Sabrina stared at the children in anticipation and realised none of them was willing to give her the reason for their sudden decision to drop out of school. She thought there was only one reason for their request "So you girls want to be homeschooled huh?"
The girls stared at Sabrina like she was an alien. How is homeschooling different from going out to school? Someone out there would still force them to learn things beneath them even at home.
They just couldn't get it. Their smart young brains couldn't grasp the difference because it still involved someone else dictating what they learn right?
Katrina finally spoke and said "mommy, we don't want to be taught by anyone...We wish to study on our own."
Sabrina was finally stunned silly by the three girls' demands and unapologetically voiced out her confusion "I don't understand...If you don't go to school, what do you girls want to do then?...Don't tell me you want to stay home doing nothing."
The kids were mischievous indeed, but pulling such a stunt was beyond mischief. She realized they were looking at her with a certain look on their faces that she couldn't even understand.
"Did anyone dare bully you in school?"
The kids realized she was getting angry and Adriana just spoke her thoughts out loud without thinking "how come all your kids are smarter than you mom? I don't get it... Are you certain we are your real kids?"
Sabrina looked towards Adriana and tried to smile at the kid's comment but some wayward tears started streaming down her cheeks really fast. She felt a sharp pain in her chest like it happened just yesterday.
To prevent her from breaking down before the kids, Sabrina stood up abruptly, and with the excuse of something getting into her eyes, she run out of the room.
The triplets stared at each other, wondering what exactly it was that made their mother cry. They had never seen Sabrina cry before. Starting at her back, Matilda couldn't help wondering if she was angry about their demand or it was Adriana's final comments.
Maybe they should just sit in the boring classes if their mother would cry seeing them at home. Yes! They just have to endure for now.
Meanwhile, a memory of her twin sister, Emily, asking her the exact same question many times popped up in Sabrina's head.
"Sabrina, how come I am the only smart person in the family?... Sabrina, don't use the red shade, mommy will definitely catch on to us...Rina, why did you hit the bully with your hands? You should have used your shoes instead...silly you...Sabrina...Rina...Sabrina"
Her legs started to move on their own and Sabrina found herself in the attic. She walked toward a vial that contained the ashes of her sister Emily with a beautiful picture of her smiling face pasted on it. Oh! How she misses that smile.
Sabrina cried her heart out while sitting on the cold floor. She just couldn't help breaking down as memories of her sister was everywhere she went.
After she had had enough of the crying, she started speaking to herself in hushed voices, all the while carressing the picture
"I really miss you...Emily...my...smart...smart...smart...sister"
She held the vial in her hands and observed it for a while "Oh Emily!...how was it that you ended up falling for Gerald Flynch the scumbag!"
Sabrina caressed her sister's picture for a while then said through sobs "you know what Emily...your daughter teased me today...just like you always did...she even called me dumb, sis...I guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree huh"
Sabrina gave a low chuckle and placed the vial back, then stood from the floor while wiping her tears.
She spent close to one hour with her sister "I'm such a crying mess aren't I?"
When Sabrina turned around, she felt for a fleeting moment that there was someone behind the door but when she went out and saw the place empty, she concluded that it was just her being paranoid.
The place is out of bounds, even to the maids. The triplets are not even aware that there is anything noteworthy in the attic. Sabrina thought to herself that she must be getting old but the thought did not even cross her mind that she had guests all along.
Exiting the attic, Sabrina decided to take a look at what the kids have been up to off-late.
What Sabrina found changed her worldview entirely. The books on calculus, algebra, physics, chemistry, coding, art and many other books in languages she couldn't even grasp.
What are a bunch of five year olds doing with such books? She does not recall buying any such books for the children. "What do they teach you guys in school these days?" A tiny voice responded from behind her and she knew it was definitely Adriana. "Nothing meaningful mom...Which is why we need to study on our own at home...Imagine me learning words of the alphabet and sentence construction or even some boring basic arithmetic in school all day when I could be reading about Shakespeare or even working calculus at home" says Adriana without a pause.
Sabrina just couldn't imagine. She then realizes she's had enough surprises for the day. Speaking underneath her breath to no one specifically "Shakespeare at your age, you really are your mother's daughter huh."
She then took Adriana by the hand and led her out the door of the library towards the garden.
When the other kids joined her, she said calmly "I know you don't want to go back to school because you feell that everything they teach you is meaninglesss...or better still, its beneath you... So I have decided to have you homeschooled...how about that?...Its either homeschool or..."
Before Emily could say anything further, all the kids shouted in unison "thank you mom" before giving her a big bear hug.
Sabrina was actually going to give them the option of being homeschooled or choose to be thought by her, which was obviously not a choice the kids will ever dare to make.
Matilda spoke from Sabrina's arms "why do you love us so much mom?" The question caught Sabrina by surprise but she didn't even falter in the slightest when she responded by saying "because you are my children...silly"
Even though they are young, the triplets have an understanding beyond their age and for that matter, decided not to breach the topic about what they heard in the attic.
Sabrina is their mother and they never wanted to see her cry again.
Sabrina will never believe that the triplets heard every single word she spoke in the attic. She would also never know they will visit the attic together to clean it occasionally.
Matilda made a mental note to look into Gerald Flynch, the scumbag, later in the day. She is the computer genius after all.
She was also giddy about finding out what her real mother looked like, as she didn't see the picture but only heard Sabrina's voice from the attic.
Katrina began to wonder why her mom and dad had no children of their own, even though they were the loveliest couple she had ever encountered in her young life.
They just don't consider singles like them when they get all lovey dovey. Her interest was really piqued and she will begin research into the area.
Many years later, she will find a joyful and lasting solution to the unspeakable burden in the hearts of the couple.
The secret is out but it will take the clueless mommy Sabrina many more years to realise she had been performing a solo show all along.
I wouldn't blame Sabrina though, having children who are too smart for their own good is not her fault right? She's just not cut out for that much intelligence.
Therefore, we need to cut her some slack.