CHAPTER THREE

DIANA

I'm outside my work place when I realize I didn't leave my brother a text to let him know I'd be dropping by today. So I call him.

_“Hey Daniel”_

_“Hi, Diana?”_

He always does that, call my name in question to confirm if it's really me on the phone, I don't know what for or why, but sometimes it just gets frustrating.

_“Expecting someone else?”_

_“Sorry, been long”_

_“It's been 3 days Daniel, I called you on Sunday”_

_“Rightttt, my bad. So what's up?”_

_“Making my way to your apartment. Except I don't know the way to your apartment, so I need directions”_

_“I thought you said Wednesday?”_

_“Well I'm a day early, are you going to give me directions or not Daniel?”_

_“Ugh yh, sorry, Admiralty high way, let the cab drop you at the LA Kindread Hospital. My apartment is just around the curb by the side of the hospital. Ask for Royalty Complex. I'm on the last floor, 12b. See ya”_

_“Thanks big bro”_

I take his directions as specifically as I can and I finally make it to the elevator. So many floors. Sigh. I make it to the last one and head for 12b, and I knock.

“Diana?”

“Ugh, yes Daniel, It's Diana.” I say sighing.

“You sigh alot. Surprised you forehead hasn't gotten wrinkled to be honest”

I grit my teeth and flash him a dry look.

“What a warm welcome, jeez thanks bro”

“Sorry about that, You're welcome to mines, make yourself comfortable, yada yada, and I'm heading out soon”

“What? It's 7:15pm.”

“Yes Diana, I've got a date. I actually have a love life.”

He says that with a hint of mockery to his voice, I roll my eyes. Daniel can't keep girls. I give this one a month.

“You won't ask why I'm here?”

“Well why are you here, Diana?”

“I need a place to stay, I'm thinking of moving in with you”

I say it fast and with my eyes closed, I know Daniel loves his space and I don't want to intrude, but I need this.

“Any problems? What's happening?”

It takes me few seconds to process his questions, not because I don't know what my problems are but because I expected a firm NO from him.

“Well, work has not been great, I'm on probation, when I was infact hoping for a promotion, so now I'm looking at the possiblity of being kicked out. rent is due and I'm.... broke??”

I say the broke with my head tilted to the side and my eyes half closed.

“Okay, Move in on Friday”

Utter shock! Is this even my brother?

“Wow, I can do that, thank you so much!”

“Sure, heard from Mum?”

That question causes a pang in my chest, and he notices.

“Still not over the news of the divorce huh? It's best this way Anna, Mum can't keep enduring at his hands. We need to be strong for her okay? Give her a call, I'm leaving, I should be back by 11pm. You staying?”

“No” I simply say.

“Okay, leave they key under the mat, and take care”

He pats my head and leaves.

I'm not mad about the divorce, I'm glad it's happening. I'm just sad for mum. This marriage has broken her, and I don't like seeing her broken.

I grew up in an abusive household, it wasn't a “too nice” family. I'm the last of three, a brother and a sister come before me, in that order.

Daniel. Denise. Diana.

There was rarely ever good food or water, we interchanged between two sets of clothes everyday and we didn't have an education. At least our household was peaceful, you'd think. Wrong. It wasn't. My father was abusive. Physically to my mother, emotionally to us.

He would hit my mother at the slightest provocation. He would hit her if she didn't make sales for the day. He would hit her for not being able to provide basic needs. He would even hit her for not giving him money to buy his beer.

He would tell us that he regretted having us as children, he said he saw our failures written boldly on our heads. He would say that we were weak, fragile and incapable of anything great. My mother always defended him, “You have to understand he doesn't mean it, it's the alcohol” She'd say.

I grew to hate him, while for some reason, my mother endured. Something about marriage being till death.

Over time I grew to be stronger, we can give some credit to his hurtful words. They played their part, I must say.

I studied Miss Cal and decided I wanted to be what she was, She dressed so cooperately, living for work as early as 6am and coming back as moderately as 4pm. She smelled nice and could afford the basic necessities, whilst being comfortable. She lived some blocks down, a complex apartment, away from our dump house.

Since we couldn't afford an education. I took it upon myself to meet Miss Cal and ask how she got to such point in her life, I wanted to be there. She was a Journalist apparently, Currently Manager, Fs Media. Yup. She's the manager of the company I presently work for.

She took me through Highschool, and helped me get a scholarship for College, then I interned in the company for two years before I was given role as an Entertainment reporter.

I'm glad my mother finally sees reason to leave the marriage, Daniel is doing well now, and I'm also about to do really well, once I get this promotion. So she's good to go financially. I just hope she finds happiness again.