The Voiceless Girl

CHAPTER 1

‘My dad took me to that new ice cream shop “The Freezer” it was amazing,’ she boasted, ‘What about you?’ All eyes turned on me.

‘Um…Well...’ my mind scrambled trying to think of an answer.

‘Sssshhhhh! Don’t ask her that, she doesn’t have one,’ the girls whispered to the new girl.

‘NO one needs to know what ANYONE did with their dad!’ my best friend said glaring at the new girl, ‘Come on let’s go play something.’ She and everyone else tried to comfort me and make me forget about it. But I couldn’t, it was too hard. So many questions raced through my head. Who is my dad? Where is he? Have I ever met him? I never thought to question about my dad. I never thought to question about my dad. But for the first time ever I didn’t know the answer and I wanted to know about my dad! My heart was racing.

‘Hello, you there? Hellooo.’ I snapped out of it. My friends gathered around me. ‘Are you okay? You look so lost in your thoughts.’

I was so overwhelmed by that question, I wanted answers. My best friend pulled me to the side after saying, ‘Maybe she’s just hot. I’ll take her to get some water. She’ll be fine,’ as we were walking to get water line she asked me, ‘Are you actually okay? After that new girl asked you about you know…’

‘My dad?’

‘Yah. You seem a bit off.’

‘I never really thought about my dad. I always thought he was on some business trip. I never questioned it, ever,’ I said trying to find something I missed in my head.

‘Maybe just ask your mum or brothers. Look, don’t sweat it, it ain’t that important.’

‘No, it is, my DAD, a person that I never really thought about but it IS important!’ I exclaimed trying to collect myself. I looked at my friend. ‘But thanks for the idea. I think I will go do that. Do you think my brothers would know?’

‘Yeah but if anyone would know it would be your mum.’

The bell rang. Class started and so did my thoughts. Me and mum weren’t close. If I talked to her she would hardly listen or answer. I hardly see her. She’s normally out with her friends and I was stuck at home with my brothers or, most of the time, alone. The bell rang again. Was it the end of lesson already? I didn’t even realise.

‘Hello. You there. Not again.’

‘Yeah, I’m here. Don’t worry,’ as I looked around my friends were all waiting for me at the door.

        We all rode the bus home. It was always fun. Me and my friends laughing or playing something. But today there was none of that, my mind was too full of questions trying to figure out my dad. I didn’t have time to make jokes. I wanted to get home and get to know my dad. At least where he is. Every time I looked up, my friends concerned eyes were on me. I wanted to change the atmosphere but I couldn’t. I guess everyone knew that I was full of thoughts, so none of them tried to liven the mood. As each of my friends left, they all gave me hugs of concern.

‘Bye. You better bring the jokes and joy tomorrow,’ my best friend said. ‘Yeah, you better,’ my other friends agreed.

I put on a smile to cover my thoughts. ‘There you go. Much better. See you. Byeeee.’

I was so grateful for my friends but my mind was just so full. I couldn’t hold the smile. ‘This is my stop. Bye guys.’

I was home at last. With all these questions, I raced to find my mum. I saw her. All dressed up. Our eyes locked in place. I knew she read my face but she wasn’t bothered by it. She turned her head and grabbed her purse.

‘Mum.’ She turned to look at me again, rolling her eyes, ‘I need to ask you some questions about…’

‘Go on, quickly ask me ONE, hurry up,’ she interrupted me, with anger filling her eyes.

‘Dad, where is he?’ she looked at me and looked outside. Her friends were waiting outside.

‘Look I could answer that stupid question. Or I could go party with my friends. And I think I DON'T feel like talking to you. Go on, go do something. I don’t really care, just get lost.’

‘But I…’

‘No I don’t care enough to answer you. Don’t annoy me,’ she said glaring at me.

Then she turned to the door and left me on my own. But she only left after giving me a deathly glare once again. I guess I had that coming, she never talks to me, let alone answer a question. My brothers. I could ask them. But they were normally out with friends too. I wasn’t allowed to leave, I had to stay in the house all the time. But I didn’t care much, especially now. All I wanted to do is to find out about my dad. My brothers would normally come home at night to eat or sleep. I’m going to wait for them and find out. I wanted to know! I kept myself busy for the time being, waiting for them. I was helping the maid’s cook. They were the only ones that listened to me. They were like family to me. But my mum didn’t see them like that. Always making them work so hard and being so rude to them. Don’t get me started on my brothers. Always rudely commanding them or working them to the bone.

The door slammed closed. ‘You there, get us some food,’ my brothers commanded one of the maids. Finally, they were home.

‘Here, I’ll give them the food.’ I couldn’t wait another second so I seized the chance and I also helped her out since they were so rude to her. Each step I took towards the dining room the louder their argument got. They always had something to argue about. I placed the food on the table. My mind struggled to put the question in place to ask them. I looked up thinking of how to say it.

‘What are you looking at Dureb?!’ one of them exclaimed.

‘Oh, well I have a question to ask you guys.’

‘Well go on, hurry up. I don’t want those beady eyes looking at me!’

‘Where’s dad?’

Silence hit the room with a bang. They were all staring at each other.

‘Where do you think he is?’

‘Well, I always thought he was out for business in Dubai,’ I said sure of myself.

They all burst out laughing. I looked at them with confusion. ‘We knew the intelligence didn’t come to you. But you’re dumb!’ I scrunched my face at them. ‘I can’t believe you thought he was on a business trip for your whole 9 years of existence.’

‘Well then, where is he if you’re so sure of yourself!’ I questioned them.

‘He's dead, you idiot. He died when you were 2.’

These words hit me like a bullet. He was dead! When I was two years old. He never really met me. A tear trickled down my cheeks. Suddenly, I felt their presence right next to me.

‘Awww, don’t cry. He wouldn’t have liked you anyway…’ One of them said with no remorse.

‘Yah, I mean it’s good he died so he wouldn’t have seen you and got disappointed…’

‘Yah, you’re a disappointment to him and us!’ They all chipped in making me feel bad.

I ran to the toilet. That was the only place I could cry without being made fun of. All the maids would have left to go home by this time. I always did feel alone. But now, I felt especially isolated. I sat still with tears gushing down my cheeks like waterfalls. I was truly by myself…

‘But where does mum get the money for all those dresses?’

‘Dad’s rich. When he died all the money came to mum and us. You idiot…’

‘Yah and all those stores they take us to, to learn “Business”, Dad owns those…’

‘Face it, he’s dead. He died and that’s that!’

CHAPTER 2

Weeks passed after I found out about terrible news. I still am carrying the grief of that news. But I accepted the fact that he’s gone and I can’t do anything about that. The door slammed close. My mum strolled in. But behind her stood a man that I had never seen before. Not even in our neighbourhood.

‘Everyone, front room now!’ my mum exclaimed. Everyone came to the sitting room confused.

‘I want you to meet your new… let’s just say my new partner,’ my mum said happily.

‘What?’ my brothers questioned.

‘Make him feel at home,’ she said glaring at us.

He asked a lot of questions, mostly about how much things cost around the house. As soon as he left, my older brothers charged into the dining room, where my mum said happily. ‘Who is he?’ my brother shouted. ‘Were you not listening? He’s my new partner!’

‘He doesn’t love you, he’s after the money.’

‘No, he does. Don’t you dare say that,’ my mum said trying to stand up for him.

‘Really because the only thing he did was ask how much things cost around the house,’ my brother justified.

‘He was probably just excited. He's from the near village. The city is new for him and so are the luxuries we have.’

‘That’s no excuse.’

‘It doesn’t matter, we love each other and we’re gonna get married and everything that’s mine is his,’ she said pridefully.

‘He’s a sad excuse for a stepdad.’

‘Don’t you dare.’

‘We do dare,’ one of my brothers exclaimed. ‘We’re not going to live here,’ my brother carried on.

‘Go on, I don’t need you. Leave. You mean nothing to me.’

‘Fine. Once he eats all your money then don’t say we didn’t warn you,’ my brothers shouted, stomping out of the room. That was it, they were leaving. I didn’t like my brothers because they treated me badly. But they were actually leaving. I couldn’t believe it. Till I heard the door slam. Suitcases packed and egos bigger than ever. They left and my mum’s pride didn’t let her grieve for their parting. Now it was just me, my mum and my other two brothers. I’m still so shocked. They left and that was it. Was that new man the beginning of the disaster for our already distant family?

CHAPTER 3

It was one week after their marriage. My mum was throwing a huge party in honour of him. Everyone was there, from his whole village to our whole neighbourhood in the city. I walked into my brothers’ room and they were sniggering. ‘What are you guys doing? Mum’s calling you to greet the guests,’ I told them. They turned around slowly.

        ‘Oh, we’re just ironing the groom’s trousers. We’ll be down. Go on, quickly.’

        I didn’t think much of what was going on. They were always sniggering about something. But I was wrong.

        Everyone was there, my whole family (well, other than my two oldest brothers), his family and several family friends. The groom walked into the room. Silence hit the room. Everyone’s jaw dropped. My other two brothers burst out laughing. The groom’s trousers were cut in several places. Soon everyone’s shocked faces turned into smiles which turned into laughter. He was humiliated. My mum glared at my brothers. ‘This must be one of you guys’ pranks…’ The groom started a fake laugh, ‘How funny. I’ll have to get you back, you silly scoundrels,’ he said aggressively grabbing their hands. Everyone was laughing too much to have realised where they had gone.

The party carried on. Everyone was enjoying themselves too much to have remembered what happened. But my brothers were missing from the party and so was ‘the groom’. The groom eventually came down with new fresh clothes my mum had bought him earlier. But my brothers were still out of sight. I was curious, where were they? I went upstairs. One of them was on the floor.

‘What happened?’ I asked one of them.

‘You know that amazing prank he pulled? Well the groom didn’t think so he beat him till he passed out. I couldn’t do anything to stop him.’

I went over to my passed-out brother. He was out cold, his head bleeding. My eyes were shocked. I couldn’t look at him.

‘What should we do?’ I asked stuttering.

‘Nothing. Once he wakes up, he needs to clean up and act normal in front of everyone. Like nothing happened.’

‘What? Why would we do that?’

‘Because he said, if not, he’ll make our lives hard and turn mum against us.’

I couldn’t believe it. A crazy man was my stepdad. I did what he said and went down stairs and acted like nothing happened, like he hadn’t just hurt my brother. But I had to play it cool. No one was meant to know.

The party finished. The more the people left, the more I felt as if my life was endangered. I was scared. For my life, my mum, my brothers. I felt my heart beat harder and harder. Something grabbed my shoulder. I turned around in shock. It was him!

‘That was great party, wasn’t it,’ he said with a grin.

‘Yeah it was. Amazing.’ I said trying not to remember what he did.

‘I’m glad you enjoyed.’ He walked away. No remorse. He was a monster in disguise as a man.

A few days passed, my new stepdad moved in completely. He sent my brothers to a boarding school. Now I truly was ALONE.

CHAPTER 4

Several months passed. My new stepdad had eaten up my dad’s money. We soon couldn’t afford to pay the maids. So, I was made to do all of the work after school. I was only 10 and I cooked, cleaned, washed, ironed, dusted, shopped for food. I did everything.

        While my mum partied, my stepdad ordered me to do his work. I was alone, no brothers, no maids, NO ONE.

        In the passing year, they had two kids.  I was 13 and they pulled me out of school so I could take care of them.

        Eventually, he sold all my dad’s properties and businesses. And spent the proceeds all on himself. They soon ran out of money for their parties and luxurious lives so he converted our estate into a hotel. I did all the housekeeping, kitchen work and everything else that kept the hotel running. I was worked to the bone. I had to take care of their kids as well. Yet they argued a lot and would take out their anger on me. I couldn’t sleep through a single night without crying.

         Now I was stuck within these hotel walls. Because of all the beatings, they threatened me to not talk to anyone from outside so no one would know. I was now only 14 and a half and I was alone. Forced to work all the time and take care of two kids. I was TRAPPED. I was truly ALONE.

CHAPTER 5

Now I am 16 years old, I’m so tired of everything. I don’t know how long I’m going to be in here for, doing all this work. I just want to run away. I can’t remember how my friends look. I don’t know if they still remember me. I want to go outside, make friends and be free. But I don’t know where to go. I don’t know how the outside world looks. All I want is FREEDOM! I’ve been stuck in here for all these years. ALONE. TRAPPED. WITH NO VOICE.

CHAPTER 6

Years passed. One day my aunt came to the hotel to meet one of her friends, who was staying here. ‘This is the hotel? This was my brother’s estate. It’s a hotel now,’ my aunt said shocked.

        She came to the till and asked what happened. She met her friend at the lobby as I walked in with another guest’s suitcase. She was staring at me. I wasn’t allowed to speak to anyone so I just smiled.

        ‘That is my niece,’ my aunt said to my friend.

‘That’s your niece? She is a wonderful young lady. She ensured my stay was pleasant. Her cooking is splendid.’

‘Yes, she has an amazing character,’ my aunt said.

‘Yes, she does. She was very kind to me. And beautiful too.’

After a while, my aunt and her friend left. A few weeks later, my aunt and the same friend came back to the hotel. She searched for my mum.

‘I would like to ask your daughter for her hand in marriage to my son,’ my aunt’s friend asked my mum.

My mum was shocked. She was about to decline because she needed me to do all the work around the hotel. But she was too embarrassed to say no.

I was going to be free. I was getting married.

CHAPTER 7

‘... And that’s how I got my freedom and met your dad, the love of my life,’ my mum said.

        ‘Wow, I did not know all of that happened,’ I said shocked.

Quarantine. I thought it was a bad thing but, if it didn’t happen, I wouldn’t have known my mum’s past. And realise how much my mum strives to make my life and my older brothers’ lives good so we do not suffer like she did when she was small. I am glad quarantine came or I wouldn’t know about my mum’s freedom story. And I wouldn’t have been this grateful for her.

Now in 2020, she is FREE, AMAZING and CARING. And the best mum ever. Thank you quarantine.