Metanoia: A Change of Heart

Chapter XIII ~ Joshua

"Rise and shine, brother!" May drew my curtains up.

"What—?" I failed to finish my sentence. The promise of yesterday must be fulfilled today. And knowing May Silva, you would not get away with her once you told her a promise; you had to fulfill it. I rolled and buried in my sheets.

"Sundate?" she was pulling my pillows.

"Call your friends instead."

"No, no. Please wake up. Breakfast's ready! I know you can't avoid food." She bounced on me and slapped my arms under the sheets.

"Get. Off. Me. May!" I resisted. If I were to rate my annoyance one to ten, and ten was the highest; having a sister like her early in the morning would go far beyond eleven. "Stop acting like you're not fifteen."

"I'm fifteen, now who cares? I'm still your little sister. You're soon-to-be eighteen, now who cares? You're still my brother." She recited like reading nursery rhymes.

I sighed loudly. "Okay, okay! I will get up."

"Good!" she finally lifted her weight.

"You go first." I sat on my bed. Sleep was heaven. She looked at me like I was a random stranger who asked if she were a girl. Her hands on each side of her hips, her brow was raising, without glasses. "Trust me," I said and acted I really had a plan to follow her.

Her lips twitched and walked to the door. "Fine! Five minutes, 'kay?"

Once she left my room, I laid my body again and hugged my pillow. Not long after when she loudly knocked on my door. "Josh! Where are you?!"

"Coming!" I went out only because I realized I was actually hungry.

The breakfast was eggs and bacon. The housekeeper probably went in while I was asleep to cook for us. "Tastes good?" May asked. I hadn't tasted, but the bacon was slightly burned. I got a slice on my fork and studied it. "Is this real food?"

"What are you talking about?" May asked with full mouth. "Eat!"

I took a bite. The burned part tasted horrible; nonetheless, the bacon was sweet and tasted like bacon. I took a drink of my juice and almost spilled the glass. Too much sugar! That was when the idea hit me. "You cooked all this?"

May blushed and grinned. "Yeah, do I have a future in culinary, like Thonia's brother?"

"Culinary? Don't even think about it." I meant it as a joke, but I hit myself with my own bullet. I wanted my sister to pick the college course she wanted, not because of my parent's business, nor peer pressure. I did not want her to experience the pressure I was experiencing.

"Are you alright?" May leaned forward to me. Our dining table was a long table for six. She sat beside my mother's seat and I sat beside the capital of the table on the other side where my father's.

"Uh-huh," I replied and forced a smile. "Where do you wanna go today?"

She thought about it. "A movie?"

"Do you know any latest this month?" I forced myself to eat the food in my plate. For my sister.

"I don't know but I wanna watch Love at First Fight. It's not latest but the cinema will still be playing it today."

"Is there anything else?"

May weirdly looked at me. "You chose the movie before that's why I was forced to watch that strange horror movie even you already watched it with your clowny friends! This time, it's my turn."