Chapter Five – Change

Areena walked to the gates, as she remembered some old memories of the school.

Lonely, hurtful memories.

She doesn't have any friends, so she is always seen alone, no one wants to interact with her. If they don't bully her or speak badly about her, they maintain their space.

Knowing the situation well, she doesn't like to interact with them either. She gave them space, ate lunch in the garden, using the toilet during classes to avoid being in contact with them. And she never participates in any school activities that would make her stand out.

She comes to school early every day, studies, and heads home as soon as her classmates and many students have been driven back home by their drivers.

Everyone in the school had a personal driver, so the school Bus doesn't function anymore because nobody uses it.

They closed by 3: pm. She walked down the quiet street, following the same route she used to follow seven years ago.

The street near her school was quiet with few expensive cars passing by. There was no taxi there, so she walked till she reached the main street before getting one.

After walking for a while, 30 minutes passed, and she came to the busy main street. Many cars were passing, some students crossing the street, and buses and taxis going to their destinations. The city was lively. She feels hot walking under the sun.

She used to buy ice cream somewhere around– Her eyes roamed searching for the small ice cream shop, and landed on it.

Here.

She approaches it, buying a chocolate-flavored one before finding a taxi.

One stopped, she told him the location and she got inside. Sitting comfortably and staring out the window, the city was just the way it was sevens years back.

She licked her ice cream.

She is back seven years back in time. Even the ice cream tasted just the way it was.

Yes, it is the same person that made it, so yes it tastes just like the regular ice cream you drank seven years ago. She admitted, mentally rolling her eyes.

They passed a grocery shop, and she turned her head to look at it. It was a big grocery shop, she usually came to buy foodstuff when she couldn't find any in their street.

She leaned backward looking at the window, recalling the places she went when they passed them. Like an old country girl away for years, longing to go home.

"We're here," The driver announced when he noticed she was still sitting in his taxi licking her ice cream.

"Oh, here."

She handed him his cash, finishing the last bit of the corn before walking out, and sliding her backpack on her shoulder. Letting out a sigh and looking at the street with lonely eyes when it landed on their house, she stared at the small apartment she lived in together with her mom longingly. Her mother rents this house and hopes she pays the rent every year.

A white two-bedroom flat, nothing fancy, not old and they keep it clean and neat.

She picked up the key under the welcome carpet and opened the door.

Welcomed by the lavender room scent, her mother loves lavender, because it soothes her all the time. She loved it too but preferred to mix it with its citrus scent. Making a good outcome fragrance.

She stopped looking at the room, it was just the way she was early in the morning, the pillow she threw on the sofa bouncing back to the floor, the dishes they used in the sink. Everything was the way she left. But to her, it's been five good years since she stepped back into it. Who knows, she could have reviewed this site again.

She went to her bedroom after closing the door behind her.

Her little orange room. She hurried inside feeling nostalgic. She dropped onto the bed. Inhaling the citrus scent on her mattress.

After changing her clothes, into a baggy burnt orange T-shirt and black shorts. She tugged the short her into a short tail pony and went out.

She didn't clean the house in the morning, waking up late and she didn't do anything in the morning. So, she would clean their tiny house and cook her mother's favorite food for dinner before she returned from work.

OOoooOO

By 8: pm she was done cleaning the house and cooking mom's favorite dish. She was sitting on the sofa with her physics textbook solving formulas, waiting for her mother to return. She usually returns home around 9: pm, or at 9 pm.

She was deep in her thoughts. When she heard her mother opening the door and coming in.

"Urrgh" she grumped.

"I can't believe it's almost nine, these traffic jams are so annoying mostly since tomorrow is Valentine's Day."

She paused seeing her daughter on the sofa and her favorite aroma of her meal hit her nose. Surprised. She usually reads in her room. And, don't cook her favorite till when they'll be eating together.

"What's the occasion?" Her mother asked playfully.

Areena was lost in her thoughts, staring at the woman before her. She was wearing a knee-length flared dress, and her jet-black hair was tied into a ponytail as the long tail cascaded down her waist. Her fair skin was a little tanned and a cheerful face always with a smile.

Her mother locked all her sadness and broke herself away from the world. And is a positive strong woman with a smile on her face, which makes her look younger than a 45-year-old woman.

Areena's heart was filled with guilt, longing, and pain, and on the other side, she felt relief, at home, and thankful. Her chest clung while filled with different emotions, and her eyes watered but we were fixed on her mother.

Feeling her tears about to, she rushed and pulled her mother into a hug, hugging her, and never letting go, smelling in her soft lavender scent.

"To welcome you back, mom."

She felt the urge to apologize and asked for her forgiveness. But that would be awkward.

"Reeena, My Goodness I just went to the hospital, not back from another world. You..."

The way she calls Areena's name makes her heart stop for a while. She hugged her mother tightly as two hot tears were on the ground.

Her mother giggled but stopped as Areena tightened her grip, never wanting to let go.

"Areena, sweetie, is there something wrong?" She asked, rubbing her back, worried laced in her voice.

She cleared her voice and forced her tears back.

"No, I just missed you, mom."

She giggled, seeing her mother's confused face.

Scratch eyebrows, big oval black eyes, that were droopy because of sleepless nights and busy days. full red cherry lips, a long straight nose, sitting right in the middle of her long face.

Her mother heaved, placing a hand on her chest and calming her heart.

"Lord, Reeena, you almost gave me a heart attack tonight. I've already had enough from the hospital."

She playful smacked her shoulder, putting one hand on her chest.

Her mother can be such a drama queen, she is the only one she's close to, and open to, sharing their happy and sad days.

"Mom," she whined as her mother hit her, then laughed seeing her mothers acting like she was truly hurt.

"Go freshen up and let's have dinner, I know you barely eat lunch."

She completed pushing her to her room.

"I was just taking a bite of this delicious burger when they brought in this patient ..."

Her mother complained while being pushed into the room, the house being small she could hear her mother from the combined kitchen and sitting room as her room was nearest to it.

Areena heard her mother talking while she served their food. Her mother came out and entered the bathroom before finally coming and sitting on the kitchen island stool where Areena served the food.

"When did you know how to cook this well?"

Her mom wondered about eating the delicious meal in front of her.

Though Areena knew how to cook, she wasn't this good. She used to cook in her previous life, indeed this is another change, but I can't let her know. Whenever she misses her mother she'll cook and eat her favorite food or brew her coffee. So, she perfected it by cooking it many times.

"Mom, I cook everything real good."

She chuckled, brushing off her mother's suspicious eyes. Knowing what she says next.

"No one in this whole world can brew a delicious coffee like me, young lady."

Her mother glared, boasting at her proud self, while Areena burst into laughter. Even though Areena knows how to cook since she was little her mother was always in the hospital. She can't brew coffee as she does. And she just got the answer she was expecting her to hear.

But 'in the world whole', was a little exaggerated. Her mother is indeed a drama queen.

Her mother is indeed one of the best coffee makers she knows, though she only drank her mother's coffee, it being the best. But as her mother used to tell her stories of her past, she works together with her grandma in a coffee shop. And most customers prefer her coffee over her mother's.

They've finished eating their food merrily, and with her mother's jokes, they laugh and enjoy a night together.

"Mom, go to bed, you need to sleep."

"And the same goes for you. Let's wash it together and head to bed. It's nearly 10 pm." She argued, and they washed the plates together.

Her mom let out a yawn, covering her mouth and stretching her hands.

"It's been a long day in the surgery today, and my body now aches." Her mother uttered lazily, while they walked to their rooms while Areena turned off the sitting room light.

"Let me massage your back, a little before going to bed, it'll make you feel better," Areena suggested.

"Hello, is my daughter still here?"

Areena's mother pulled her cheeks cheekily to confirm it was her.

"Mom, you're acting as if I've always been a bad daughter."

Areena pouted pretends to be wronged, twinkling her poppy eyes. She doesn't want her time with her mother to come to an end, afraid she would not see her again.

"Awww, it's just that, I've missed all this with my late duty lately." She apologized.

"And you know mommy loves to ..." She paused looking at her with mischievous eyes and added. "Pinch your little cheeks." She finished pinching her cheeks even more.

They laughed together as her mother tingled her tummy.

"Mom,... I'm not.... a ...a ...baby anymore." She said between laughs.

"You are always a baby to me."She uttered and hugged her.

"I missed you Reee."

"I missed you too Mom."

They stay on the ground for a while.

"Mom, mom, you need to ..."

"Let me hug you for a while."

Her mother begged and they kept quiet for some time, only their breathing was heard. Her mother has been through a lot.

Having a Half-Blood child is not an easy thing. And being in a Forbidden Love. How society views her, views us. She's just being strong, and I'm the only comforter she has.

Areena hugged her more. Staying for a while. Both their buried thoughts.

"Okay let's take a hot bath now."

Her mother announced, wiping her eyes, with her hands. Her voice is a little cranky. She shed a tear.

Areena's heart cringed, she can't believe she abandoned her mother, after all, she's been through. I'm never leaving you this time. I'll change for the better. I'll be by my side, for better or worse. I promise.

They entered the bathroom, her mother soaking herself in the bathtub while she used the shower, brushed their teeth, and changed into her pajamas.

00oo00

Her mother was lying with her face down wearing a towel. Areena off the lights to make it easy for her to go to sleep.

Her mother let out little sounds enjoying the massage as the oil soaked into her back.

"Have you been bullied again, Reee?"

"No, mom. I wasn't." She answered quickly but her mother was not satisfied with her only humming.

"Hmmm?"

"Seriously, I was not. I'm a big girl now, mom," She chirped to calm her mother.

"I just seriously missed you." She wholeheartedly added whole-heartedly to her soft voice laced with sincerity. Knowing she can't tell her mother about her death and that this is her second chance, that's the only thing she can tell her to get her convinced.

"Be strong, okay. Everything's gonna be okay. Someday society would all accept us."

"Ummm."

She answered with a hum and continued massaging her back in silence for some time.

"It's okay like this." Her mother shushed her to go to have some rest as well.

"Let me do some more mom ... You're"

"It's more than enough, Reeena sweetheart, you have to go to sleep too."

Her mother gets up wearing her sleeping dress, making Areena stop.

She bid her mother good night, blowing out the candle before going to her room to sleep, part of her not wanting to leave the room.

***

How was the chapter? I hope you like her mother's cheerful character and the mother-daughter love.

What happened to the diary?

When would she meet Ed?