Sold?

Lexus (9 years old)

My birth was a turning point for the family. My mother became livelier, my father found a job (though just as an office guy) and my older brother was delighted to have a younger sibling. Everything was pretty normal. Though sometimes we faced some hardships since we weren't financially strong, in the end we tried our best to stick together and somehow got through it. My mother couldn't get a proper job.

Why?

Well when my parents had Eli they were still in college. Mom had to drop out since she had to take care of the baby while dad promised to complete his studies and get a job and then they could start a family. Maybe at the beginning they really loved each other.

Maybe that's why they had Eli.

But things didn't really go as they planned and a few years later, after my father's business failed they started having problems and started fighting.

My birth supposedly settled that. It was until dad tried doing business again and yet again failed. I was eight at that time.

Horrified when I saw my parents fight so badly,I couldn't understand. My first thought was to walk in the lounge, where they were fighting and maybe they'll stop?

But I barely even moved when Eli stopped me. He yanked me by my arm and placed his hand on my mouth. With eyes wide he glared at me.

"Whatever you do. Don't ever walk in when they are having a fight. You understand?"

I nodded, not really understanding why but he let me go, grabbed my hand and took me upstairs with him.

But then, things only got worse. They started fighting more. Eli, on the other hand, kept me with him, making sure I didn't go down to interrupt them.

That was till the time he got accepted into a college and Without any notice, one day, he was suddenly gone.

***

I stood there in Eli's empty room. Not sure what to think.

"The brat ran away huh?!!" I looked back at my father. A tall slim but grim figure.

"I don't know…"

"Of course you don't." He mocked and walked away.

****

I stood by the door as mother and father fought yet again, I just watched from the sidelines. I wondered when they would finish.

I was hungry and my mother forgot to cook breakfast and lunch. I was hoping for dinner but I guess I'll have to wait.

That was my intention but when my father slapped mother so hard, she fell to the ground, I ran in without thinking. I didn't think of the consequences and I didn't know how furious my father was.

That was the first time he beat me up, even though the mother tried to stop him. It ended with bad results.

I was nine years old, even though my birthday wasn't celebrated, I remember the day I did turn a year older.

****

To make ends meet, my mother started a part time job. Father usually wasn't home. I went to school and came to a dark empty house and did my homework. If there was food, I'd eat. If there wasn't. I'd drink water to fill myself up.

Just like that came Christmas. A Christmas like no other. There were no decorations. No gifts and no parents. I spent my time waiting on the dinner table chair not sure what to do by myself.

After midnight the next day, the door opened and my mother entered the place.

"You're still up?" She walked up to me, "Here's some money." She placed a few bucks on the table, "I have to leave again. There is food in the fridge. You remember right?" I nodded and she took a few things and left again.

I wasn't hungry So I went to sleep.

The next day I woke up to an empty house.

Sighing I left the house to maybe go to the park or the store to get myself something. But it wasn't a good idea. In contrast it was a very bad idea. I saw kids everywhere with their families, enjoying, playing, eating and getting gifts as I walked by.

Jealous, sad and afraid I crushed the money in my hand and ran away. I ran and ran, I ran as much as I could. Was it my attempt to tire myself out so that I don't cry? Or maybe I didn't want to hate the kids who had it all.

Panting, I slowed down and then took support from the wall of a closed store. The place I had ended up at was empty. Not a soul in sight. Perhaps because all the stores were closed and a lot of snow had piled up.

I slid against the wall and sat down on the snow-filled path, just as I had spent a few minutes there it started to snow again.

I looked up at the cloudy sky from where soft sprinkles of snow fell, taking my hand out and reaching for the sky I spoke in my heart.

God? I'm really lonely.

I complained but then wondered if God actually listens to anyone? Sighing I let my hand slump and faced down. That's when I heard a cry. Like a little baby crying.

Intrigued by the sound I looked around but didn't see anyone, much less a baby.

The crying continued. I stood up and followed the sound. It led me to an alley nearby.

I froze at the entrance. There was a woman, lying flat on her stomach, her hazel eyes still open as she looked at me. Her arms and hands tightly around the source of cries.

The woman scared me, the way she looked at me felt so odd. There was this gentleness in her eyes yet mixed with some sort of regret and sorrow.

The cries continued so I decided to walk in, as I reached the woman, I saw a tiny, tiny baby in her arms, wrapped around in blankets to keep her away from the cold. Her eyes closed as she wailed and hand in a soft fist. Her hair red like her lips and a shade of it on her cheeks.

She was beautiful.

I looked at the woman again. Her eyes were still open, it was only then I realized something.

Is she dead?

This was my first time, my very first time seeing a dead person so I had no idea what to do. I looked at the baby again, her cries were dying down.

Should I take her out?

I tried but her mother had her strongly in her embrace.

I guess I'll have to open her hands first. I grabbed her cold finger and tried opening her hands but instead I heard a crack.

I paused.

The woman's body had frozen lifeless. I tried again and the same cracking voice echoed but her grip opened up a bit.

I gulped, the cracks were terrifying but when I looked at the baby and saw that she had gone silent I got worried. I didn't want the baby to die, so I decided to see through this till the end. I loosened the grip, one by one as I lifted each frozen stiff finger with a loud crack. As I pulled her ring finger back, something fell off into the ground. Picking it up, I realized it was a ring, with the words 'Mi Tesoro' engraved in it. Not knowing what that even meant I placed it back on her finger, thinking it was something precious to her.

After I was done, I looked at the free baby.

Ho- How do you- pick up a baby?

Slowly, I wrapped my arms around her and picked her up, in my arms, careful not to drop her, I stood up.

I looked at her and was startled, she opened her eyes and was staring at me, with her big almond-shaped hazel eyes, just like her mother.

****

I sat on the porch stairs of a house that wasn't decorated like the others. Maybe because it looked odd and rather lonely as compared to other houses that's why I chose to rest here.

I looked down at the baby, she was sleeping,

What should I do now? Where do I take this baby?

I sighed and began to lose hope when the door to the house opened.

"Oh my!" I looked back and saw a middle-aged lady come out, She looked at me and then at the baby in my arms. Maybe she got the gist of it, so she didn't ask if I was lost or anything,

"What's your name child?" Was all she asked.

"Lexus."

She smiled, "And what's her name?"

Her name? I looked down at her. I don't know. I just saw her today. Was she even named?

I stared at her red hair, her rosy cheeks and whispered.

"R-rose…"

"What did you say?" She stepped down to hear me better.

"Rosalie! Her name is Rosalie!!"