ARGUMENT-E

Astrid met up with Enlil and Girra at the Route 3 bus stop as promised. Enlil offered to pack dinner for her, but she refused. Her mind was jumbled, and her heart was aching for the disproportion of wealth in Anubia. She could not belive her friend had to bear the brunt of being poor. So much for God's helping. Bull crap! She thought. Her thoughts were gnawing at her, anger was spiking with each passing minute.

Enlil noticed Astrid being awfully quiet and nudged her shoulder playfully. Astrid was lost in her music. She did not notice at first and Enlil nudged her again. She simply glared at him.

`What's wrong? Got your knickers in a twist?', he joked. Girra smiled at them.

Astrid kept mum. Enlil's smile faded from his face and he held her shoulders to motion her to stop walking.

`Hey, you want to talk?', Enlil spoke seriously this time and yanked her ear pods away.

Astrid shook her head and pushed his hands away. Enlil did not let go.

`Don't', she gritted her teeth and spoke to him.

`You talk and you get to walk', he bends his head to her eye level and looked into her eyes. That's it, there is a storm of emotions brewing inside her and she is going to snap, he thought.

She tried to push his hands away using the fight techniques he taught her, but he would not budge. After several failed attempts, Astrid went ape shit.

`What the fuck do you think you are doing? You are just some random ass who barge in our lives ruining everything we have and now you just won't let go', she pointed her index finger at him and shouted.

`Why are you angry? What happened in school? Some one-', Enlil was snap shut by her reply.

`No one fucked with me yet. Thanks to you', she used all her energy and managed to shove his chest away from her. He moved a little but held her shoulders firmly.

`What are you talking, Astrid!', Enlil's voice bellowed.

`You said, our kind are supposed to help. Where the fuck were you all this years?', her voice dripped with venom.

`I told you I was away-', Enlil tone down his voice.

`AWAY FORNICATING WITH EVERY LIVING BEING!', she shouted. Girra was surprised at her outburst but kept her distance.

`ENOUGH!', Enlil shouted back.

`NO. It is not fucking enough when you get eaten alive like a fucking goat just because you don't have money. And then the fucking cycle sucks you in and it continues WITH NO EXIT!' Astrid jabbed her fingers at him repeatedly.

`I TOLD YOU I HAVE MONEY. WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU!', Enlil was pissed by now.

`YOU HAVE MONEY BUT NOT ME OR ANYONE ELSE, ENLIL!'

`ARE YOU KIDDING ME ASTRID? IS THIS ABOUT MONEY?', Enlil was enraged.

`This is not about money. You are too fucking dumb to get it!', she turned her face away from him. Her tears of anger were threatening to spill.

`Then make me understand. You bottled up is not good', Enlil pleaded with her.

`UNDERSTAND WHAT ENLIL? There are people out there selling themselves just to make a FUCKING LIVING and here you are ENJOYING YOUR LIFE AWAY like some HIPPIE. WHICH FUCKING PART OF GOD ARE YOU? WHY CAN'T YOU HELP THEM? WHAT IS THE FUCKING POINT OF MENTORING ME AND FLYING AWAY LIKE A WIMP WHEN WE CAN'T REVEAL THIS FUCK TO ANYONE ELSE!', Astrid went bat shit crazy and she did not hold back at all.

`I DON'T WANT ANY OF THIS SHIT ANYMORE. I WANT MY ORDINARY LIFE BACK. I DON'T want you or anyone in OUR lives. I CAN'T BELIEVE I HAVE TO DO FUCKING GARDENING AND TALK TO SOME FUCKING WIND FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE!!!

`And the WORST PART IS I HAVE TO WATCH HER SUFFER JUST TO EARN A DECENT LIVING AND NOT ONLY FOR HERSELF BUT FOR HER SIBLINGS AND I WITH THIS GOD DAMN GIFTS CAN'T DO TWO SHIT ABOUT IT!!!. What would you feel Enlil? Huh? Answer me you BITCH!', she snarled at him and punched him on his chest.

`SHE HAS TO SLEEP WITH RANDOM MAN OUT THERE, WITH NO OUTCOME OF HER FUTURE. What happens if she is killed? What WILL THE GREAT FUCKING ENLIL DO? Bring her back from the dead? Or better idea Back to the Future, HUH?' she punched him repeatedly and he allowed her eyeing her face intently. She was breaking down slowly. Astrid wiped her angry tears away.

`I JUST CAN'T LOVE ONE GUY IN PEACE. HE ENDS UP BEING IN THE SAME FUCKING CYCLE ENLIL. WHY? WHY? WHY? Why is fate so cruel? I have no parents. I lived with that. All the touting, all the bullying I faced them all. WHERE WERE YOU ENLIL? WHERE?', her vision was red, filled with anger and she pounded his chest.

`WHERE WERE YOU THE DAY I ALMOST GOT SCREWED OVER. WEREN'T YOU SUPPOSED TO HELP! I WENT CRAZY ON ALL THOSE therapies, blaming myself! Every day pop was there for me. He NEVER EVER LET ME DOWN. HE WAS THERE WHEN I NEEDED HIM. It has AND WILL ALWAYS BE POP AND ME. You are just here to tap on me and USE ME! YOU AND ENKI ARE THE SAME SON OF BITCHES!', she screamed again, but her punches had stopped by now, and she was trembling by now her adrenaline ran its course.

Astrid cried her heart out. Enlil grabbed her and hug her tight. She struggled to push him, but he did not let go. He leaned on a huge tree root and rubbed her back, soothing her. Girra felt a profound sense of sadness. She has a lot of amends to fix if she were to enter their lives. I need to have a long chat with dad and Enlil. On the surface, it looks good but inside there are a lot of cracks.

Enlil figured 20 minutes passed by but he waited patiently for her to stop crying and speak.

`I am sorry', she squeaked.

`It's alright, Astrid', he sighed.

`So you are sons of bitches?', she looked at him and raised an eyebrow.

`If you feel better, than yes', Enlil smiled warmly at her.

`You got to be fucking kidding me', she chuckled.

Enlil wiped her tears with his thumb and steadied her. She nodded and started walking. Enlil knew she wasn't done and held his tongue. He held Girra's hand and made circling motion on it.

`Can I NOT use these gifts at all? Is there any button I can put a stop to?', Astrid was adamant to get a solution for Matilda Meyer.

`No. There aren't any and I told you that already. Listen, I know there is a lot you want to ask. But Astrid eat something, and we talk. I have all night. And I promise to find a solution for your problem, okay?' Enlil spoke to her and rubbed her arms. Astrid simply nodded.

Once they reached their house, pop greeted Girra happily and hugged for a long time. Astrid saw a tear drop from pop's eyes and she looked away, not wanting to cry again. She dashed to her room and showered. The hot shower eased her anger and she sat down at the dinner table to eat.

Enlil placed some naan bread and lentil curry for her. He prepared fresh orange juice for her and sat down next to her, plopping an elbow on the table. Astrid ate quickly, being hungry and licked her fingers clean. Enlil laughed at her and told her to clean up. She noticed pop was still talking to Girra in a hushed tone and decided to sleep early today. She smiled at Girra and kissed her grandfather's forehead before walking to her room and closing the door behind her.