More So Than I Imagined

She walked past me, passing behind the three-seater chair in front of me. All the while, she kept on an expression that conveyed nothing but disdain which I assumed was toward me.

I am not exactly surprised by her behaviour. After all, I have had four years to get used to her intense dislike toward me.

Honestly, I still find myself questioning what I did to her to warrant so much hatred. It would be nice to know.

Anita went into the room, leaving me out in the living room. Not so much as a light greeting or even a glance toward me.

Aunt Lin did say she went out to play with her friends. Checking the time, I realize how late the time already is.

Woke up by two and went out. Got on a bus and spent four hours on the road.

That would mean I got here by six. No. Since I took another transport to get to my destination, I should estimate the time as six-thirty or forty.

So I spent about an hour chatting with my sister, which brings us to the current time! To eight.

Got to say, did not do much today.

I was used to staying at the store, accommodating customers, and when they were gonna, I would stare blankly into space.

Those moments must have been what dulled my sense of time, allowing me to perceive the world around me in slow motion.

'I should do this more often'.

Not long after Anita went into the room, Aunt Lin came out of the kitchen located ahead of the room Anita went into.

She came out with a tray carried with both hands by each side of the tray. Aunt Lin got to me and placed the tray on the table before me.

"Enjoy". She says.

Dished into a flat plastic plate is white rice and stew at the top with one egg, and a spoon hanging by its side. Beside the plate of rice, is a glass cup with water poured in.

"Aunt Lin. Do you plan on stuffing me to my death". I inquired, jovially.

I do appreciate her kind gesture. I do, but I still believe that the portion she served me is beyond what I can handle.

I make it known to her so I won't come off as wasting food when she sees that I do not finish the food. Or even make her think that I can't finish it because the food is not to my liking.

Not at all.

"Don't worry and just eat". She said, about to head back to the kitchen.

"No, no Aunt Lin. I am not saying this out of courtesy or anything like that. What I am saying is, the food is too much for me to finish alone".

It appears she had gotten the wrong idea when I told her the first time.

I am not one to play with food, but I am also not one to think beyond what I can handle.

"This portion alone can feed me and Anita, so why would you give it all to me".

Okay, I may have been a little biased on why i am refusing to have the portion all to myself.

But make no mistake I also meant it when I said it is not something I can finish alone.

"Is that so? Good".

'Uuhhhh! Why is it good'. I wondered in my thoughts.

"When Anita gets back home, she can join you in completing the portion. How about that, problem solved. Right".

As she finished talking, she continued her journey toward the kitchen.

How is that a problem solved? Even better, couldn't you have just scooped her portion out of mine? Why do we have to eat it together in one plate?

Wait a minute. She is not even aware that Anita is back and is currently inside the room.

'Should I tell her?'.

A part of me felt like I should, but the hesitancy kept me from spilling it out instantly.

I had to be careful when I didn't even know if she could hear my voice behind those closed doors.

I kept silent and watched my aunt leave for the kitchen. She came back out with a spoon and a glass cup.

Both objects were placed beside the tray that carried my food.

My aunt while standing, turned to the clock fixed to the wall as she traced her eyes to the location of the big and small hand.

"She should be back anytime soon. You can continue eating while you wait for her".

Yeah, I am going to tell her. I don't care what the little rascal thinks of me, I can't keep lying to her face.

"Aunt Lin". I called, managing to get her to turn her head toward me as I continued; "Anita, she is actually!".

I was this close to completing my words when the door Anita had gone into earlier, slowly opened up.

Immediately, my aunt's attention deviated from my direction to where the sound came from.

Anita came out of the opened door with her head faced down, the same way when she walked into that room earlier.

So she was listening to our conversation?

Intentional or not, she heard what we were saying, even when Aunt Lin proposed that we eat from the same plate. She could have come out at that time and refuted her, but she didn't.

At least not until I was about to spill the beans and call her out.

This girl? Does she intend to put me in trouble?

That doesn't seem too far-fetched of an idea considering how much she has demonstrated her hatred toward me over four good years.

Or four bad years, since the concept relating to the year mentioned is not of positive impact.

If I had not shown that I was going to make my aunt aware of her presence in the house, she would have stayed silent, waiting to come out at a time when she would be able to make things awkward for me!

This girl! She truly is diabolical and so full of hatred for me.

Perhaps more so than I imagined.