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Chapter 7
They walked a few blocks closer to where Lia and Attie were staying with Lia alternating between carrying Attie and letting her walk. Alek offered to help but, Attie wasn't ready to go to someone else yet. They went to a small diner, about a street away from where the office was. Lia knew she was going to show him the place but she was dreading it. She didn’t care that he might look at her differently, but she cared that somehow he would expose her secret. If that happened not only she was going to be in trouble, she was going to lose her little sister.
They ate in silence, with Attie interrupting every now and then to say something or ask Alek something. She could be so curious. When they were almost done, Lia looked at Alek her eyes begging him to not follow her. He didn’t seem to understand her, so she slumped further into the booth. Her small dinner forgotten, she busied herself with picking up her and Attie’s backpacks. She had placed the things that she had bought earlier for Attie to paint in her bag. She handed Attie her bag and her stuffed cow after Lia made sure that the little girl's face was clean. Alek paid for the food and together they headed toward the office.
Alek didn’t understand the look but he felt like he should, something was troubling Lia but he didn’t know what. He didn’t understand what she felt, but he knew that he would do anything to keep that look out of her eyes. He cared for her, more than he should have, he even cared for the little girl he just met. He never found the courage to ask Lia if she was her sister or her daughter, but he had guessed that Attie wasn’t her daughter. He found himself thinking that even if Attie was Lia’s daughter that wouldn’t change the way he felt.
Alek walked with Lia one street down from the small diner they were just in. He saw the way the place looked abandoned, but Lia kept going toward that abandoned place. He didn’t say anything as he followed her to the back of what looked like an old office building that hadn’t been in business for a while. She produced a key which she inserted in the keyhole of the second door. Alek paid close attention to her, because he couldn’t understand why she was opening the door to an out of business place.
“This is it” Lia said with a tone of finality.
Alek watched as Lia went inside, while Attie waited at the door. Lia turned on a small lamp which looked like it was operated with batteries. Light flooded the small space, Alek’s eye darted from left to right as it took everything in. He saw the small air mattress on one side, almost hidden by the desk that was turned sideways. He saw two chairs against the wall and a rack where some clothes were hanging. He saw the filing cabinet one the same side as the bed, and the small bookshelf.
Attie had moved from the door to stand by Lia. It was unusually quiet; Lia was carefully watching Alek’s face for a reaction. She saw a look of shock crossed his face, quickly followed by concern, wonder, then pity and then a look that she couldn’t understand. It was as if he wasn’t sure what to feel, so he felt everything.
“Please sit” said Lia pointing to one of the two chairs against the wall.
Alek followed where Lia was pointing with his eyes and went to sit without so much as a word. He just watched as Lia went through a door and came back with a blue striped sheet. She spread it on the floor before she placed a cushion on it then a small plastic table. Lia had gotten a couple more things since they had started living in the place, she still didn’t have electricity or hot water, but she made the best out of what she had. Attie didn’t lack or anything except maybe a TV or a radio, but it wasn't like she missed them.
Lia moved around the place setting up a painting station for Attie. Alek watched and still said nothing, which was very unnerving. Lia knew that sooner or later she would have to start saying something, or this was going to be forever awkward. Once she got everything set up, she called Attie who had been too engrossed in playing with her cow, to notice the silence or even make an attempt at talking.
“Attie, come on, let’s put on your smock and you can paint.”
Attie ditched the cow and was on her feet in no time.
“Can I paint a butterfly?”
“Of course you can”
“I want to paint a dog too, oh maybe a cat?”
“Attie you can paint whatever you want”
“Really, are you gonna paint with me?”
“Sure hun, but you can start without me, I have to go talk to Alek”
Attie turned to look at Alek before she smiled “Alek? Do you want to paint with me?” Alek didn’t have time to respond because Attie kept going “I’m making a beautiful flower”
“Attie, Alek can paint with you in a little bit okay, we have to talk” Lia said.
Lia checked and made sure the door was locked and no one would be able to get in. She didn’t like going in the waiting room because she didn’t want to risk someone seeing her, but she decided that given the situation she could make an exception. She called out to Alek and motioned for him to follow her.
“Attie baby, I’m up front call me if you need anything okay”
“I’m not a baby”
Lia laughed, because that was what Attie always said, but she didn’t say anything else to the little sister. She walked out in the waiting room with Alek in tow. They chose to sit in the small cubicle, to keep their presence discreet. Because it was getting late, there was not enough light getting in through the dirty door. It was great, because it meant that people would not be able to see them from the outside. It also meant that in a short while they would barely be able to make out each other’s features.
At first neither of them spoke, they stayed quiet, Lia not knowing where to start and Alek not knowing what to ask.
“Alek…”
“Lia…”
“I’m sorry” Lia said “Go ahead”
“No you go”
“Fine, what do you want to know?”
“Why?”
Lia knew what he meant but she just wanted to be sure “why what?”
“Why are you living here? Where are your parents? Why do you have a little girl with you?”
“Which question do you want me to answer first?”
“Just answer” he said, impatience seeping through his tone.
“Well let’s see, I live because I have nowhere else to go. My dad is dead and my mom is in prison. Attie is my little sister, and I have her because my stepfather tried to burn her, so we ran away” Lia answered keeping her voice clear of all emotions.
She heard Alek’s sharp intake of breath, but she didn’t do anything. She was glad that he couldn’t really see her face. She was getting mad just talking about this. She told herself that the reason she was getting mad was because she could hear the impatience in his voice, but she knew that it wasn’t true. She was getting mad because it was better than showing how she really felt, she didn’t want to be vulnerable before anyone, especially this boy. She was also getting mad because, besides her journal, she had never uttered a word to anyone about her life. She even went as far as talking to Attie and making sure she never told anyone. It was for both their protection, but here she was voluntarily telling this boy about her life, their lives.
Alek finally recovered and muttered “I’m sorry”
“Why are you sorry?” she said angrily “It isn’t your fault, you didn’t beat me, you didn’t try to burn my sister, it isn’t your fault that my father is dead or that my mother is in prison. I don’t even know why she is in prison” she said through gritted teeth
Lia was again thankful that he couldn’t see her; because behind all the anger, she could feel the tears prickling at the corners of her eyes. She knew she had no reason to talk to him that way, he had nothing to do with this.
Alek really didn’t know why he said he was sorry, it just felt like the right thing to say. He didn’t claim to understand what she was feeling, but he really did feel sorry for Lia. She was abused by her stepfather, she had no parents and she had no friends. She had taken it upon to care for her little sister and she had to work, go to school and most of all remain sane. He really felt sorry, and for some weird reason, he felt proud. He knew that she had never opened up to anyone before, he could tell by the anger behind her words. He could tell that she was also crying but she didn’t want him to know, so he was going to pretend he didn’t know.
Lia said nothing after her angry little outburst and neither did Alek. After a few moments she felt awful for talking to him this way when he was only asking a question. She took a deep breath
“Look I’m sorry Alek, none of this is your fault. I was angry and I took it out on you”
“No I’m truly sorry, it’s my fault. I should have stopped following you around; I should have known that you had your reasons for the things you do.”
“What do you mean following me around?”
‘Of course that would be the only thing she heard’ thought Alek, but he said “please don’t be mad, but Kate and I followed you around today, because we wanted to know more about you and you wouldn’t tell us”
“You followed me?”
“Yes, but I’m sorry”
“Where is Kate?”
“I took her home, when you went in the library, and I came back alone”
“But, why? Why did you follow me?” she said not believing that they would do something like that.
“I don’t know” Alek said, defeat laced through his tone.
They both went quiet. Alek couldn’t believe he just told her the truth, for some reason it felt weird to lie to her.
“Hey Lia”
“Yes”
“I’m really sorry”
“I know”
“Do you still want to tell me what happened?” Alek asked his voice hopeful
"If I said no, would you be okay with that?"
"I probably would ask again later"
“Sigh, I might as well tell you now” Lia said, resigned.
She told him everything, from how this place belonged to her dad and now her mom, to how she came to stay here. She told him about Miss Sallie, and her job at the fast food place. She told him everything, and he listened without interrupting much. Somewhere between all the talk, Alek had found Lia’s hands and was holding them in his own. Lia tensed up at first, but relaxed considerably as they talked.
“Lia…” Alek said, his voice barely a whisper.
“Hmm…”
“I want to help, how can I help?”
“I don’t know, but you can’t tell anyone about this”
“I know but can we tell Kate, she always talks about you and she looks up to you, I can’t lie to her, but if you don't want me to say anything, I promise I won't”
“I don't want to lie to her, but I don’t think I can go through this again I'm sorry. Would you feel comfortable to tell her, it took a lot from me to tell you.”
“Okay, don’t worry. I’ll handle it.”
They stopped talking for a while, just enjoying each other’s company. It got darker in the room, but not dark enough that they couldn’t make each other’s outline. Their faces were growing closer to each other, Lia’s heart was hammering in her chest, but unlike all the other times she wasn’t afraid, it was something else. She couldn’t define it, she closed her eyes waiting, expecting…
“Lia” Attie called out
Lia bolted up causing her head to bump into Alek’s head “ow…” they screamed as they let go of each other’s hand so they can reach to their head and rub it.
“Lia” Attie called again
“Yes, I’m coming” she said “let’s go Alek”
Alek followed her to the small room and came to a stop behind her. Attie was still painting, but that wasn’t what caught his attention, in all the pictures she painted, there was a common thing.
“Look Lia, I made a butterfly, this is you and this is me, we are in a garden, do you see the flowers” Attie said
Lia took a seat on the sheet next to Attie and started going through the pictures with Attie
“And this one is you and me and Mr. Cow” she said pointing to another picture.
The pictures were basically blobs of colors with random blobs representing someone or something. Alek watched in amazement as both sisters interacted and he vowed to himself that he would find a way to help them.
“I have to go” he said not wanting to interrupt the girls’ time together.
“But Alek, you didn’t draw with me” Attie said with disappointment
“He can draw with you some other time okay; we’ll save some paint for him” Lia said.
Alek wasn’t sure if Lia knew what she just said, but he took it as an invitation to come back. He smiled a charming smile as Lia got up to walk him through the door. At the door he paused and turned around to face Lia. He wanted to kiss her but he didn’t know how she would react so instead he reached out and gave her a hug, which happened to be really awkward. Before he could further embarrass himself; Alek turned and left, glad that he finally knew a little bit more about Lia.