Otaku Mode, On

“Emm, be safe!”

“What are you talking about of course I will. Take care, okay? Oh! and remember! Always be happy! Stop frowning! Or you'll get a curse from me!”

“I will!”

“I'll miss you!”

“Don't forget me!”

~

*Sobbing*

“Be happy”

~

“Ate” [Sis]

Hm?

“Mikasa!”

Not that dream again.

“Eliah!!”, Mama called from downstairs.

I shake my head in an attempt to sober me up from the dream. I could never make sense of it.

“Margaret” she called, frustrated.

That's my third name, I don't particularly hate it nor do I love it. Meaning, mama is not particularly happy either.

Why can't I have some peace! Geez.

When the calling stopped and even though I know mama's not done yet, I let myself relax more. And for the love of my second name, just as I felt, me and my bed become one. My white oak door burst open.

“Young lady..”

Atleast she's not mama.

“Can you, Eliah Mikasa Margaret Cruz, get your butt off your bed, eat your breakfast and help us in the yard?”

I should be used to it since this is a weekly scenario but, wow, for this child to demand things to me. Just, wow. Nonetheless, I snuggled more unto my haven, relieved that its not the boss impatiently standing over me.

She sighed, knowing that there's nothing can come between me and my bed. "Mikasa, please, don't make this hard for me" Shizuku pleaded. Oh, to hear her plead.

Despite that, despite their redundant threat, I still remain undisturbed. Why would I let them do otherwise? It's a Saturday, for Kaneki's sake!

“Mama's almost done with the roses. We need you to trim the grass and-”, she trailed. I ever slightly opened my eyes to her hesitation. And I know why. “You still have to shape the bushes like how pap-”, I stood, cutting her words as I do so.

My feet collided with the cold wooden floor and I resist to shiver. I brush my toes under my bed to feel my slippers that always manages to get there despite my efforts to leave them exposed. Also, I want to breathe and let the surfacing memory of him, disperse.

Shizuku remain silent eyeing my lazy progress. I can already feel her judging my every move.

“Alright then, I'll be at the yard. You go and eat your breakfast first” I lift my head to see her leave, half expecting her to look guilty and half, well, she wouldn't be my sister if her intentions were pure. So just my luck, I see her smirking on her way out, sprinting.

,

The child has once again used my trauma to her advantage. Female dog.

But I have to admit, its helping me recover. I know, weird right? But it works.

I sighed, scratching my head as I force myself to stand and resist the temptation of my bed's inviting warmth. I may or may not have shed a tear. I did my routine; made the bed, bath, clothed myself, rosary, sweep the floor and the most important part of my day:

“Good morning little ones" I whispered to their small stucture, the morning breeze caressing their ever tiny leaves. Touching my face with an icy care as they pass through my open window. With the sun shining brightly, the cold wind of the early morn, the bonsais healthy and green remained the same. All but the space beside me. making it feel more empty than ever. I miss him. My throat tightens as the nostalgic scene touched my treasured memory of the person. Resurfacing once again. I tried to push the emotions like I always do but I guess I can let myself break in front of the precious living things that we once grew together.

For now.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Perspire dropping from my forehead, I struggle to trim the last section of the grass for it resides on the corner with the empty cemented flower bed.

I knew I should have stopped mama from buying these.

Speak of the devilish beauty, “Ate, where's your sarok [weaved hat]? Its too hot for you to be bare like that. If you sweat and start wheezi- I'm telling you anak [my child] ” she trailed, emphasizing her concern.

“Yeah, yeah, I got it mama, no need to worry.” I laughed a bit as I heaved myself to stand, turning on my heels to head inside the house. But suddenly stopping as I witness a blond head skipping her way to me, holding what I intend to fish inside my room.

“Here, figure that you'll get scolded and end up getting this all the way to your room. So, to avoid that and because I love you and knowing that you're a lazy butt, I got it for you myself”, she cheekily stated, with teeth showing but definitely not out of generousity. “You're welcome”

“Geez, if only I knew you would state the obvious..” I said putting pressure on the word “I will still let you get it”

I took the straw hat out of her grasp not able to handle the heat any longer. I started pacing back to finish my work when my loving sister just had to open her foul mouth once again.

“Lazy ass”

Now, she just had to have a comment with a cuss! Not that it would irritate me on a daily basis but remembering what she did earlier in my room. I had enough.

“Shut it bleached head, its not like you actually got this for me.” I said referring to my hat.

“Excuse me? I was never a liar missy.” she gasped oh so dramatically. Glancing on the direction where my mama's at.

Chicken

Liar my butt, she's an otaku who's been eyeing my straw hat like a dang predator for weeks ever since I purchased it. Luffy's straw hat, with a friendly price and a quality like no other, was one heck of a hunt.

Mama glanced our way with a shadow of a smile on her face. Enjoying the nonsense exchange of insults.

That kind of motivates me to further tolerate this petty argument.

I raised my eyebrows for a more intimidating image. Knowing very much that this would pressure her to spit things out.

Her glare faltered and she mumbles, “I thought its okay if I borrowed it for awhile” fidgeting with her pigtails.

She's 15 by the way.

I crossed my arm to take even more dominance “You thought? ”

She pursed her lips, agitated. Finally she sighed, giving up too early for my amusement. “Fine, whatever. I'm sorry, I guess” she said turning around to hide her annoyance.

The pride of this child. What could be more of this, she hasn't even reached 18.

“What's that? You know I can't here you when you're mumbling.” I said pushing the argument even further only to amuse my mother.

I can actually hear her whisper, *female dog*, but with the not so child-friendly synonym. If you know what I mean.

She turned around with her stare of daggers, ready to shower me her vocabulary of profanities. Should I remind her mama's still here?

That would be boring.

“You heard me” she threatened. With her ginourmous ego, I almost forgot she has other issues going on, her incredibly short patience with me.

“I would never lie missy” I said imitating her own words earlier. Taste that bleached head. Just as I know she's gonna run and throw her flipflop at me dusty gloves blocked my vision.

“Okay, that's the farthest you can go. Stop.” mama said placing her palms inches away from our faces. I'm pretty sure she's doing this for us to calm down without the other party's face but mostly, so she can cover her unwavering smirk that is threatening to break for a laugh. She breathe in an attempt to surpress her amusement “We should finish up for lunch. Hurry up and finish your assignment. Eliah, you still have a lot to do, so double time. This is what you get for sleeping in missy” She almost laugh at her own impression of my sister but for my short tempered sister's sake, she had to suck it in once more. “I'll leave you two hot head here. I'll be in the kitchen, cooking.” she said taking her dirty gloves along with her garden tools to the garage.

“Oh come on, mama. She was making fun of me!”, Shizuku whinned.

Mama sighed,“You're big enough to argue it shouldn't trouble you to sort it out yourself. I'm getting old so you two do that.” she said brushing off Shizuku's wailing. Once she was satisfied with her arrangement, she faced us with her biggest smile. “I love you my piglets!”

If her reprimands and demands didn't do it, that last statement clearly did. Shizuku's glare softens with my mother's sentiment. At least there's one thing that me and her both agree about, we are a sucker for mama.

And the next thing didn't even boil any disgust and hate to start “We love you too ma” we both said at the same time. In sync.

She smiled even more, making her wrinkles show. She is indeed aging, beautifully aging. She knew dang well she did the job of calming whatever is left in the argument.

“Now get back to work” she said. Waving her hands, dismissively.

“I really hate that endearment” she said after mama went in the front door. There was no actual meaning to her words. “If you can even call it that. Piglet. The heck is that, I'm not even fat” she kept mumbling knowing very much she can't do so much with the nickname.

I scoffed “Shut up, you love it.. ” I trailed, purposely hanging the words in the air.

She turned to me slowly, as if expecting what is to come.

“Piglet”

The next thing I knew, I was running away from a flying neon flipflop.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

“Nice work with the poodle” Shizuku complimented pointing at the trimmed bush while handing me a glass of water from kitchen. I'm still not done yet so I had to finish first before going in.

“Thanks” I said accepting her genuineness. Despite the shade the garage's roof provides, she still has my Luffy hat on.

Okay, I might be a bully but I know when to step down.

“How's mama doing?”

“Not as bad as we thought. It actually smells nice”

Let's just say, my mama's relationship with the kitchen is not so good. The kitchen would look more of a warzone than an actual one, if given a chance.

“She's been trying ever since” she said, looking faraway into the past. But the pain could never be fresher everytime.

Mama suffered most, despite me thinking otherwise back then. Because of it, I wasn't able consider their pain. Some child and sister I was. I sighed, heaving the weight off again for the third time this day. I could be a freaking weightlifter for all I care. “I guess, she just never knew when to quit”

“I love her” Shizuku said. My sister is never one to soften. With that pride of hers, sincerity is nearly none existent. But for those she deeply cares, though she rarely show it, she would give in. Mama's girl.

“See, you can be jelly sometimes” She looked at me accusingly, sending her disagreement with the adjective used before looking away.

“Psh” she didn't even bother denying it. Development. “Still, that old lady's cooking could never be more pleasant than sand”

Ops. There she is. Barely lasted a minute.

I felt a disturbing presence behind me sending cold shiver down my spine. I resist the urge to do the sign of the cross and just solemly started praying for my sister's soul.

May I be saved from this inconvenience. Have mercy on my soul.

“Well, how about you start eating sand from now on? How does that sound young lady?”

Funny how Shizuku used that word earlier on me, intending to imitate mama. Look how the tables turned.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Lunch was pleasant. I don't know about Shizuku but it was pleasant. We are stacking the utensils from our lunch when the house telephone rang from the hallway.

“I got it!”, mama said, running out of sight. She might be 50 but her body is 25.

“Mama's improving”, she said not looking up from collecting plates.

“Told you, its only the sauce this time.”

She quickly spared a glanced on the direction our mother left before stating, “I still remember the last time she made this”, she scrunch her nose to the memory. “I'm pretty sure I was eating sand” she carefully whispered.

A flash on that event came to view in my head. And gave me my day worth of serotonin.

I had to stop my hysterical madness when mama started calling me. Almost biting my tongue. “Ate! Mrs. Stevenson's asking for you”

Mrs. Stevenson?

I breathe in to try and collect whats left from my composure as I walk out of the dinning room, confused.

Mama handed me the telephone. Eyeing me suspiciously. I may have looked red from all that. “Hello?”

“Ah, hello, is this Eliah Cruz?” a really feminine voice asked.

“Yes, this is Eliah. How may I help you Mrs. Stevenson?”, I said more casually.

“Oh yes, we were actually wondering if you're free tonight.”, she said. I didn't notice it before but there's definitely an accent on her. She has some trouble pronouncing the Rs.

“Sure, I have nothing planned”

“Perfect. I was hoping you would babysit my daughter. My neighbor Marie, recommends you and Liam confirms that”

I laughed a bit but then I remebered, I don't know any Stevenson in that neighborhood and I know most of the families there. “Marie did that?” I laughed. “Sure thing Mrs. Stevenson, just tell me your address and the time”

“Oh, we're just right next to Marie's house. I forgot the street's name but we're just next door. And with the time, is 7 okay with you?”

No one lives in that house anymore. I guess they bought it. Neat. I used to scare kids away from that house, especially every time Liam, Marie's son, would rebel to sleep.

If you won't sleep, those sleep bugs from next door would bring their mother and taunt you in your dreams and when you wake up all you can see is their bloodthirsty eyes that could paralyse you with sight alone. You want that? You got 30 mins. kid.

Good memories.

“Eliah?”

“Yes, yes. Uh, yes, 7 is good" spacing out on an employer is just what I need. Note the sarcasm here, please.

Mrs. Stevenson actually laughed “Okay.” there was silence next. Perfect. “Oh and Eliah-”

Her voice cut, and I heard calling from the background. Inaudible conversation is happening on the other line and I have the sudden urge to put the phone on the table. It feels like eavesdropping. Though, I can't here anything.

Except for this one line.

“Sugo soko ni ite”

Be right there in a minute. I understood it. Wide and Clear. I understood. Holyyyy..

Chill!

“So, I guess we're all settled?” she asked.

“Y-yes, definitely, Mrs. Stevenson” I stuttered.

“Thank you Eliah...”, she said not minding the obvious stutter. She paused for bit.“I don't know what to do without you” her tone is faraway. Like she's remembering somthing. Her words meant something else other than what would have been applicable for the situation at hand. What is it? That I don't know.

“No worries, Mrs. Stevenson. I am a babysitter”, I laughed all but joking.

“Right..” She trailed. The hint of sadness in her voice is clear, even through a phone call.

She probably missed her previous home.

“Uh, so, I'll excuse myself now. Bye Eliah”, she said.

“Okay. Bye, Mrs. Stevenson”, I said hesitating.

The whole conversation was weird. But my mind is elsewhere.

I went to the kitchen to drink some water but I felt eyes on me. I didn't noticed them when I entered.

“What happened to you?”, Shizuku asked, searching my face.

“I'm guessing Mrs. Stevenson asked you to babysit but with the look you're having, tells me there's more to it. What is it?”, mama demanded.

I gulped the water down, walking towards them. I shrugged, “I don't know..”, I trailed, sitting down next to Shizuku. “But I felt something weird” I mosteriously said.

I felt their confused gaze on me. “By the way, I got a gut feeling that Mrs. Stevenson's a Japanese”, I said, nonchalantly. Like I'm not affected by the probability for it to be true.

I smirk when I saw bleached head's confuse gaze turned into shock in the corner of my eye.

“A gut feeling?”, Shizuku asked. Pressing.

“We'll see”. I'll eventually know.

Can't wait.

But I have to celebrate this uncertain claim with my weeb girls first.

Weeb mode, on.