About Last Night

The two young girls sat at the table with bowls in front of them, a cereal box and milk jug just out of reach. The woman at the counter was measuring out scoops of powder and adding them to a blender along with handfuls of green vegetables and bright fruits.

“Where did you go last night,Mommy,” the older of the two girls asked.

“I went for a run. It’s safer at night without all the cars. Why weren’t you asleep?”

The girl ignored the question. “But what if someone robs you.”

“Then, I guess I’ll get robbed.” She hit one of the buttons and the blender whirled and whined over the continuation of the conversation. She smiled to herself as she watched the girl’s lips move noiselessly.

“… kill somebody,” the girl finished as the blender stopped.

“What did you say?”

“I said if someone tries to rob you, I’m gonna kill somebody,” the girl repeated.

Her mother smiled again as she inverted the two cups upright and poured the contents of the blender into them before handing the cups to the girls. ”Drink this. It will help you build muscle which’ll come in handy if you need to kill somebody one day.”

“Good morning.” The two young faces turned towards the new voice in the room as the woman turned back to the blender and moved to pour another cup.

Both girls replied, “Good morning!”

“Ugh.Not so loud ladies. The blender is bad enough.” She took the proffered cup from the woman. 

“Thanks. How was your midnight run?”

“It was fine. Doesn’t anyone sleep around here?” Her mind flashed to the night. She didn’t relive her runs often as there wasn’t a thrill once they were done usually, but last night hadn’t been usual. In fact, it had almost gone horribly wrong and she replayed it again and again in her head, recreating and visualizing everything that had happened, wondering if she had made some mistake and left anything of her behind that could be traced back to her.

“I don’t see how you do that in the middle of the night.” The voice brought her back to the moment.

“It’s the best time to do it, plus I can do it because I’m not sitting in my bed, drinking and watching TV all night.”

“And smoking pot.”

Both women turned and looked at the younger child who sat, smiling smugly at her comment. After a moment, the woman looked back at the other. “You should be more discreet,” she said.

“Ok, mom,” she said in the same tone she’d used with their mother throughout their childhood. Her sister looked at her, her eyes were blank and the room seemed to lose its acoustics.

“Sorry. I’ll do better,” the younger woman continued as she looked down and shrunk into herself.

The other turned to the children. “Finish up. We are leaving in ten minutes,” she said and then continued without looking at her sister, “And you have to leave the house today. Go to the park, apply for a job. I don’t care. It’s starting to smell too much like you in here and you’re starting to stink.

“Don’t sugarcoat it, Sis, tell me how you feel.”

“You know how I feel. I don’t care if I see you or hear you, but you make my house stink and I cannot stand that. Get your shit together.” She turned dismissively and walked out of the room. The younger woman looked at the girls who were staring at her, their cups untouched on the table.

“Don’t worry ladies, your mom loves me” she said.

“Does she,” the older asked.

“Yeah, she’s always had a hard time saying it though.”

“She said you stink pretty easily,” the younger piped in.

“You stink too,” the older said in quick defense of her aunt,

“I do not!”

“Do too! I have to hold my nose to go to sleep at night to stop from smelling you.”

“MOM!”

The other two looked at her. Their eyes were wide and their bodies tensed as the younger one sat with a satisfied look. Together, they whispered a shout, “Be quiet,” bus she continued to smile back at them. 

“I’m not scared of her like you are,” she said.

“Good. You shouldn’t be scared of most people.” They all jumped at her voice. She had appeared in the kitchen without a sound.

“I’m sorry,’ the older girl stammered. 

“Don’t apologize. She’s the one that yelled,” the woman replied.

“But, she said that I stink,’ the younger girl protested.

“Then figure out if that is the truth or not before you react so you can be sure to react in the proper manner.”

The girl turned her head downward as though taking stock of her scent before replying with a grin, “I don’t smell, so I shouldn’t have yelled, right?”

 “Correct. Taking a minute to think before you react can stop a lot of trouble before it starts. Now, come on and finish up so we can leave.” The other two relaxed as she spoke but winced slightly as the older woman walked over and kissed the two of them on the head. Then, she leaned down over the youngest and kissed her head before moving her mouth close to the little girls’ ear and breathing quietly, “You don’t stink, but you should be scared of me.”