Until He's Gone

Chapter Ten

"My silence is just another word for my pain. It's not my weakness, it's the beginning of my revenge."
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Pissed off, she turned away and continued walking nervously. I sighed in relief, for I thought she was attempting to hurt me. Whether physical or verbal hurt, both caused pain, and I wasn't ready for either. However, it seemed impossible to hinder my curiosity, so I went on asking, and most probably annoying her.

  "Why are you poor? Don't you have a family?" I asked and thought I sounded foolish.

Suddenly, she gave a sarcastic laugh, "Ha-ha! Family? Don't you see I'm a widow?" she said,     "Well, but I've inherited lots of fortunes after my husband," she added imprudently.

It sounded funny to me that the old woman was actually contradicting herself. "Oh, then what makes you sneak into markets in such situations if you've got all what you'd desire?" I asked as I raised an eyebrow skeptically.

  "Oh! My poor fate!" she complained trying to sound innocent.

  "Your poor fate?" I questioned her more seriously.

  "Yes, little girl. I was robbed by my husband's son, a young filthy boy who wanted to throw me out on the streets without any penny of my husband's fortune!" she growled.

New thoughts flashed through my mind.

A young boy who was her husband's son. How haven't I thought about that!

  "What did you do to him?" I asked.

  "Do to him? Do you think I'm that coward to leave all my fortune to a dumb lad? Well anyway, he was a bad boy after all, so life had its own plans to punish him." A small smile curved her pale mouth, but it wasn't a nice one.

Life is never fair.

  "Oh Ma'am, you're contradicting yourself. You've just said you were poor!" I exclaimed.

Her face flushed and her eyes blazed. She was clearly provoked, but she tried hiding her anger and resumed walking like she'd heard nothing. As to me, I stopped walking and examined her. It was obvious that she was lying about something. She gave me a cold look and yelled, "Go ahead! Stop being foolish! You've got to help me take these bags home. No time to waste!"

No, I can't go ahead. I've got to make sure of my thoughts. I can't be helping someone who doesn't deserve any help.

  "Why did you stop, fool?!" she asked me rudely, and this time, I was the one who eyed her.

  "A young boy?" I asked her seriously as terrible thoughts flashed quickly through my mind.

She shivered but then laughed wickedly, "Yes, the escaping prisoner. God kill him. Haven't you heard of him?"

  My heart ached. God kill him? He's already gone you hag!

Tiny droplets of tears rolled down my cheeks as I thought of him.

  "No," I answered meanly, "I haven't heard of him. But, I've heard of a poor innocent boy whose heartless step-mother took advantage of him," I swallowed the lump forming in my throat. "She hurt him in every single way a person could be hurt," I quoted what Kevin had told me earlier.

Her eyes widened as she stepped back carefully.

I stood firmly and asked, "I've never met the old woman before, but you remind me of her. It's so terrible, isn't it?"

She gasped and threw her stuff to the ground. Immediately, I dropped her stuff too, folded my arms, and raised an eyebrow in victory. I smiled as she became provoked and irritated. She was Kevin's step-mother. She was evil Edith.