TUESDAY, 22nd APRIL 2022.
6:30 AM.
The rising sun cast a rosy hue across the morning sky and could have so easily seeped into Elena's room if the thick curtains weren't drawn.
The day dawned crisp and clear, yet she was still in deep sleep, unaware. But that was until the alarm she had set the previous night went off.
'Bzzzt…bzzzt…bzzzt.'
Elena stirred in her sleep as the piercing sound of the alarm clock on the nightstand brought her back from the beauty of slumber.
She wriggled her sheets and stretched her arms and legs within the cosy warm haven that was her bed. A deep breath fell off her nostrils as her body came to a halt. Her lashes fluttered open the next second.
With the annoying sound ringing close to her ear, Elena had no choice but to sit up and reach out to shut the damn thing off.
She exhaled through her mouth this time around and shut her eyes again tiredly to mentally prepare herself to get off the bed. When she was ready, she got out from under her duvet and went straight to push the lemon-green curtains aside.
No great view awaited her from the window. Her neighbourhood was for the poor living in the capital city.
Elena took one glance at the serene before leaving for her bathroom while pulling the hair bonnet protecting her long locks off her head. As soon as she finished using the toilet and brushing her teeth, she returned to her bedroom.
Next, she picked up her phone from the nightstand and returned to bed. As she settled in, her gaze fell on the time displayed on her phone screen. "Mum must be awake now," she mumbled to herself as she quickly went to the chat App and clicked on the contact saved with a heart emoji.
Without wasting time, Elena dialled the number and left the phone to ring for a long time before the call was answered.
"Hey, Ma." She smiled while waving her hand.
The woman at the other end smiled brightly and waved her hand as well. "How are you, Elena? Are you just waking up?" Marie Yang could see the headboard her daughter was relaxing her back on and made the guess.
"Uhm… not really. I woke up a few minutes ago," Elena quickly replied as she crossed her leg over the other. She was a bit nervous about her mother's thoughts on her waking up late, but to her surprise, there was no telling off.
"I guess you were exhausted yesterday. How was your first day at work?" Marie inquired since she didn't get to speak with her the previous day.
Elena went on to state how normal her first day was, leaving the unnecessary details out of it.
"Ma, I'm sorry I didn't reach out yesterday. I know it was irresponsible of me," Elena apologized with guilt in her tone. Her brows wrinkled as a slight frown contoured her face.
At the other end, Marie was silent for half a minute, studying her to read everything including her thoughts and her emotions before letting out a soft sigh.
"Elena, I know you are trying to settle into a new environment, but that doesn't mean you should forget your duty. Mia has been asking to speak to you since. I hate to see her cry for her mother."
Marie continued to chide her for a bit longer until she got tired of talking. "Anyway, I will leave it that. You have to try to speak to your daughter at least once a day."
"I will." Elena wiped a tear from her cheek. Her eyes were already teary, but she tried to compose her emotions. She was glad that her mother understood and gave her some time to pull herself together.
"Mum, where is Mia? Is she awake?" she asked, her tone softening while inquiring about her daughter.
Hearing that question, Marie tilted her head to the side Elena couldn't see. "Mia? Mia dear?" she called out lovingly. "Mia, your mother is on the phone, come quickly but don't run."
It didn't take long for the little girl to run over despite her grandmother's warning. "Mummy?" she asked with a big bright smile as she clutched Marie's arm, asking for the phone to be brought down to her height.
Mia was a toddler of about 3-5 years. The little girl looked pretty in that twin French plaits that were held by pink ribbons close to the tip.
There was no doubt that she was the younger version of Elena.
With her granddaughter's tugging, Marie put down the phone on the table with a smile that reached her eyes before picking her up. On the other hand, Elena felt like a fishbone got stuck in her throat when she suddenly couldn't see anyone's face apart from the ceiling.
Fortunately, she felt relieved when her mother picked up the phone again, and there on the screen, she could see her beautiful girl's face along with her mothers'.
"Hey, baby!" Elena's eyes brightened as her face broke into a broad smile. "How are you?"
"Mummy!" Mia grinned from the other end and went on to snatch the phone from her grandmother. There was a little instability before the little girl positioned the camera on her face. "I-I am fine, thank you. What about you? You said you would call yesterday."
"I'm sorry," Elena quickly explained with a smile. "Mummy was caught up with work, and when I was free, it was too late to call."
"Really?" Mia asked while staring wide-eyed at her mother. Elena was amused, but she didn't forget to reply. "Yes. Remember, I made a promise not to lie to you, so I would never go back on my word."
"Okay." Finally, the little girl relented. She trusted her mother. "Have you had breakfast yet?" Elena inquired.
Immediately, the little girl shook her head. "No. Ma wants to prepare oats for breakfast, but I want fried chicken."
The smart toddler followed her mother to call Marie, 'Ma' instead of grandmother.
"That's what she has been saying since she found out what I would be making for breakfast," Marie chimed in while putting her face on the camera.