Status: Perhaps, Indefinitely Paused?
Who Said Life Was Easy?
Chapter Two
It's the year 1996, my brother and I are watching Dragon Ball Z in the living room, sitting on the carpeted floor. I was only 5 years old, he was 11.
"EEEEEEDDDGRRRRRR! Ehhhhhhdduuhhhgaaaarrr! I don't wanna watch this! Change it! Change it! Change it!" The small pig-tailed girl begins to crawl on the floor in circles around Edgar, her older brother. "Ehhhhhdddddgggrrrr!" Her head is held down as she simultaneously tries to touch her chin to her chest and chant her brother's name.
"Quit it, Nena!" He shoves her head to the side causing her to fall beside him. The couch at her back.
"Fine." Nena exasperatedly whispers, her left pigtail falling on her face. She's still lying on the ground, although peeking out between the strands of her hair to watch the screen. "Phfffff," she blows her hair. Up, down. Now in her mouth. Swipe away. "Phffffff!" Up, down.
"STOP!" Edgar turns his head and glares. She furrows her eyebrows and glares back.
"You always get to watch what you want," she grumbles, maintaining her angry scowl even though her brother has long gone back to watching DBZ.
They both look up as they hear the sound of dishes crashing against the wall, followed by the familiar screaming of their mother.
"YOU'RE LYING!" Crash. "DO YOU THINK I'M A FUCKING IDIOT?!?!" Crash.
"CONTROL YOURSELF, ANA!" Dad steps back, turning the corner, out of the kitchen into the dining room, right in their line of view.
Crash.
Edgar jumps to his feet, grabbing Nena's wrist and yanking her on her own. "Let's GO!!"
He pulls her into the small cramped bedroom they shared, slamming the door and locking it. His grip on her wrist not letting up, but now hugging her tightly against the door. Squeezing her. Her own arms trapped, wrapped around herself.
The young girl's sobs are causing her to uncontrollably shake. Unable to wipe away her tears as they stream down her face. Vision blurred. Adrenaline and fear coursing through her body.
Venomous words seeping in through the cracks of the door coupled with Goku's own television battle.
Edgar rests his forehead on the back of her head, "Don't worry. Alright? I'll let you pick what we watch next. How's that sound, huh? Don't worry. It's okay." His embrace reassuringly tighter, his voice shaking.
An ear-piercing scream. "No, NO! PLEASE!" The shrieks slicing through their skin, penetrating their very beings.
It's mom.
Dad's furious voice breaks the momentary silence. "YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND, DO YOU?!?"
Nena is frantically gasping for breath in between sobs, "We have to help mom!"
"No, no! She's fine. She's okay."
And then it started. A pounding at the door, mom's hands hitting desperately against it. "EDGAR! Open the door, baby!" Each slam vibrating against their bodies. "C'mon! EDGAR, PLEASE!"
"Mommy!" Nena yelps as she reaches for the door knob.
Edgar quickly covers his little sister's mouth, pulling her away, "Shhhh. Shhh." His back now pressing hard against the door, holding her against him. Trying to keep the door steady.
"Nena, baby! Mommy needs your help!" Heart-wrenching sobs are breaking her pleas. "OPEN THE DOOR!"
Nena cries even harder, Edgar's grip hurting her arms and face. "Mommy needs help." But no one understands her muffled words. No one can hear her over the sounds of their mother's supplications.
Outside the pleas suddenly sound farther away. The dragging sound fading. Mom is begging and pleading. Crying. Edgar yanks Nena into the closet, shutting the door, covering her ears.
"It's okay. It's okay." But even he doesn't believe the words he's choking out as tears fall down his face.
"EEEEEEDDDGRRRRRR! Ehhhhhhdduuhhhgaaaarrr! I don't wanna watch this! Change it! Change it! Change it!" The small pig-tailed girl begins to crawl on the floor in circles around Edgar, her older brother. "Ehhhhhdddddgggrrrr!" Her head is held down as she simultaneously tries to touch her chin to her chest and chant her brother's name.
"Quit it, Nena!" He shoves her head to the side causing her to fall beside him. The couch at her back.
"Fine." Nena exasperatedly whispers, her left pigtail falling on her face. She's still lying on the ground, although peeking out between the strands of her hair to watch the screen. "Phfffff," she blows her hair. Up, down. Now in her mouth. Swipe away. "Phffffff!" Up, down.
"STOP!" Edgar turns his head and glares. She furrows her eyebrows and glares back.
"You always get to watch what you want," she grumbles, maintaining her angry scowl even though her brother has long gone back to watching DBZ.
They both look up as they hear the sound of dishes crashing against the wall, followed by the familiar screaming of their mother.
"YOU'RE LYING!" Crash. "DO YOU THINK I'M A FUCKING IDIOT?!?!" Crash.
"CONTROL YOURSELF, ANA!" Dad steps back, turning the corner, out of the kitchen into the dining room, right in their line of view.
Crash.
Edgar jumps to his feet, grabbing Nena's wrist and yanking her on her own. "Let's GO!!"
He pulls her into the small cramped bedroom they shared, slamming the door and locking it. His grip on her wrist not letting up, but now hugging her tightly against the door. Squeezing her. Her own arms trapped, wrapped around herself.
The young girl's sobs are causing her to uncontrollably shake. Unable to wipe away her tears as they stream down her face. Vision blurred. Adrenaline and fear coursing through her body.
Venomous words seeping in through the cracks of the door coupled with Goku's own television battle.
Edgar rests his forehead on the back of her head, "Don't worry. Alright? I'll let you pick what we watch next. How's that sound, huh? Don't worry. It's okay." His embrace reassuringly tighter, his voice shaking.
An ear-piercing scream. "No, NO! PLEASE!" The shrieks slicing through their skin, penetrating their very beings.
It's mom.
Dad's furious voice breaks the momentary silence. "YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND, DO YOU?!?"
Nena is frantically gasping for breath in between sobs, "We have to help mom!"
"No, no! She's fine. She's okay."
And then it started. A pounding at the door, mom's hands hitting desperately against it. "EDGAR! Open the door, baby!" Each slam vibrating against their bodies. "C'mon! EDGAR, PLEASE!"
"Mommy!" Nena yelps as she reaches for the door knob.
Edgar quickly covers his little sister's mouth, pulling her away, "Shhhh. Shhh." His back now pressing hard against the door, holding her against him. Trying to keep the door steady.
"Nena, baby! Mommy needs your help!" Heart-wrenching sobs are breaking her pleas. "OPEN THE DOOR!"
Nena cries even harder, Edgar's grip hurting her arms and face. "Mommy needs help." But no one understands her muffled words. No one can hear her over the sounds of their mother's supplications.
Outside the pleas suddenly sound farther away. The dragging sound fading. Mom is begging and pleading. Crying. Edgar yanks Nena into the closet, shutting the door, covering her ears.
"It's okay. It's okay." But even he doesn't believe the words he's choking out as tears fall down his face.