It was a cold Saturday morning,the weather's breeze hitting harder than normal and life more boring than usual. Kia woke up feeling tired knowing what today is, the burial of her maternal grandmother, it wasn't something she really looked up to, not that she was close to her or really knew her grandmother but burials weren't her thing, especially when it a relative's own.
Turning and twisting on bed like a cat, she looked at the digital clock on the bed stand, two minutes after five the alarm read, they would be going to the church by six, and the burials grounds by six thirty, Kia decided to take a quick nap before time, but unfortunately as she attempted to rest her head on the pillow her mother barged in to the room, Kia jerked up and turned in fear, her mother looked like a thunderstorm at that moment, rough around all her edges and waiting for a target to strike. Her eyes still looked drowsy from sleep and her hair looked like a bird's nest, she held unto the frames of the doors like she would fall any minute and looked at Kia on bed with a death stare
"What are you still doing on bed?!" she asked with a drowsy voice designed with annoyance
" On bed?! Well...I'm still sleeping"
Her mother laughed, but not a laugh that reach her eyes, it was cold and menacing, telling her that she's forgetting about something she's not supposed to. The laugher stopped as she opened her eyes, she stared at Kia with a frown on her face. "Kia, are you forgetting what today is?"
"uhhh.... no, it's grandma's burial. "
"So, what are you still doing in bed, you should be getting ready."
"But mom, it's not time yet, it's...." Kia checked her alarm,"five minutes after five, so there is still time to sleep."
Her mother tilted here head to other side and ran her hand through her hair, she looked at Kia again and continued
"So, you're forgetting that we will be picking Aunt Milly today."
"What?!! picking Aunt Milly, oohh no why do we have to pick her?!"
"Seems like you've forgotten about her racked up car." "ohh! please tell me that we're not picking up the whole family too?!"
Her mother narrowed her eyes at her, "don't allow me come up here again."Her mother shut the door behind her and left, Kia frowned at the locked door in anger, reaching for the pillow behind her back, she buried her face in it and muffled her fake crying sounds and grunts. She then stood up and dragged herself to the bathroom, mumbling a few words in annoyance, 'could this day get any worse?' she asked herself, as she got so engrossed on her bad day, she slipped and fell with her face down on the tiled floor she forgot to mop yesterday "ouch!!!!"she yelled to herself, she stood up fast and felt pain in her toes, she walked towards the mirror and saw not just her broken nose, but her bruised eye as well, grunting in anger, she reached for the mop by the edge of the wall and started wiping the floor, cleaning the blood stains as fast as she could. Luckily, she finished on time and went back to the sink, she brushed her aching teeth and went to shower, she had a quick bath and ran out of the bathroom in fear of meeting her mother standing right outside the door, searching through the wardrobe for a black dress she found none, but an old navy blue dress she got from Aunt Milly two years back during Easter, having no other choice, she wore it in a rush noticing how tight it had become and rushed down stairs.
Kia got downstairs and leaped as fast as she could towards the breakfast table, she reached out for the slice of bread and stuffed it in her mouth.
"Cave girl!!!" her little brother yelled along with her Dad as they came downstairs.
"Ve.....ry....fu...nny" she replied with her muffled voice
"Alright guys, sit down for breakfast. Remember, we have to be on time, I don't want to be late" Kia's Mom said behind her.
"KIA!!! how many times will I tell you?! no bare feet down stairs" her mother looked at her with a frown. Kia looked down at her feet and remembered that she had been in a rush and forgot her shoes. " And why are you wearing a navy blue dress, don't you have a black one?"her mother asked while filling up her mug of black coffee.
"oh..well, yes I don't have one."
"Well thank God, we'll be going to Milly's place, you'll exchange the gown there"
Kia gave her Dad a bored 'seriously' look before turning her back to go get her shoes but just as she did so, a random person saw her injury.
"Daddy look, Kia fought a pole and got knocked out, she has a pretty black eye too" Leo said and laughed.
"Oh yeah, it's true...."her Dad agreed "what happened?"
"Must have slipped I'm sure, go upstairs and get your shoes and the heat balm, we're leaving now" Kia's Mom said
"ohh Laura, sun's not out yet let's wait a bit, I mean we're not even done with breakfast yet"
"I'm not repeating myself again, five minutes" and her mother walked out of the house. Her Dad shook his head at her mother and stood up to arrange his suit, Leo ran around the living room and Kia went upstairs,her shoes were not neatly polished but they still shone well. She put them on with her aching toes 'a few hours right? won't hurt too much' and rushed downstairs. Nobody was in the house meaning they had left her behind, "KIA!!!!" she heard her mother calling from the carpark and ran out, she went into the family car, a sienna with sea green color, she went to stay at the back with Leo.
"Black eye" leo joked
"keep quiet" Kia snapped
"No noise and apply your balm Kia. Put on your seatbelts too" Vic said as she drove them off to Milly's home.