Parasitic Evil

Chapter 8

Alicia walked into the kitchen and went straight to the sink. Veronica followed her and observed her. Alicia opened the tap and placed her hands under the running water. She moved her fingers and played with the water.

"You still play with water when you're angry," Veronica pointed out.

"I'm just tired," Alicia sighed. She then vented out, "Chloe and Miguel are handcuffed right now. That man doesn't care at all. All he cares about is evidence." Her voice was cracking.

She kept on playing with the cold water.

"I know, he seems a bit loco (crazy)," Veronica replied. There was a dining table in the middle of the kitchen. She pulled out a chair and sat at the table.

They were both silent. Veronica watched Alicia calming down herself as she let the water splash on her hands. Veronica was thinking of something. She crossed her legs and leaned against the chair.

"Why didn't you inform me about the death of your granddaughter?" She asked.

Alicia stopped moving her fingers.

"It just happened all of a sudden. I was not expecting this. After her death I was worried about Chloe, so, I didn't get the time to call," Alicia explained. Her hands were still under the running water. She didn't turn around to look at Veronica.

"Can I ask.... how did she die?" reluctantly, Veronica asked.

Alicia closed the tap and wiped her hands with a blue towel that was hanging on the wall right next to the tap. After wiping her hands, she walked towards the table, pulled another chair next to Veronica and sat down.

She started, "After what Miguel explained, it seems like an accident to me."

Veronica raised both of her eyebrows and stared at her.

"Well," Alicia continued, "You know that Miguel is athletic and he always liked to push Sabrina to work out so that she becomes strong."

Veronica nodded.

"That day, Miguel challenged her to try out weight lifting. Apparently, the weights were kept on the balcony. When Sabrina went to fetch them, she picked up the heaviest one. It was too heavy for her. When she lifted it, she lost her balance. Undeliberately, she took a few steps backwards and she hit the glass rail with the weight. The rail broke. She lost control and fell down with the heavy weight," Alicia narrated as tears formed in her eyes.

Veronica's eyes were wide opened as she listened to her friend's grief. She didn't know how to react or what to say to comfort Alicia.

"When I went to see my granddaughter, the right side of her head was broken and there was blood all over her face," Alicia said with a broken voice as she placed her fingers on the right part of her head to show Veronica where Sabrina was injured.

"It was such a devastating view," Alicia continued, "She was suffering. She lost so much blood that in the next two hours, she died."

Tears fell down Alicia's cheeks and her lips trembled as she was talking. Her face became red. Veronica patted her on her back. She tried her best to clam her down. She wiped her teary eyes and grabbed a bottle of water and a glass that were kept on the table. She poured water in the glass and offered it to Alicia, but, the latter refused.

Veronica placed the glass on the table and apologised, "I'm so sorry Alicia." She then offered her a tissue paper.

Alicia looked at her and gave her a faint smile. She took the tissue paper and wiped her cheeks.

"No, don't be sorry. You're in fact helping me. I was trying to be strong since the beginning so that Chloe gets encouraged. I needed this breakdown," Alicia explained.