Not that Siberia was a name she had now adopted, but the manner in which it was called had caused her to heed to it.
” Yes Dakota.” She answered quickly turning to the door to see the reason for such an abrupt call.
” Get your baby out of that tub now.” She said as she gazed at both mother and child in a resentful scowl.
” Yes please. Sorry I …” Stuttered Marilyn as she hurried up, lifting her child in her hands. ” Not you. The baby I said. It’s not safe to share a tub with a child. What job do you do ?” She asked.
” Oh that… Yes. I , I.” ” Baby I will drop you here first.” She stammered and dropped her baby by the side. She was more of following orders than thinking for herself.
” You see right. It can’t be said before the child. You shouldn’t expose her to the outcome of it’s eventualities. Take your bath. Drain off, apply the disinfectant over here and bath the child.” Said Dokota and walked out of the Bathroom. While Marilyn breathed so much in fright and Erica had her eyes gazed at Dakota as she left the bathroom.
” Mummy are you alright.” Erica asked after turning her gaze to her mother who still stood In tub as she caught her breath.
” Yes baby I’m fine. Aunt Dakota scared me sometimes. Does she scare you to.” She asked in silent whisper.
” Nope.” Erica said, waving her head as she spoke.
” That’s my strong baby. Take that towel and wrap yourself. I will quickly take my bath and bath you with fresh water.” Marilyn Said and quickly began to wash up herself. She couldn’t get the warning of Dakota off her mind. Yes when she was just the wife of Gustavo, she used to share a single tub with her baby and all things went well. Now she was a thing of the street and everyman who could pay her could have her. It dawned on her that Haul her went raw on her and left stuffed with his seeds. Her heart skipped in fear. He could have gotten her infected and he could have gotten her pregnant.
” Dakota has red hair and blue eyes. She is good looking.” Said Erica who seemed to be like the features of Dakota very much. ” Yes she is a beautiful lady and very kind to. I just have to get used to approaches.” Said Marilyn as she quickly rounded up her bath.
” Your turn. I will drain this off. How do you feel now?” She asked her daughter as she stepped out of the red bat tub.
” Cold.” Erica said as she stood with a smile, anticipating the hot bath.
” Does your body still hurt? I haven’t forgotten that you are yet to take your drugs my dear.
” But mummy I’m fine. I’m just cold.” Erica said in protest.
” Yes I know. You will to take that drug to feel warm okay darling.” She said in a persuasive tenor. Erica was mum. Surely she didn’t want to take the drug again. It was the process to making her take the drug that had caused her to throw up. Marilyn didn’t want any more trouble from forcing her to do things. She couldn’t tell what else the child was going to do if she tried to force the drug on her.
” Are you taking the drugs or not. You saw how had it was for mummy to get those drugs.” She said and fought off the urge of telling a three year old that she had sold her phone to get her the drugs.
” I don’t want the drugs mum it makes me sick.” She said and began to cry to avoid the very pills and syrup.
” Fine then. I will find a way around it.” Said Marilyn, feeling defeated by the little child.
” You will drink your pills this moment Erica.” Said the manly voice that badged into the room holding a sachet of pill and two bottles of syrups. Marilyn wrapped her towel over herself and visibly had a smile. She was glad that someone more dogged than her was taking on the fight from her.
” Which one do you hate the most? The pills or the syrups.” Dakota asked.
” I hate it all Dakota.” Erica said in cry.
” Aunt Dakota. Call her Aunt Baby why do embarrass me like this.” Said Marilyn as the smile went off her face.
” Aunt Dakota.” She said to regularize her errors.
” It’s fine. Call me Dakota. I don’t do titles.” She said to both mother and child.
” Since you have no preference. We would start from the pills and finish it up with the syrup. Do you work?” Dakota said and squatted before Erica who gazed at the coloration of her eyes and eyelashes. It reminded her of a cartoon character, thus she didn’t find it as scary.
” I don’t work.” The little girl answered.
” So you don’t earn money at all?” Dakota asked again.
” Yes I don’t.” She said and began to wonder why all the questions where Popping up when she wanted to take her hot bath.
” Well how about this three dollars over here. It could buy you some candies.” Said Dakota and flashed three crisp notes of One dollar each. It made the eyes of the little child widen in awe. Since Christmas, no one had given her a dime and she missed having money.
” I want it.” She said with her eyes on it. It caused her mother to cringe on how bad her parenting skills was with the little child.
” Good. Take the pill and earn the first dollar. Siberia. Get me water from your bag.” She said to Marilyn who hurried to the living room and got the water for her.
” Here.” She said and handed over to her host.
” Erica, can we proceed.” She asked with white pill now in her palms. The little nodded as quick as she could. She taken the most of it for free and didn’t see why she wasn’t going to take one more with a price.
” Open your mouth” ” oh yes that’s more like it” said Dakota and placed the pill in the Childs mouth. It’s bitterness caused the little girl to cringe till she wagged her head from side to side to tap out. Dakota let some water into the child’s mouth and eventually saw her swallowing the bitter pill. Erica was about to cry out from the overwhelming bitter sensation when a dollar bill came into her palm.
” Well earned my baby” Marilyn said with a smile that was contagious to the little child as well.
” Should we make this second dollar?” She asked her again and flagged another dollar bill at the hunting sight of the little child.
” Yes.” She simply said and turned towards the bottle of syrup in the hands of Dakota. ” Siberia come over and administer the drugs the rest to her. A sick baby turns away from a bitter medicine, it prefers to avoid the bitter drug and lie down to sleep instead, it’s parents must force the bitter drug into its mouth so it gets well and survive.
It’s not so different in adulthood, life would try to save you by placing those bitter drugs in your mouth, don’t avoid It. Drink it and Survive. There’s no easy way out.” She said to Marilyn, handed the two dollars and the drugs to her , and left.
” Deep words from aunt Dakota. Baby it’s time to earn the rest of the money. Open your mouth” she said to the child. She obeyed instantly.
” Mummy” Erica called out after earning the second dollar. ” Yes Baby. What’s the matter?” She asked.
” Aunt Dakota has two long tooth.” Said the child with all her innocence and opened her mouth.