Marina

ೃ ✦ ✧ ∗ ❥ ҉ೃ ✦ ✧ ∗ ❥ ҉ೃ ✦ ✧ ∗ ❥ ҉ೃ ✦ ✧ ∗ ❥ ҉ೃ ✦ ✧ ∗ ❥ ҉ೃ ✦ ✧ ∗ ❥ ҉

“So you're not going to help?” Johnny says with a cold stern look on his face.

As I walk into the kitchen I see Lailah dicing potatoes while Johnny is stirring spices in a pan. I sit down on the kitchen counter.

Johnny holds a very special power, a power that not a lot of people possess, it is the power to piss me off with a single sentence.

“I'm tired from doing things all day!” I say frustrated.

“Oh and we are not?” he says in response.

Sometimes I wish deep down that my brother was different, I wish he were more carefree, more kind. I want to know what it takes for him to get there. Is it even possible for him to be that way perhaps he is just always going to be this uptight. I should get my hopes up, but I would like to come home and not be judged for everything I do or say. I work hard for whatever reason that may be I work so damn hard for not only me but for my family.

He puts the potatoes in the pan and now we wait for them to cook. Johnny and Lailah are now both facing me.

“It's different you guys are already adults but I'm just a child!” I hear my heart pounding and tears slowly form in my eyes.

Then I hear the door jingle and Angel comes from the other side. Immediately my worries disappear and although She looks tired there is a slight smile on her face when she sees us.

“Hey guys,” she says softly as she puts her bag down.

I wipe the tears forming and jump off the counter to rush over to Angel.

Suddenly my soul feels at peace. She is like my savior. If it weren't for Angel here protecting me I have no idea what would be of me. She is a spectacular person, a warrior and a fighter. She is what I strive to be. To be capable of bringing a fire inside of people is something that I could only dream of being. But I can see through her.

She doesn't say anything. I wish I could see what she is thinking because I can tell she is saying so much except that her mouth isn't moving. I want to know what she is thinking because I know she is carrying a lot on her shoulders but she won't ever tell me her problems. I guess she never wanted me to worry, she is a great sister after all.

“I didn't know you knew how to cook potato stew,” she says to Lailah

“I don't, Johnny just told me what to do, to be honest, I didn't help much” she admitted

“She diced those potatoes well you must know how to cook something,” Johnny says

“Yeah as a matter of fact I do Ms. Frances would always ask me to lend her a hand in the kitchen. She would make so many dishes, dishes from the outer towns of course potato balls, carrots, and honey rice but she specialized in boom berry pie,” she says with a smile on her face reminiscing the good times.

“There is such a thing as boom berry pie?” I say out of shock

“yes but it's more of an outer town dish so we don't have them here,” Angel says, pouring herself a glass of juice.

“There is also the fact that there are more boom berries in the outer towns they flood in them over there” Johnny adds.

“How does your mouth not explode?” I say giggling

“It's a process, we slow cook the berries so they don't end up exploding,” Lailah says

“My best friend Astro loves baked anything. I bet he would adore trying a new kind of pie, could you make some for us please!” I say excited

“I would be happy to make you some. I just have no idea where to get boom berries here,” she says nervously.

I think for a bit before remembering that I saw a boom berry tree on a mission that Astro and I had gone on that was next to a bayou. Then I quickly remember Brandy telling us not to get close to the boom berry trees but if we think of this logically if we were to get these hypothetical berries we would be doing it on our own accord and we wouldn't be working for Brandy therefore his rules do not apply.

“I know where to get boom berries,” I say with a smile on my face.

“If you get me some boom berries then I promise you I'll make some boom berry pie”

“You got yourself a deal lady!” I say giving her a high five.

“Food is almost ready,” Johnny says while opening the lid of the food and stirring it around “Could someone set the table?”

“I've got it,” says Lailah while grabbing plates and silverware from the cabinets, Angel comes over quickly and helps her set the table while Johnny sets the pot of food in the middle of the table. We all sit down and wait for everyone to be set to start serving ourselves food.

“So how was everyone's day?” Johnny says while pouring herself a scoop of stew.

We look at each other waiting for one of us to start, finally, Johnny breaks the silence by saying “I guess I'll start, we are finally cracking down on creating some new tech the Y.K.C might get it first then the public”

“What is it?” I ask

“It's a communication device you can talk to people more quickly so you don't need to write every time”

“So you're stealing my job,” Angel says half-jokingly

“I think that sounds cool,” Lailah says “I believe advances in technology are always good for society”

“Thank you Lailah for the support,” Johnny says super enthusiastically, taking a jab at us.

“Well I visited the bookstore today,” I say

“That's nice, did you end up getting anything?” Angel asks while picking her fork up to eat a piece of her food

If I told them the truth then they would probably freak out and not let me keep the books so it's probably best if I hide this from them then they will probably end up becoming stricter than they already are concerning human issues “No, I was going to, but nothing seemed interesting to me, so I just came home empty-handed,” I say, trying my best not to stretch my words out and seem suspicious.

They noticed because they looked at me with puzzled looks on their faces but eventually decided to drop it.

“I got a job today,” Lailah says with a smile on her face

“That's great Lailah where too?” Angel asks

“On this bakeshop, I think it's next to the bookshop you mentioned Marina”

“No way! That's my favorite place to eat, you definitely will see me and my best friend often” I say excited

“That's so cool i will be giving you special treatment and maybe sneak you some goodies” Lailah giggles as she says

“What about you Angel?” Johnny asks

Angel seems distant from us, mentally I can tell she is not fully there it takes her a minute to gather her thoughts but she finally starts by saying “I've just been writing all day nothing out of the ordinary” Her eyes wonder as she says. She looks at our plates before saying “Actually there was something that came in for us”

“What is it?” I ask

She pulls out a letter from Dad and I jump up from my seat in excitement

“Letter from Dad!” I try my best not to scream “Open it up let us know what it says”

Angel nods opens the letter and scans it a bit before reading

My Children I shall return soon from my post to come visit you, after the recent leaks on the planned attacks on the next towns I predict that work will soon run very smoothly. When it does my priority is to come to see all of you, I know it has been too long and that I haven't visited and written as much as I'd like but I hope to catch up with you all very soon. I promise that I think of you three every day that passes, my heart begins with the three of you.

Sincerely,

Dad

“Dad is coming home!” I ran up to Angel to confirm what she had just read “Why didn't you tell us sooner?”

“Because I knew that if I told you you wouldn't eat,” she says snatching the letter back from me

“He didn't write a lot, that is so like dad,” Johnny says inspecting the letter on Angel’s shoulder.

Angel shyly agrees with him.

“That's only because he is busy, when do you think he will come back?” I ask

“I'm not sure kiddo it can be anywhere from a few weeks to months there's no telling,” Angel says

“It doesn’t matter as long as I know he is coming I'm so excited!” I look up to see Angel and Johnny’s faces “What’s the matter, why aren't you guys more excited?”

“No we are but-”

“But what?”

“Nothing Marina we just need to prepare and put something in order before Dad that's all,” Johnny says

“But that doesn't matter as long as Dad is home if that is here that's all that matters.” Johnny stays quiet “Right Angel? Tell Johnny I'm right”

Angel stays quiet

“We are all glad Dad is coming back Mari, but there is just a lot that we have to do”

“Like what?”

They both stay quiet.

“Why are you all being so secretive with me?” I say

“They are adult issues, Marina”

“Johnny I am fiftee-”

“You are fourteen Marina” he cuts me off

“I am almost fifteen. I'm not a child anymore. Why do you two treat me like I am?”

They stay silent, unable to say anything in response.

“I'm going to my room,” I say trying my best not to snap at them

“Marina please-” Angel protests

“I need to be alone right now”

I storm into my room as fast as I can shutting the door behind me and not looking back. I hear in my distant mind Johnny and Angel arguing with one another.

Why do they have to treat me like I am a little kid if not able to handle their complex issues? It's like I was dumb or something. I am part of the family too. Why can't they get that through their heads? I contribute to society if I'm such a kid then why do they allow me to fight for our kingdom? I guess they see me as a kid for some things but when they need something they treat me like an adult, it's all bullshit.

At least I know that it will be different when Dad comes, he would never let this happen he would for sure be on my side. I miss him so much. It has been a while since his last visit, almost a full year, there is so much to catch up on. I bet he has so many stories to tell me about the places he has traveled. I just have to wait for the days to go faster so I can see him again.

I lay on my bed and looked at the vase on the side of my bed. I noticed that the flower I had placed there a while back was dying. The petals had fallen and were now resting on the nightstand the color had worn off and it had grown weak.