Lutalica (Cerpen+Puisi)

Cerpen - Nella Neva Pt. II

Genre: Fantasy
December 2012

Previous part is on Klexos, entitled Flash Fiction: Nella Neva

=====

The weather got colder on the last day of December. The dim sunlight did not make it any warmer. Yet, it did not block Neva's way. She had big plan for today. She planned to turn things the way they were before. She would bring back the sweetness and warmth in her family that she missed badly. She would start by returning old habits. Therefore, on this cold afternoon, she went to the groceries store. She bought eggs, flour, sugar, milk, butter, and everything else needed to make cake. Today was her seventeenth birthday and she would make her own birthday cake for the whole family. She had never made one before, but first trial was worth a try.

Neva went home anxiously. She imagined how her parents and sisters will react... What expression would be stamped on their faces? Hopefully the surprised one, in a good way of course, she added.

As soon as Neva arrived home, she went to the kitchen without taking her shoes off and put the groceries on kitchen's table. She prepared the ingredients and tools. Everybody was at home now. No one had congratulated her until this very second, but they eventually would as soon as the cake was ready, thought Neva. After that, they would be eating the cake with joy. That was why she wanted to serve it as fast as she could. If only she could cook roasted chicken too; it would have been better... Neva stared at the wall behind her to check time. The shorter pointer of the clock in the kitchen's wall pointed at three. She got to be quick!

Neva looked at the recipe paper and read it seriously. Neva was almost pouring the flour into the bowl when she heard some steps outside the room. They were coming from stairs right to the living room, which was located next to the kitchen. Neva went to living room and saw her mother standing there. She wore thick outerwear, coat, and boots; ready to go.

"Where are you going?" asked Neva.

"Oh, you shocked me!" said her mother. "My office is holding new year's party."

"So you're not going to stay?"

"I'll be home tomorrow morning. I already put dinner in the fridge. You can heat it when you want to eat."

Just as her mother said those words, Autumn --Neva's younger sister-- rushed from the coat room upstairs down into the living room. Same as her mother, she wore thick outfit.

She said, "I'm going to meet my friends up downtown."

"You are going too?" replied Neva.

"Yeah. It's new year's eve, anyway. Who the hell is not celebrating?"

Neva asked again, "Where's Summer?"

"She already left some minutes ago. Okay, I have to go now," her mom said.

"Wait, don't tell me everybody's going."

"Your dad is home. He's watching TV."

Neva heard his father's voice from his room. He was yelling by himself. Neva bet he was watching TV while drinking beer now. And it did not make the situation any better.

"Please don't go," Neva finally begged.

"Gosh! I have my own life. Just because you don't have friend, it doesn't mean you can get me involved." Autumn was wearing her boots...

Her mother sighed, "Stop being childish, Neva. I'm tired of it and I really need to go." She was walking to the door...

It was too much. All was too much for Neva. All the frustration, anger, misery, and desperation. She could not take them anymore...