~SINGLE DAY , SOLEMN SORROW

The day began like no other. Xylene woke up to the sound of birds chirping and singing melodiously outside her large tinted bedroom window. She awoke and sat up on her bed then yawned widely, like some old crater rent anew. Sluggishly getting out of bed, she drew open the reddish faux silk draperies evidently letting in thousands of bright rays from the sun, which threw several sparkles in every direction of her bedroom thus brightening her entire room. Her eyes were still heavy with sleep hence the sudden brightness from the morning sun slightly affected them. She started the day as she usually did. Howbeit, she did not know that her whole life was going to take an undeniably drastic and unacceptable turn. She had a warm shower, brushed her teeth, blow dried her long blond hair and dressed up casually, since it was on a weekend. Xylene then headed downstairs to prepare breakfast for herself. Afterwards, she sat down in the dining room to enjoy her self-home made Venezuela's breakfast.

While having breakfast, she heard her parents arguing over something she could barely see the light about. It was abberant of them, therefore it attracted her full attention. She decided to dismiss it at first and continued enjoying her meal. However, when the argument seemed heated up, she was forced to tiptoe cautiously up to their door. 'Am I really doing the right thing?' She asked herself. She just stood there for a short while soliloquizing herself before she decided to go back and finish having her breakfast. She stopped in her tracks when she heard her name being mentioned. This made her crious and she peeped furtively through the keyhole. She was able to see her mother standing whilst leaning against the wall, whereas her father was seated on the edge of the bed. Mother said something that made father stand up, fury rising in him as fast as mercury in a clinical thermometer. They exchanged words until Xylene father's anger began to smoulder.

Although she was unaware of the gravity of the situation, Xylene sincerely pitied her mother; whose words seemed to fall on utterly deaf ears. Father turned away from her and trudged towards the door. Xylene's heart throbbed in her body like an old locomotive engine as she was oblivious of what action to take. The door suddenly swung open and there stood Jeremy, her father. "Oh! I...I....I was..." She stuttered, not aware of what to do or say in her own defense, she remained rooted to the ground; bowing her head in shame. Her two feet became feeble as they buckled and wobbled like frozen jelly. All she knew at the back of my mind was that it wasn't going to end well; she was therefore ready for anything. However, he just walked past her in ferocity; through the long corridor, down the spiral staircase, until he was finally out of her sight.

"Whoosh!" She heaved a sigh of relief and walked towards her distressed mother, Priscilla, who seemed to be whimpering. She sat on the scarlet swivel rocker next to the door and morosely contemplated for a short while. She mustered enough courage before she finally broke the silence in the room by asking her mother what had transpired between her and her father. All the same, she patted her bed signalling Xylene to sit there. Yet, before she could say anything she took out a photograph from her pocket and showed it to her. It was a photograph of a young lady in her mid-30's whom Xylene basically knew as aunt Isabella.

Xylene believed she was a wealthy and influential person since she organized a princess themed birthday party for her at her own cost on her seventh birthday in disney land and gifted her a pink keyboard piano with a microphone and a guitar on her tenth birthday; which she still had up to date.

"I believe you know who she is."

Priscilla told her daughter, Xylene, amidst sniveling.

Xylene was now getting more and more confused. "Yeah. I do know her. She's father's older sister. Isn't she?"

Isn't she the same aunt who used to call me a princess?" She posed inquisitively.

"Yes. Yes she is. But.... Bu... But there is something really important you have to know about her." She said.

As a matter of fact, Xylene certainly wondered what it was that she surely had to know about her aunt. 'Is she a racketeer?" She wondered to herself. However, she quieted down, very eager to perceive what her mother wanted her to be in the know about her aunt; whom she thought she knew very well. She lent her ear and offered her full attention to her mother, as if in the role of an eager suitor.

Before her mother began speaking, Xylene's father called out her name, "Xylee, Xylee?"

"Coming." She reponded with immediate effect.

"I'll be right back ma" Xylene told her mother before scuttling down the flight of stairs to the living room.

"Yes pa, here I am." She said to catch her father's attention as he was completely engrossed in his phone; swiping its content's up and down through the screen.

"Why have you prepared breakfast and left it on the table when you're not ready to have it right now? He asked.

"Oh!" She remarked. That was when she recalled that she was not done having her breakfast.

"It must be cold by now. Warm it before you eat it." Xylene's father told her.

She plugged the microwave into a grounded wall outlet and rated it for 20A; then damped a paper towel in water and covered the hardened arepas before sticking them in the microwave for 30 seconds.

No sooner had she sat down to have her breakfast than the doorbell rang twice.

Father stood up to answer the door. "Your friend Costarina wants to see you." He said.

"Okay. Let me affirm it."

" Ah! Costa Rica. I wasn't expecting you today." Xylene exclaimed joyfully. "I thought you had traveled to LA(Los Angeles) with your dad, hadn't you?" Xylene asked her.

They did their friendly handshake and bunny hugged each other exuberantly and jauntily as if we hadn't seen each other in years.

(Costarina Ricardo; {whom Xylene preferred to call Costa Rica} had been her best friend ever since elementary school. They even considered each other as sisters.)

"Yeah, we had, but the trip was only for 5 days. Not one week as I had thought. Therefore, we came back yesterday morning and I decided to pass by and pay you a surprise visit." Costa Rica replied.

"And here's what I brought for you from Los Angeles." She continued as she handed her a well wrapped largesse; (as they called the gifts they gave each other).

Xylene was at the edge of her seat hence she couldn't wait any longer to unwrap the gift she had just received.

"WHAT?" Xylene exclaimed. "I have always wanted this book!" She shouted happily.

"Shh! Now you have it. Keep your voice down." Costa Rica added with an expression of happiness and joy written all over her countenance.

Xylene invited her in for breakfast but she declined saying, "I'll join you some other day. I didn't inform my mom when I was leaving the house so I've got to go back fast before she gets worried. You know how she can be sometimes."

"Okay. No worries. We'll hang out on Saturday." Xylene replied.

"Saturday?" Costa Rica posed inquisitively. "Will you be busy tommorow?" Costa Rica continued.

"Yeah. We shall be revising for exams tomorrow. Exam's in three weeks. Did you forget that?"

"Oh! Yeah, Yeah....For revision..I remember."

"I shall come to your house this time round." Xylene told Costa Rica.

"Okay. Don't be late." Costa Rica added.

"I'm never late!" Xylena responed and Costa Rica departed for her home as they both laughed.