Double

They always argue. Throw things on the floor, pointing at each other's mistake and when both are tired, she will call me from my room. Yelling my name while cussing my father to get the hell out of her God damn house.

Did I just copy how she speaks? Yes, I just did. I memorized it already due to their everyday fights. She's pyschologically ill! But my father loves her too much that he almost adapted her toxic personality.

It only took me three quick seconds to come down my room and stood there still, hugging the newel of the staircase.

I stare down the floor and saw the broken pieces of our flower vase then I look straight at Muma's pale face when I heard her sigh out of exhaustion.

"What the hell, Jott, why didn't you wash your plate?"

I think she's kinda calm now, at least by the way she speaks.

"Don't speak to him like that, Elisa," my father told my mother while walking towards me and carefully sweeping the broken vase away from my feet.

"Speak like what? Oh! That's bullshit, Carl."

Muma walked out of the house with a messy hair tied in a bun. She's not wearing a bra so she should be just outside our garden, I know she won't go far.

But I noticed that Muma's body is too thin. She doesn't eat three times a day but she should be... my teacher told me that it's important to eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner. 

"Are you going to work, Pupa? Can I play with your phone once you come home?"

"My phone? No, Jott, remember when I woke up at three in the morning?"

"Yes, I am sorry, Pupa."

"You are still ten years old, you should treasure the times you can sleep well for eight hours."

Pupa left after fixing himself. He said that he needs more money from work to buy me a scooter but I wanted a phone and I know he won't buy me one.

Muma went inside after Pupa left. She started cleaning the house and cook some food for me, only for me, nothing for her.

Her mood is weird and Pupa said I am too young to understand Muma's condition. I even asked my teacher if she and her partner fight like Muma and Pupa then she answered that it's a normal thing.

What's normal? I think when you get used to it, it becomes normal. And, yeah, I think it's normal for them to fight.

"Muma, I will go to my bed now."

She just gave me a quick nod and continued watching that Netflix documentary series.

It's already nine in the evening and Pupa should be home by ten. I have nothing to do in my bedroom so I decided to continue painting the walls of my room. Pupa loved my art but Muma hated it because she will have to clean the "mess" I made.

A faint sound of police siren pushed me to look outside my room's front window. "Muma," I whispered. 

I can hear their loud knock but what's bothering is Muma won't open the door for them. They are the police, shouldn't you let these good people in? My teacher told me that they help kill the bad guys.

After the last knock, I can now hear Muma's yells.

"What the fuck?"

"Ma'am, we need you to come out, you are under arrest for using..."

It faded when a magical voice overlapped in my ears. It was coming from the other window, facing our backyard. It's already dark outside but this back window shines like it's seven in the morning.

It's very odd... and interesting. I started walking away from the front window and tried to catch the sparkles floating around me.

Pupa never told me that we have this kind of window. 

When I finally touched the window glass, I felt a very warm sensation. It's real. I pushed it to open and the great horizon nearly blinded me. 

"A dragon?!" I was so thrilled by these magical things that I forget I was only looking through a window.

"The rainbow is so close to the ground and -- What!? Is that a pirate's ship?"

Everything was so cool. Look at those cotton candy skies, and big bright flowers! I've got to tell Pupa!

I ran away from the window but once I took my sight away from it, I was already standing on a green ground. 

This is -- Where is my room? And the sirens... I can't hear Muma and the police. 

"Jottie!" someone unknown called me.

I got a close observation of this person when he rushed towards my spot. He's too pink to be a boy and too tall to be a kid.

"Who are you?"

"I am your playmate," he answered with glee.

I only moved my eyes to examine the place and my body was frozen as I asked him another question, "Where am I? Where is the window?"

"Window?" he turned his head back and forth then pursed his lips, "Do you mean 'The Double'?"

"The Double?"

"Yes, the window to exit and enter this place."

"Where is it then? I need to go back!"

"So soon?" 

He frowned and played with his fingers.

"Yes," I look around to find the windows but every corner is covered with magical events, "My Muma needs help from Pupa..." 

"Your Muma and Pupa?" 

"Muma was being called out by the police. I should call Pupa and tell him about Muma... and this world too!"

I heard him groan and hang his head. He then look at me with his glistening eyes. "Won't you enjoy your stay here first?" he begged and pouted, "Once you leave, you might not be able to come back again." 

I stopped looking around and saw his hand reaching for mine. "Come on!" he invited and smiled so widely. "Please? For a while..."

And when I felt the warm touch of his hand, grabbing me to walk beside him as he take me to the end of the rainbow where the pot of candies is overflowing... I started to feel happiness but something felt strange. 

I couldn't remember anything.

"Look!" he exclaimed and pointed the sea with floating fruits on it. He continues to point the moving objects in around the place. He couldn't stop talking and keeps jumping from excitement. 

I can't vibe with him because I don't even know what am I. I am so lost. I -- Who am I?

"Who are you?" I asked as I held his shoulder. He stopped moving around and smiled at me. 

"You are my double. We are playmates! And this is our happy window! We made this place, don't you remember?"

"R-Really?" I answered with hesitation. Maybe we did built this place. 

"Yes!" he jumped with glee, "So, come on! Let's invite Mister Pirate to join our adventure."

I though it would be more strange but it was really fun.

We slid down the rainbow. Ate the clouds. Drank the sea. Talked to the flowers. Swing from tree to tree. Painted the skies. Smile and giggle like a monkey. 

We did those things for almost a week.

My heart is like a... What word fits in the saying... Ah! My heart is like a kid.

After we played, I told him that I want to look around the place while he fall asleep. I walked alone to the west side of the place and felt the fresh breeze. I lay my back down the grass and let the butterfly land on the tip of my pinky.

But it quickly flew away when a loud noise disturbed my peace of mind. My body quickly sit up and saw a...

"A window?"  

I walked towards it and touched the window glass. It's so cold that it could freeze my finger in a minute.

I quickly pushed it and a piece of paper flew out from the window and landed on the grass. I picked it up and read the top part where the letters are enlarged.

"Shoot by mistake." 

I looked down and saw a picture of a house then I proceed to read the small letters.

"A woman was arrested for using illegal drugs and was captured by the police on a surprise visit to her house. The police found out that the woman's child was looking through a window above the first floor. The police was distracted by the kid and told the him to stay put. The woman took the chance to try and grab the officer's gun. A loud gunshot was made after the police and the woman fought over it. After the police handcuffed and pushed the woman inside the police car, he found out that the kid on the second floor of the house was shot by mistake. The child's father was tested clean. It's been a week since the incident happened and the father mourns for his beloved Jott. May God give him a safe and happy place on heaven."

"What a sad story..." I whispered to myself. "I should share this with ny playmate."

I looked up and saw that the window was gone. It disappeared. 

Strange.