My Garden of Words

T

" The milk spoiled!" Turning I hold the small carton of rancid milk above me. My mother looks up at me. The dark circle under her eyes stain her face, making her look older then she actually is.Her lips once plump and smooth always painted with vibrant color, we're now thin and dark, dead skin flaked on them. Her face no longer shined and glistened. Happiness no longer lived in her, this house has been vacant of happiness for a while actually.

Squinting my eyes I read the small print on the carton, the numbers blurred and smudged probably from the condensation that had made it's home on the carton ,ruining the ink.

" It expired a week ago!" Flicking the milk open, I hover my nose over the triangular opening. Taking a small whiff I quickly flinch back, I can't believe no one noticed. It's literally the second beverage in the whole fridge. Either no cared to check or they've been drinking spoiled milk this whole time.

" Ma, you hear me I said the milks spoiled." Hollowed eyes roll over to me, as I walk over to the sink ready to poor the spoiled content fown the drain.

" And you tell me this for?" My Ma's voice was hoarse and rigid, almost as if her vocal cords were going to snap and collapse onto themselves. It used to be so seraphic, soothing, and inviting. If I close my eyes and think hard enough I can even hear it again, shit. If I try hard enough everything can be different.

The mirror might reflect me with soft doe eyes and hair curly and dark, my skin no longer plagued with bumps and oil-filled pimples. Skin smooth and brown, eyes vibrant with life, the mirror would give me life, the mirror would make me as who I want to be.

" Aye, Did you hear me? I said don't pour it out!" Snatching the carton from my hand, my Ma's slippers sliding lazily under her as she moved across the floor; a rusted anklet dangling above her heel a small heart-shaped charm brushing across her skin.

Lost in thought I didn't even notice her pouring the milk into my little brother's sippy cup. The chunky substance, that was no longer milk, swishing while it fell into the small cup with several plops, it's rancid juices slightly spilling over the edge before dripping down my Ma's hand.

Poor sippy cup.

Rushing over to her, my face twisted into one of disgust and disbelief, her skeletal fingers twisting the cap tightly onto the bottle before handing it to my brother. His sauce stained cheeks pulled up as a gleeful expression took over his face.

" You can't give that shit to him!" I blurt, while grabbing the cup from her hands. Ma's eyes never changing as she turns to me her robe falling slight from off her shoulder exposing her collar bone and a faded tattoo of three small hearts scribbled on it.

" And why not, you got money to buy new milk ,huh?" Her hand rested firmly on her left hip, her body leaned towards me.

" No bu-" She quickly cut me off with a dry laugh, her teeth peaking from under lips. White, the only thing that hasn't changed about her were her teeth. They were a pearly white, her front two bottom teeth slightly crooked inward.

" Nah Nah, since you rich now, why don't you go buy some milk from the store miss big spender? Oh and while you at it get some toothpaste and soap since we ran outta that last week" Twisting her neck her head moves side to side as she castigates me, it was nothing new though.