The Scars

Vera’s aunt barged inside even though Vera had impeded. Her appearance was casual with a blue t-shirt and black jeans. The mocha leather bag was dangling on her shoulder. Her flat shoes knocked on the floor loudly that bothered my hearing. Her straight short black hair framed her oval face with big dark eyes, sharp nose and striking red full lips. That sniffy woman sat on the sofa and took off her sunglasses. She looked around the room. Her eyes moved from one object to another as if checking them out one by one to search for something. Our mouth shut. It was only my gaze kept following where her eyes set. Vera’s feet were helplessly glued at their place. She did not seem interested in interacting with her aunt. The way she disregarded that woman emphasized her hatred.    

    

“How can you be here?” Vera asked without looking at her.    

    

“What do you expect? Tony paid for the bail. See, Vera! The world even supports me.” Tony was a rich man. It was an easy thing to set that woman free from the prison with bail. “This apartment and its content can’t even pay what I have sacrificed for you after my sister, your mother left you with me.” She babbled out. “She only gave me obstacles. Because of her, I lost the one I love. And now, her daughter was trying to imprison me. What a like mother, like a daughter. If there is one thing I wish I never did in my life, it is looking after you.”    

    

“You are not invited here. You are free to leave,” Vera said coldly. She did not give a damn to what her aunt uttered.    

    

“How can you cast me out of my apartment? I own this apartment now. You have signed the document. I hope you won’t forget it.”    

    

“I did not sign anything,” Vera refused. Vera’s aunt fished some pieces of papers out of her bag.    

    

“You can’t deny this.” She put the papers on the table. Vera took and read them thoroughly.    

    

“It can’t be. I never signed any of these. You have falsified my signature.”    

    

“It is not my responsibility to make you believe in me. But for sure, this document is legitimate.” She saved the document back in her bag. In a short while, she got up and walked out.    

    

Vera threw herself on the sofa. She focused back on the instant noodles. Her aunt’s intimidation did not work on her. She pretended that nothing happened. She slurped the stew from the noodles in the bowl. She then looked at me.    

    

“Why don’t you finish the noodles? Are you full?”    

    

“No,” I continued eating.    

    

“Don’t take it seriously what you just looked on. It is not that serious.”    

    

“Your aunt claimed this apartment as hers. That doesn’t bother you?”    

    

“I knew my aunt well including her weakness. I have been living with her for almost five years,” She ensured.    

    

“When will you go to school?”    

    

“After my issue is clear, it may be the day after tomorrow. There are few things I need to take care of.”    

    

We had long chats after having instant noodles. She uncovered about her family and personal life, how her life turned out anguished after her parents’ divorce. Vera did not keep in touch with her parent afterwards. Her mother worked abroad. She did not have idea where her father was. They never looked for Vera. But, at least they inherited her apartment. The most heartbreaking story was that her aunt sold her with Tony just to get money to support her fancy lifestyle. At the end of the talk, Vera also told me when and how she met Reno. The destiny brought them together through school camp activity.    

    

It had been late in the afternoon when our long talk finally came to an end. I bid farewell and thanked Vera for the fete. She accompanied me to the gate where a taxi she ordered had been waiting. She was adamant to get me a taxi to avoid the possibility of encountering jeopardy on my way home since my house was far enough from her apartment.    

    

The day switched to the night fast and otherwise. Getting done with my morning activities, laundry and everything, I ran to school. I didn’t need to worry about my shoes this time since the shoes; a gift from Vera was solid. It was undeniably expensive shoes. How could she get the money to buy the shoes? It should not have been my concern.    

    

I beheld someone standing by the gate. it was unmistakably Reno. He had taken a look at his watch many times as if he had been waiting for someone. He did not move even an inch. His eyes peered everywhere. That brown eyes desisted at mine. Our eyes locked for a moment before he headed toward me.    

    

“I thought you wouldn’t come. You are almost late.”    

    

“I am not a model student. I have a good record for being late.”    

    

“Let’s get inside.” He walked before me and I trailed behind him. “How is Vera?” It was like i just got an electric shock listening to his question. I should not have had that kind of feeling. It was reasonable that he asked about Vera with her situation.    

    

“She is good. She will come to school tomorrow.”    

    

“Glad to hear that.”    

    

“Why don’t you call her?”    

    

“I did. But, she did not receive my call. She might be so busy.”    

    

“Yeah. There are many things she should concern of.”    

    

“You are right.”    

    

We took a lift to chemistry laboratory on the fifth floor. Chemistry was our first class today. We have been five minute late though. There was no conversation between us in the lift. Reno was staring at the number which kept moving and changing to another. I just sighted the floor as though calculating the times we have spent to get to the laboratory. We even did not talk much during the class today even after the practicum class was over and had other classes. I perceived that Reno might be hiding something from me. There were so many things I did not know about him, indeed.    

    

The last bell rang loudly. I did what I always did after the last class was up, putting my thing into my bag, some books and pens. I found a piece of a paper slipped into my back. It was not like my test sheet or something. With curiosity, I took that paper out. There was note on it. It was from Reno. He wanted to see me in the library. It was a little bit odd because he was a straightforward person. He never wrote a note or memo or letter just to talk to me. Nevertheless, I did what he told me to.    

    

I went straight to the library in which the librarian was going to close it when I just arrived there. I asked her to give me five minutes. She allowed me and left me alone in the library. That librarian needed to meet the school principal. I heard someone opened the door of library, I spun back.    

    

“Hi, Ilana....” It was not Reno, the one who just entered the room. It was Kevin who smirked at me. Strangely, he resembled Reno, wearing glasses.