Chapter 2

Giving one last long look to her friend Eve, who was sitting at the corner facing her back towards rose, Rose sighed and took her leave from the preschool premises.

On the way, Rose was freezing with cold. She walked through the chilled wind silently looking at her feet, then suddenly another gush of cold breeze brushed pass her cheeks.

She looked around and found herself  in the great abundance of nature. It was cold and chilly but the view was mesmerising everything glistening under the thin sunlight. She gazed as far as her vision goes, taking her through high mountains to the valleys ahead to shimmering river downstream. She was surrounded by the beauty which seems unreal in this time of winter.

As the days start to get a little shorter and hazier it was easy to lose sight of this breathtaking wonders. At that time all one need was a little shift in perspective of their vision to see the beauty of winter. A complete magic beyond our imagination.

Looking towards the direction of hills she closed her eyes peacefully for some moments her head was clear no worry, fight, money nothing mattered.

After a while of walking she was now back at the Hustle and bustle of the village and was walking through the ever crowded place the 'market'. Where people exchange goods and gossips, People need less but they want more. They gossip about others forgetting how many ups and downs there own life has. People of this society just need a little spark of gossip to ruin someone's life in order to entertain themselves and to forget the reality.

Rose always excused herself when it comes to futile gossips because saying something behind their back is no bravery. If you can't say that in front of their faces you have no right to say that behind their backs.

Walking on the long path filled with so many people around her but no one to whom she could unwind her heart to. Rose stopped in front of few shops to buy meat and vegetables for the next day.

When she reached her home she was exhausted by the thought of her friend she couldn't handle it anymore it was more than enough for one day.

Upon entering the house both the twins were flapping their hand at eachother. Sighing to herself she completely ignored them and started walking to the stairs.

"Hey" called Albert "Why aren't you saying anything?" He asked while Adele kept flapping her hands more aggressively at her brother.

Rose stared at them annoyingly "Why in the world a human would care about what two animals are doing? you two always fight like cats and dogs even though you are twins and you look exactly the same

"I'm offended sister" said Adele "we don't look alike because he looks like a monkey."

Scoffing and murmuring to himself Albert went back to cook their lunch.

When she got inside her room all she could think was Eve's decision.

An hour had passed since then, when Adele came to her room and shouted "launch is ready" Rose stood up from her desk and went downstairs. She cleaned the table for lunch.

After a while when everything was on the table three of them sat on the table and started eating.

"This chicken is good" said Rose. Albert looked at her big sister who complemented his cooking. With his head held high he said "It's not just any chicken it's 'rustic chicken gravy' with lot's of spring onions."

Adele rolled her eyes at him and Rose regretted complimenting him after seeing how smug he suddenly is. The sisters kept on eating as Albert kept telling how good of a cook he had become.

Children were gathering in shallow's backyard for learning dance, Rose quickly dried her hand after washing the dishes. She removed her apron and rushed to her backyard.

Albert looked across from the kitchen window with bundle of dried clothes in his hands, his elder sister was dancing with so much elegance that he smiled at her direction with pleasure.

He started folding the clothes one by one very neatly, while folding his own pants he realised there was something in his pocket it was his notes. He  borrowed his classmate's book and that paper which had all his notes is not a paper anymore it has become a useless crumpled globe.

He shouted "Adele! Adele! Adele!"

A voice from his mother's room came "what? I'm cleaning right now." it was his younger sister's voice.

Albert was so angry he shouted on top of his lungs "COME HERE RIGHT NOW."

"Oh god! what happened?" she huffed.

"You just had one job and you couldn't do that properly" he said angrily throwing that mess of a paper at her feet.

Adele was confused she picked the thing he just threw at her, she was quick to notice it seems like a piece of paper which was soaked in water and then dried up in sun.

She looked around the dried laundry which she did this afternoon and guilt rushed through her face.

"I'm sorry I know it must be something important but it was just a piece of paper, move on." she apologized sarcastically.

Albert looked at her and said furiously "move on, MOVE ON" He walked past her took out one of her painting from the wall put it on the kitchen slab and splashed her painting with spatula full of gravy.

Adele's eyes watered with tears as her brother stood there with spatula in his hand.

"Why would you do that?" questioned Adele.

He looked at her with innocent gaze and replied "why are you crying? Oh I'm sorry but it's just a piece of paper, move on."

He continued with his harsh tone "you are just a good for nothing you can't even do the laundry properly, you are just a burden to us. Do you think your drawing will make a difference in our lifes?."

Finishing her dance lesson Rose opened her backyard door and there was her sister crying holding her painting in her hand, her painting was dripping with gravy.

She was shocked when she looked at the other side of the room where her brother Albert was standing with a spatula in his hand.

Adele looked at her elder sister standing at the entrance and she ran out of the house clenching the painting around her chest.

Rose tried to stop her but she was long gone.

"Why would you do that? Are out of your mind?" shouted Rose while shutting the door behind her.

He put the spatula on the table with a loud thud "you don't have any idea what she did, I surely understand we can't afford my books but she keeps on burdening me."

"Let me make this clear she is not a burden to us and if any means she is, so are you" replied Rose as harsh as him.

"I'm doing everything I can" said Albert.

"like what? studying that you love, yeah well thank you for doing things that will surely benefit you for your own good." Rose in a mocking tone.

So much time has passed since but Adele was nowhere to seen and Albert just kept on making dinner as nothing happened.

Her mother entered the house smiling forming wrinkles on the side of her eyes "I bought pudding for desert tonight."

Looking at their faces she asked "what's wrong? why are you looking so tensed?"

Rose smiled at her mother and answered "nothing mother, these two got into a fight again nothing to worry about though. I'll take care of them."

Her mother nodded at them leaving the pudding on the table as she went to her room.

The dinner was served but Adele was still nowhere to be seen. Three of them sat on the dinner table waiting for her.

"Mother you should eat." Rose said flipping her mother's plate.

With her hand gesture she stopped Rose and asked "what's going on?"

Before Rose could answer her mother, she interrupted her "she never misses the dinner." Said her mother narrowing her eyes at Albert who sunk lower in his chair.

After finishing her meal, there mother  brooke the silence and ordered "I want my daughter back  before midnight"

She stood from her chair and left the dining room.