Robertsport, Liberia
CniDaria-15
My mother was looking as elegant as ever wearing a sundress that only complimented her curves. My father was wearing the same get up as our man but a lot cleaner and newer. I guess they could afford to look the way they did considering their skin color. Only my mother's beauty stood out but what beautiful woman doesn't? They look so happy and refreshed, much more than I ever seen them. It irked me. How could they look this way when their children were scavenging just to stay alive?
"My dear friends," The white man started as they all sat down. "It seems like Liberia is treating you well, did you finish your mission? The job with commissioner of commerce?" My father speaks up.
"Of course, like always, but you saw the papers, tragic suicide. Never knew we were there."
"Wow, perfect professionals as always but you guys look good. You're glowing! This is a far stretch from how I usually see you. You're usually stressed out, uptight, and frustrated. Is the insurance money from Freetown doing good for y'all?" I flinched a little, the man was acting weird and unnatural. This was not his character to be bright, he's sarcastic not complemental. My mother's eyes narrowed as she spoke.
"I can't tell if you're being serious or your usual arrogant rudeness. Although ever since we had those ignorant racists burn down all our properties that we indirectly owned and cut out an annoying expense we've never been happier. Just like the company suggested. That's something that your fiery tongue can't ever take away from us. Our debts cleared, retirement ready, and all the money we need to enjoy each other's company. We just work for fun now." Laughing the man responded.
"Ah you see right through me Shaun, but now you know the joy I have all the time in not having kids. I hate responsibility." My father starts to get up.
"I agree but before we conclude our business give me some time to use the bathroom. I've been holding it for hours" at that time the man phone starts to ring.
"By all means, I need to take this call we'll conclude when you come back". He walks off in the opposite direction from my father, leaving my mother sitting there. All three were now isolated and I didn't hesitate. My body just moved, I didn't need further explanation. It may have been the peak of noon but with this many people and as much that was going on I followed my father. Throwing the gun, he gave us in the bushes and picked up a steak knife on a nearby room service cart. A gun was too noisy in this situation, and I didn't want to owe that man anything. I looked back at my little brother to see him frozen looking heartbroken. It didn't change what I felt like I had to do. I wasn't disposal trash; I wasn't some damn account that had to be wiped. I am a human being, and I wanted revenge. I made sure not to be noticed by the hotel staff as I walked towards the men's bathroom. I ducked as I opened the door praying that the mirror wasn't directly behind the door. I was lucky, he was brushing his hair in the mirror to the right of me. He didn't look around as the door opened, I guess the disadvantage of a public bathroom is that you expect there to be people to be coming in and out. I quickly got behind him and put the knife to his throat. I hid my face behind his back looking up at the back of his neck. I could see him look in the mirror at the hand that threatened his life. Softly and remorsefully, he spoke to me.
"My sweet and beautiful CniDaria, I would recognize that hand anywhere. Daddy's litt-" I slit his throat before he got the chance to sweet talk his way out of anything.
"Save it, you piece of shit." As he bled out on the floor, coughing, choking up blood, eyes full of surprise. I bet he thought he could easily talk me down. I wasn't in the mindset to give him a chance. I wiped the blood off of the knife on his shirt and knelt down to kiss him on the forehead. The same forehead kiss he gives me whenever he says goodbye. Well, gave. I stand up to leave when I hear a motherly voice in my ear piece.
"You've grown Thylonius, you'll be quite the man someday" I rushed outside to find chaos, the lobby was full of screaming and people running, with my brother face covered with a dinner napkin standing in front of our mother gun to her temple. "So, what brought about my son aiming a…. ahhhhh" she closed her eyes in understanding "This is why he was acting so weird before, asking such obvious questions. Well go ahead you fucking, disgusting parasite. Shoot me, shoot me you little bit-"
"Mom, stop speaking please." His voice turned cold as ice. There was no warmth in his voice, and I could tell from mother's gaze that the loving eyes that my brother always had was gone too. The room started to shake, you could hear silverware shaking, the ground shifting. "I love you but" he shot her twice in the head "you don't even deserve to hear a reason" Blood and pieces of brain spattered all over him, I immediately ran forward and grabbed his hand and pulled him out of the chaos that was the hotel lobby. We ran away, weaving through crowds as police sirens echoed throughout the air. We had to get out there but there was too much chaos to know where we even were.
"Follow me."
That gnawing voice again, but I obediently followed him until we slipped into a tavern cellar away from the chaos. Pulling Ty along with me.
"Now that was entertaining but honestly why couldn't you be like your sister and do it quietly"
"She didn't deserve that; I have no regrets." There was a strength in his voice, there was no sign of the timid boy that lived in that apartment in Sierra Leone. I didn't know how I felt about that. In my mind something started to click. Ty is my anchor, I must live to protect him, if my reason for living disappears If I don't need to protect him anymore...I-. I started to feel my mother's blood on my brother's hand that I was still holding, and I started to throw up. My brother hugged me and held me.
"I got you Ny don't ever forget that" he whispered to me with the usual warmth that I was used to. I looked him in the eye and saw what seemed like the same change in his eyes. His eyes were no longer brown but light hazel. They were returning back to their dark brown color but I imagine what my mother saw was something similar to what I saw back then. I started to hate my weak self. I was always deluded. I wasn't the big sister I needed to be. I was always being protected by him not the other the way around but no more. Maybe, with what I did today, I switched the roles back even just a little.
"Old man, let us work for you and educate us" He looked at me in disbelief and started laughing.
"Why aren't you a live wire, but no I don't do kids, I just used you to get my mission done. I have no use for kids who do such a sloppy work and causing this much trouble. I'm done with you two."
"We have value to you" my brother speaks and the coldness returns. "we're unregistered naive children who don't exist on any government database because we are presumed dead. We already burnt any copy of our existence before we escaped from Sierra Leone. We already showed that we have the stomach, judgement, and brains for this line of work. Well, my sister has, and I'll learn. If the benefit of two invisible teens doesn't benefit you in your line of work then I must question your professionalism and foresight." He looked shocked and stayed quiet for a moment considering.
"Fine, I'll take you in but on the conditions that you always bring in more than you cost me and by the end of CniDaria's 18th year you must be able to hold your own in the real world. Deal?" My brother looks at me and gives me the floor to answer. I found no problems with it.
"Deal" that gives me three years to kill the man who shattered my world. "What's your name by the way?"
"Just call me Lucius."