The front door swung open with a loud "pop," and an ominous shiver ran down my spine as my mother stepped through the hallway and into the kitchen. Shouts of "Mommy!" and "Hi, Mother" filled the air as my two younger siblings waited a beat, to gauge our mother's mood, before throwing themselves at her. My brother, Omelio, and I stood behind them; he, waiting his turn and me, watching in envy. Being hugged by my mother was not a privilege that I had ever been given.
I stared at the older version of me, with heavy-laden, eyes and swallowed hard. We were identical in every way except the eyes. It always unnerved me when my own face looked back at me especially with so much abhorrence. Over time, I had learned to avoid making eye contact with my mother. I also tried not to look in mirrors.
Sue-Ann Winspere, known to her friends as Suzy, was beautiful; and she knew it. Confidence and sex appeal oozed from her like a fragrance masking the burning aversion she held for me.
I was vigilant as I waited for my mother to notice something about me that upset her but, luck must have been on my side. She hugged my brother, said "hello my eggs", and headed towards the stairs leading to the bedrooms without even a glance in my direction.
The breath I always held when she and I were in the same room escaped through my lips in a quiet hiss. I turned back to my sandwich, ignoring my siblings as they, in turn, ignored me. They had been taught at a young age to give me a wide berth.
A collective sigh from my siblings was the only indication that they had been just as nervous; but she was happy, so they were okay.
Though they might have feared our mother, they would never speak to my about it or include me in any plans of dissent. In fact, they made sure that I was blamed for everything that went wrong in the house. My parents weren't stupid, not with both of them being the top doctor in their respective field, but they still punished only me regardless of who was at fault.
In the midst of that thought, I decided it was best to hide in my room for the remainder of the night. Chances are, I wouldn't be called for dinner anyways so there was no reason to hang around. Besides, I still had a few last-minute college applications to fill out just in case none of the ones I had applied to worked out.
Later That Night
"Nicolette!!" The hollering of my name seemed to echo and reverberate in my head, startling me from a deep sleep. I was momentarily disoriented as the bare, beige, walls of my room greeted me.
Then my mind snapped into gear. My mother was calling me and I knew what was coming. Still, I hurled myself out of bed and down the stairs. I was almost at the last step when a hand grabbed my arm and yanked causing me to lose my footing and fall to my knees. I scarcely registered the pain before I was jerked to my feet and dragged towards the kitchen. The light was off in the hallway, but I didn't need it to tell me who was practically dragging my arm out of its socket.
When we reached the kitchen, my mother slammed my face into the counter near the sink. My mouth immediately filled with blood. Above me, I could hear her strangled voice as she growling in hatred. "What is this?! How many times must I tell you to clean up after yourself?!
You are practically eighteen and leaving a mess wherever you go. So damned disgusting! I can't wait until next week when you aren't my problem anymore. You will no longer be a cancer on this family. I will finally be rid of you for good!"