The next day Myra woke up earlier than usual and performed all her daily chores not giving an opportunity for her aunt or anybody else to scold or complain about anything.
The weather was partially cloudy with a high probability of experiencing rain some time in the evening, just like it had in the previous day.
Not wanting to take chances with the climatic changes, Myra decided to do the laundry work as soon as the family finished their morning breakfast.
Ravin Brooke sat at the head of the table, his wife Lyla to his left and son Peter to his right. April was missing as she had not woken up yet. Myra on the other hand was never allowed to sit with the family.
She always ate her leftover share of the food alone in the kitchen once her family was done with theirs, but she never complained about it. She preferred eating alone in peace rather than with her snarky relatives.
After her family finished their breakfast, she quickly did the dishes and was having a bowl of oatmeal with milk when Pete walked into the kitchen.
"Hey, Myra!" he said, hopping onto the kitchen cabinet.
"Hi pete"
"Don't you have any classes today?" Myra asked, playing with her spoon.
Peter shook his head, "Nay. My tutor has some personal work to do it seems, so won't be able to come and teach me today".
"Oh!" she exclaimed. She was about to ask Peter about his plans for the day when the village tower bell banged successively ten times, signaling to the entire village that it was ten in the morning.
Cursing herself, Myra hurriedly finished the rest of her oats and prepared a tray of breakfast for April, who wanted to have it in her bed.
"Why are you suddenly in a hurry?" Pete hopped off the cabinet and stood behind her.
"There are loads of dirty clothes that need to be washed, Pete. The sooner I wash them, the faster they'll dry. I can't risk waiting until later with the rain coming. I also have to do some grocery shopping. No time, buddy!"
"Can I come along?" Pete asked, sounding excited. "Please!"
"No Peter, your mother wouldn't like it".
"Please, Myra," he pleaded again. "We don't have to tell my mother about it. I'll just say that I'm going out to play with my friends, and she'll allow me since I don't have any classes today."
Myra stayed silent for a moment, internally debating whether to take Pete along with her or not.
Little Pete, who was now standing in front of her, eagerly waiting for her response, gave her a cute puppy dog expression as if asking her to agree with his suggestion. He even blinked his eyes a couple of times to add more effect. Finally, Myra gave in, not wanting to disappoint the kid.
"Okay, fine. You can come along, but only if you promise me to be obedient and not cause any trouble."
With a triumphant grin, Pete nodded and said, "I promise! I'll be a good boy."
"Go then, inform your Mum while I go give this to your sister," Myra said, holding April's breakfast tray.
"Okay, I'll be waiting for you outside," Pete replied, and then he ran off in search of his mother.
Myra made her way towards her cousin's room and tapped the door lightly before entering upon hearing a 'come in'.
The room was dimly lit, and April was still in bed. "Morning! Here's your breakfast," Myra said cheerfully, placing the tray of food on the bedside table. April merely grunted in reply.
Opening the curtains to let in some sunlight, Myra grabbed April's unwashed clothes from the basket where they were usually kept and left her cousin alone in the room.
As promised, Pete was waiting for her outside, and they both headed to the nearby river together.
Upon reaching the river, Myra tightly held her cousin's hand and helped him sit on one of the big rocks a little away from the riverbank.
"Pete, stay put. Don't come near the water," she ordered.
The water level was quite high, and it was chillingly cold. Even the soil next to the river had loosened due to the rains, making it slippery.
Peter getting too close to the banks and slipping or hurting himself was the last thing she wanted. If anything happened to him while he was with her, her aunt and uncle would be furious with her.
Carefully, she made her way to the river, firmly placing her right leg in between the rocks for better grip and placing her left leg in the water.
Bending down, she applied soap to each piece of clothing inside and out, and then started beating the clothes one by one with the washing paddle, while Pete kept her company with his chattering.
"Myra, did you know? Our Arcardian land is the largest among the five lands, with a very diverse population?" Pete asked her out of the blue.
Myra shook her head. "Is it?"
"Yes, it is!" he said, throwing small pebbles into the river, creating ripples. "My tutor even said that our Arcardian lord is really young and cold-hearted."
Even Myra had heard about the Lord, who was a Trueborn demon, and that he had a reputation for snapping the heads of those who crossed him on the wrong paths. There were even rumors that he had killed his own father.
But according to Myra, they were all baseless talks. She didn't bother about the Lord's character as long as he didn't trouble his people unnecessarily and ruled over the land fairly, just like he had been doing so far.
One hour later, Myra returned home. Peter met his best friend on the way, and they went off to play. She hung the neatly washed clothes outside before walking in to prepare lunch.
Lyla was sitting in the living room, knitting. She saw her niece walk in, holding an empty laundry basket.
"Where have you been?" she inquired, even though she clearly knew the answer.
"I was washing clothes, Aunt Lyla," Myra replied.
"What took you so long?"
Myra frowned, knowing perfectly well why her aunt was questioning her. Lyla wanted an excuse to scold her today.
"I'm sorry, Auntie," she said, bowing her head slightly.
There was no point in explaining herself in front of her aunt now. It would only create more trouble. Instead, she waited for her aunt to unleash her daily dose of hurtful words so that Myra could carry on with her work afterward.
"Do you think we're crazy for letting you stay with us, providing you shelter and food, while you go around slacking off?" Aunt Lyla's words pierced through Myra's heart, but she remained silent, knowing that any response would only make things worse.
"I would have been much happier if you had died along with your parents. What a burden!" Aunt Lyla sighed, her words filled with bitterness. "Don't just stand there! Go on and finish the rest of the work."
Myra mumbled, "Okay, Auntie," as she hurried into the kitchen, trying to push aside the hurtful remarks. She focused on her task of preparing lunch, seeking solace in the familiar routine of cooking.
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