Three

    ELLEN

    The noise was deafening. I plugged earmuffs into my ears in an attempt to lessen the noise, but it was almost useless.

    Zach's snores weren't the kind that could be stopped by earmuffs. I arose from the bed lazily, and placed a pillow on his face. I could end it now. I could put an end to all the endless beatings, and brutality.

    I let the pillow slip carelessly to the ground, and walked out of the room. I couldn't do that to Zach. He was my husband, and he had been crazily in love with me once.

    I pulled out my laptop, and began to go through my mails. I had attempted publishing a book, but I hadn't found the right publishing firm. I had faced several rejections from many of the top firms.

    As I glanced through my mails, I couldn't hope, because I knew it wasn't needful. There was no message of importance, they were all just rejection  and rejection again.

    I couldn't be more bothered. The last firm had said the book contained "excessive controversies, and unmatched storylines". All I could hope for was a miracle, but I didn't believe in those, or anything else anymore.

    I glanced at the wall clock, and yawned tiredly. It was the break of the day already. I had barely had enough time to rest. I turned off the laptop, and busied myself with the business of making coffee.

    My thighs ached with every step I took. They were sore from excessive plunder. I held a mug tightly to my chest, and let my thoughts drift to the incidents of the previous night.

    I had waited until Zach was ready to let go, but he hadn't been satisfied. He had plunged deeper, and deeper seeking pleasure, filling himself up with sexual ecstacy, and eventually his whole body wore out, and he dozed off on me.

    It had taken a lot of strength to be able to lift his naked form off of me. My whole body had ached as I had struggled to breathe in clean fresh air. I had pulled out a top, and some baggy trousers, and hurried outside for some fresh air, with a cigarette stick in my mouth.

    I hadn't been there for a long time when I had seen the boy from school staring aimlessly at me. I had been pissed. 'Hadn't he seen someone smoke?' I had almost asked.

    I had managed to keep calm, and retreat into my apartment. I didn't want to seem mean to my new neighbours. The friendly act was easier to keep, and besides I had been invited to a dinner party at their place tonight.

    I heard Zach's snores lessen, and I knew that it was time to hurry back into the business of being a teacher.

    DEVAN

    It was difficult to keep my head straight in anything I was involved in. Matt's death had begun this lost-mindedness, and now Ms. Ellen had taken his place.

    I couldn't think straight anymore. Each time I closed my eyes, all I could see were images of her bare bosom swimming in my head. 

    'Was this love?' I asked myself over and over again, until I had lost count. I had heard my parents argue on how they had met each other, or how my mum had taken the bull by the horns, and asked dad for a relationship.

    Although that story hadn't sat well with me at the time. I had cringed, and shaken my head. However, I was beginning to see reasons why mum had done it. And though their love story had been cringe filled, mine was still in my head.

    The bustling around the house slowly brought me to reality. We were having a dinner party to celebrate Dad's birthday. It was really a strange year for me. Right from the moment I had come of age, I hadn't seen Dad celebrate his birthday. However, mum had insisted. We all needed something to take our minds off Matt's death.

    I walked through the sitting room, with little or no attention drawn to me. They all had their heads bent over one duty or the other.

    The decorations were coming along. Ribbons, and balloons hung from the ceilings. There was a bold one though, with the number 'fifty' boldly written on it. It was to signify Dad's age, or so I thought.

    I soon found out that I hadn't been wrong about the balloon, because beneath that balloon sat my old man with a grumpy face, and dressed in suit for the first time in a long while. He had a birthday hat on, which I knew Mum had forced on him. He wasn't keen to celebrations and all the unnecessary galore Mum was cooking up.

    "Are you alright?" I asked walking over to him, trying my best to stifle a chortle.

    "When does the party start?" He threw at me without even looking towards my direction.

    He was agitated, and sweaty at the same time. The base of his neck had began to redden already. I patted him slightly on the back, trying to point out my location to him.

    Yea, he was blind. He had lost his both eyes in the event that claimed my twin, Matt. He glanced in my direction, and I took his hands in mine.

    "You'd be fine." I promised, and placed a kiss on his forehead. I knew he needed the largest amount of love, I could give to anyone, not even Ms. Ellen. 

    He shook his head, and slowly raised his head as if searching for my face. "Is that you, Devan?" 

    I smiled briefly, he was recuperating quicker than we had all expected. A few months ago, he hadn't even known how to use any of his body parts, or any of our names. But, Mum had singlehandedly shouldered the responsibility of teaching him slowly, until he had slowly gotten a grasp of it.

    "Yes," I replied, and a wide grin broke out on his face. I patted him on the back once again, and hurried over to the kitchen, where Mum busied herself with different responsibilities at the same time.

    "Mum," I called. She paid no attention to me, as she gave orders on what to do here, and there.

    "Mum," I called again.

    She breathed in deeply, before stirring whatever she had on the steamer. "I hear you loud and clear, Devan. I don't hear with my eyes, remember? I hear with my ears."

    "Well, someone has to administer Dad's medications to him. I think his allergies are returning."

    "I'd be right there, Devan." She said, as the doorbell rang impatiently. "Don't just lazy about, get the door." She ordered, and hurried to get Dad's medications.

    I grumbled incoherently, as I dragged my feet across the floor to the door. I wasn't one to welcome visitors. Robb was always in charge of that, but not me. It was never me.

    I opened the door slowly, to meet a small woman who had been drenched in the rain. She had a big coat over her, with shiny black eyes staring blankly into mine. I made way for her to go through, and she walked in.

    I could feel the cold blast forcefully into my face, as she pulled off her coat, and my Mum hurried over with a welcoming smile.

    It was Ms. Ellen. I could barely feel my breath anymore. It seemed strange and thrilling at the same time. She ran her hand through her wet hair, and stretched her hands towards mum.

    "I brought Pizza. Is that alright with you?" My heart melted at that point, and I knew...