with a smile. Erica sighed softly. Her face had a scowl of sadness. She could tell things weren’t going right and prayed innately for a hero to save her.
(Hours Later)