Psychotic Maniac

Chapter 16

"Hey, " Lilah shrieked as she struggled to wake up her daughter the next day. Estella had been asleep in the same dress she wore yesterday, her heels still on, and as she lay flat on her bed on her stomach, Lilah suspected if she even took a toss or turn during sleep. She must have fallen asleep in one go.

"ESTELLA. WAKE UP!"

She finally budged only to flip on her back, climbing a little more up and turning her face away, eyes barely moved. She was asleep again.

Her mom sighed and looked at the watch on her wall. She rounded, reaching the left side of the bed, bending close to Estella and pushed her down.

Estella's body tumbled down the bed, landing on the thick carpet, annoyance evident in her voice when she spoke. "What the fuck!"

"Finally," Lilah put out the blanket which was wrinkled under Estella's weight. She swung it on air, dusting it off. "Do you even see what time is it?"

"Screw time," Estella snarled at her mom without glancing at the time. "You threw me off the bed. Who does that?"

"Your grandmother used to wake me early so we could head to the farm at five in the morning during summers," Lilah said, folding the blanket neatly. She then adjusted the pillows and draped the quilt neatly. "She wouldn't bother to ask me to get up. A spank in the ass was with how my morning would start."

"Please, please, please. No more of your villagers days." Estella slipped off her heels. "Those were very terrible days of your life." She straightened up on her feet, the floor providing a chill against the soreness she had for wearing heels all night long.

The moment she collapsed her body on the mattress, Lilah's voice tore inside her eardrums. "GET YOUR BUTT OFF THE BED! IT'S TWO IN THE AFTERNOON!"

"Mom!" Estella bolted upright at the high pitch that finally woke her. "Are you—wait what—two in the afternoon?"

Oh crap.

Yawning, she gave up and rolled off. Lilah was still inside the room, occupying herself with cleaning but her main attention was at her to make sure she wouldn't sleep again. Scratching her head, Estella made her way to the bathroom.

Shutting the door behind, she peeled off her sundress. Her head felt heavy as if a huge ball was rolling inside her skull. By the time she was done and showered, her mom had cleaned up the room and left. And cleaning the room meant adjusting her books and notes on the table properly, changing the curtains and grabbing two pairs of clothes that needed to be laundered.

Sauntering down the stairs, she went to the kitchen and found Lilah cooking for her. Being a housewife (which her mother never minded being) always prepared food right before eating. Leftovers were not an option. She was good at making food that would fill their tummy without sparing for the next day. Even if that was the case, she would walk a few blocks from neighbors to feed stray dogs that lurked around the dumpsters. Poverty had hit her hard and she knew the importance of things more than anyone she had ever met.

"Here." Lilah put a glass of lemonade on the kitchen island. "It's not a hidden fact that I don't interfere with what you do with your life, Estella. You are free to do as you please but there are certain things you should be worried about. I don't like you coming this late and drunk, especially if I'm not the one driving you back. You should be careful when you are carpooling and next time, for the love of God, don't drink that much."

Alumni night was one of the happiest things to happen in her life after so long and she would do that without a blink. After a few hectic months, Estella deserved it. But also, what Lilah said was true. There was no arguing in what she told her.