Fifteen years old Marissa was seen hurriedly preparing breakfast, before her mother gets up to find out that it's not done yet.
She had overslept, and had jumped out of her bed in fear at finding out that not just was she late to work, her mother would soon be up and that would only mean trouble.
"Good morning, mother." She greeted with a smile, as she arranged the food on the dining table, while her mother paid no attention to her but rather made herself busy at the table.
The young girl didn't mind, she understood what her mother was going through and she aimed to be everything she would need, just so she could easily get over the death of her husband.
But then, the breaking sound of the plate on the floor, had her turning frantically to see her mother grabbing the coffee in her hand, and storming all the way where she was.
"What did i do to deserve an ungrateful bitch like you? Do you want to get rid of me desperately, is that it?" Mary yelled, grabbing her by her hair.
"Mother, please..I don't know..m" The young girl cried, not knowing her crime but she screamed in pain when her mother splashed the hot coffee on her right shoulder.
"You are nothing but bad luck, Marrissa. Your father is dead because of you. Why did you kill my husband, why! Why!"
The young girl fell to the floor in tears, the pain of the hot coffee on her shoulder was unbearable, but then the pain in her heart at hearing her own mother tell her that she killed her father was more painful.
"Mother, I'm sorry. Forgive me, I'm sorry." She begged, the young girl begged for her mother's love but then Mary shoved her away from her, her head connected with the tiled floor before everything went dark, but not without her mother's words ringing in her head.
"You killed your father!"
"Ma'am, we are here."
Marissa jerked out of her thoughts,at the loud voice of the driver who had probably been calling her attention for a while, but she's gone in her subspace for her to hear him.
"I'm sorry,"Marissa said, taking out her purse to give the old man his money, but then the old man asked out of concern.
"Are you okay, miss? You don't look fine sitting back there?."
Marissa said nothing, but nodded her head at him, since there's no point trying to start a conversation with a stranger, not that it's going to help either. Besides, she doesn't think anything is going to change either, she was far too stressed to bring up her ugly childhood. Also, she had far more important things to do.
She came down from the car into the dense neighbors, since she's sure that she had the right information on where her mother was living. Marissa had taken a day off from work, surprisingly to which Mr.peters granted her without harassing her.
But instead of her taking the rest she needed, the young girl decided to visit her mother in their old neighborhood. The rumors had gone across town that she remarried, so Marissa has come to see for herself if that was true.
It's been six years since the death of her dad, and also six years since she left home because of her mother's unstable health. Amidst that, she could remember that her parents were the sweetest couples back then in those sweet old days.
Her father's death ruined a lot in her life, first and foremost was her family. She lost the love her mother had for her, since his death, his death questioned her mother's love for her because there's no way any woman who had endured such pain in the labor room, would decide to act the way her own mother did after her father's death.
Six years was enough for her mother to come back to her senses, and realize the wrong she had done. But maybe she's the one who needed to come back to her senses, this woman she called her mother changed abruptly after her father died, when he came out of the rain with his car to come take her back from extra lessons in school. A double-decker ran him over, his body was an eyesore to see at the mortuary.
The memory was still fresh, if anything she lived with her consciences reminding her daily that she's nothing but a murderer just like her mother had accused her.
But then, she had nothing to explain for her coming back to check on her, maybe it had to do with the longing for her to recognize her as her daughter?
She wanted to be loved.
She wanted things to go back to the way it was fifteen years ago, Marissa wanted her life back, and that's why she was standing outside the house where her mother and new family lived.
She peeked from outside, only then did the front door of the gate open and she saw her. Age never really did a number on her, and if anything she looked more happy and content with her life.
Marissa tried knocking, but when she saw who her mother was smiling at she refrained from interrupting the couples. The way she was smiling at her new husband was the way she was with her father.
But then she ruined that happiness.
He's dead because of you!
A voice laughed in her head, and she clutched her heart from the sudden pain she felt, instantly, she regretted coming here.
What was she expecting?
Marissa turned to leave, but the sweet giggle that resonated in the background made her turn instantly to see the little girl in her mother's arms.
She carried the girl in her arms, and was twirling her around with love in her eyes, they looked happy. Her mother was happy.
All these years and she was thinking that she would never move on with her life, but that's so selfish of her to think that.
But her selfishness has made her think that she's out there searching for her, she hoped that she would be looking for her, that she didn't see her as a murderer anymore.
Why did it hurt seeing this?
With no word left to say, Marissa bawled her eyes out before she turned to run but she instead bumped into a hard rock.
"Are you okay?" The man asked, as he held her hand from falling back and that's when she looked up to see that it was her mother's husband.
She retracted her hands immediately, before bending her head low, so as for him to not see the similarities between her and his wife.
"I'm sorry." She said, and with that turned to leave, while he called after her then did she hastened her steps, running with the tears flowing down her porcelain skin.
Truly, did she know that she's nothing but bad luck, just like her mother said.