All is Never Enough | ✓

Chapter 1

Nora Johannes

"Come on, munchkin. Time for school." I whisper, shaking my little sister gently as I rubbed her shoulders soothingly. She groaned yet rolled onto her back and rubbed her eyes to look at me, her already-forming bags matching mine too similarly.

She yawns, "What time is it, Nor?" Taking my phone out of my pocket inside my hoodie to double check, I show her the screen which read eight o'clock in the morning.

"I already have your outfit all set out." I reply, standing up after gently patting her hair. "It's all on the floor, get changed and then I'll do your hair when you eat breakfast." Alma nods, a small smile on her pink lips as I turn on her lights right before I exit the room.

My aunt's house was only one floor and not exactly a penthouse, so it was easy to manoeuvre around and I was able to find Alma quickly. I guess it had its perks.

As I entered the kitchen, I was greeted by the sweet smell of smoke that came from the freshly burnt out cigarette on the ashtray in the middle of our circular wooden dining table. I discarded the remains and opened the window, spraying a flower scented perfume around the room in hopes that Alma wouldn't recognise the awful smell. My aunt was always one to leave a trail and I was constantly the one behind her to clean up.

"Finished, Nora." I hear a gentle voice say to me, making me turn around to see Alma smiling happily up at me with a comb in hand. I smile back just as I placed her cup of milk on the table, pointing to her usual chair so I could do her hair.

I grab the comb and gently brush through her wavy hair, just to get rid of the knots. "What hairstyle do you want today, munch?"

"Mmm..." She ponders, raising a tiny finger to her chin. "Pig tails, please." I smile and nod, then tell her to begin eating so we wouldn't be late. I had woken up earlier to prepare her breakfast, which definitely wasn't enough but could suffice for a four, almost five year old.

Her breakfast consisted of mini cereal packets that came cheap in stores, as well as the milk we get down the street and occasionally from the sweet old man next to our flat. I suspected that he knew our struggle and so he tried his best to provide though it was hardly ever enough: but the thought of someone even wanting to help warmed my heart.

If I was lucky and had money saved up, I'd surprise her with a two cartons of orange juice: one for today, and the other for the next morning or after she came home from school if she was being extra good.

Not that she was ever bad, though– Alma was a replica of me personality wise, meaning she spent most of her time alone in preschool and kept to herself. She enjoyed reading, her teacher would tell me, and colouring in one of their princess colouring books. So although our appearances had their differences and we didn't exactly look identical, Alma was otherwise a mini me and I adored her to bits. "I'm done now, Nor. Can I play with my dolls please?" Alma says from below me, making me move her head to the side gently to see a finish bowl and barely any milk left.

I shook my head at her. "Sorry, baby, we don't have time to play today." Tying her second and last pig tail in place, I tightened it ever so slightly and pulled her chair backwards. "I've gotta send you to kindergarten and then Nora's gotta head to school as well. But I'll pick you up at the same time as usual, okay, munch?" Alma nods in reply and smiles gently at me before telling me she was going to go put her shoes on and grab her bag. I wasn't able to reply back to her as she was already off and down the hallway, humming a Disney song to herself and mindlessly picking up discarded toys.