THE DAYS THAT NEVER END

CHAPTER EIGHT

     LIFE. It's unpredictable. One moment you have everything, the next you don't.  You take what you can in life. If your lucky you get the better side of life. You have to work hard if you want to get anywhere in life. Not everyone is lucky enough to be on the good side of life.
    Eliana lay on the worn mattress. Eyes closed as she drank from the bottle Miguel managed to get her. The sweet taste of vanilla milk washed over her taste buds. They were lucky enough to get milk this week. She stopped halfway leaving some for later. Just as she sat up the door to her and Miguel's room opened and Miguel was roughly pushed in stumbling on his feet then falling to the ground.
   "Keep quiet " the caretaker yelled then closed the door locking it.
     Eliana crawled to where Miguel lay and stricken his cheek as tears welled in her eyes. He was so brave taking all the beatings for her . If it weren't for her condition she would gladly take the beatings for him but she couldn't and it made her sad knowing her brother went through all that pain and suffered at the hands of their caretaker who was a vile and cruel woman.
    A month after leaving their father and brothers they lived in a shelter. Miguel would always protect her from bad people who tried to hurt her.
    She learned to survive.  She would steal food for her and Miguel. They were on the streets for almost a year until the accident.
      One rainy day Eliana decided to steal from a person for the first time. Usually she would steal food from shops  but this time she needed cash because Miguel was sick and needed medicine. They were desperate. She took the wallet of some guy but it was a wrong move. She took a wallet from a gang member. Carlos Martinez. He was a part of the Black Cobra gang.  He chased her down and what happened after was horrific. He beat her. He hit her head so hard she backed out.
     When she came to she was in the cellar of his gang. She was there for three days. On the fourth day a different man came down to the cellar. He was the leader of the Black Cobra gang. Diego Rodriguez. He actually had no idea why she was here but he took pity and helped her. He took her out of the cellar to his bedroom and cleaned her up. Carlos was punished accordingly by gang for the abuse of a child.
    Diego took care of her for three days before they discovered Miguel lurking around their house looking for his sister. When they brought him in Eliana was ecstatic to see her brother again. Diego took them in and cared for them as though they were his own. Although, Eliana and Miguel knew I was temporary and didn't want to get to attached and make it hard to leave. They were always on the move.
    Six months later the accident happened. Diego ,Eliana  and Miguel were driving home after shopping for groceries when out of the blue the car was hit. It was one of those drunk driver accidents. Diego passed only a few minute after being rushed to hospital while Eliana was in critical condition fighting for her life. Miguel escaped with a scratch on his head that travelled down to his cheek.
      Three weeks later after she woke up , she was told the bad news. She was lucky enough to have been in the back seat. Unfortunately she didn't come out unscathed.  Her body took a heavy hit and she got brain damage. It was the saddest day for both children.  The doctor said it would go away in time and with enough treatment but as of now, she had to suffer with it.
    Two days later they were escorted by their social worker to an orphanage, their current nightmare.  The caretaker was a cruel woman who was only after money. She only took them in because the state payed them money to take care of them and since Eliana was classified under special needs children, she was more valuable.
    They were in the orphanage for a short while when their caretaker, Ms.Silvia showed her true colours. After that day it was beating after beating. Miguel took most of them. The last time Ms . Silvia laid a hand on Eliana she was put in hospital. Due to her fragile mental state, she was at risk of further brain damage. As if they they hadn't suffered enough, add the eating disorders, trauma, anxiety and asthma among other things. Their lives were hell.
    But atleast they had each other . That's what mattered most. They stick together no matter what.