Favor

It was unusual. She hasn’t come home yet. It wasn’t like her. I was just sat on the sofa waiting for her to arrived. Earlier that day, my mom had just called me. I was at home when she rang up my phone. She asked me to take care of my brother before she come home. Other than that, she didn’t said anything else that she was gonna be late or something. While I was busy putting up my brother to bed, I didn’t notice a single bit that the sky became thick dark and she still wasn’t here. I keep glancing back and forth to the clock and the main door. Everytime there’s a car’s sound passing by near my house, it distracted me in case it hers. I was worried something might have been happened to my mom. She has never been this late. I couldn’t even reached her by phone.

I was about to find some help. But, I’ve just moved in recently. I know nothing about the neighbors. I’ve also never called the police to report missing person. To be exact, I didn’t really want to think my mom went missing. So, I was thinking of calling my father, her ex-husband. But again, I couldn’t get enough of the fact that he’s maybe waiting for this oversight to come so that he can take me and my brother away from her. I just couldn’t bared it. I didn’t know what should I do.

Somebody rang my doorbell!!!

Right in the middle of my chaotic mind, I was startled to death-almost fainted. I tried to pull myself up. I remember to not open the door for strangers, especially in new neighbors like this!!  So, I was peering through the window and saw a friendly-looking woman. I recognized her! She was the beautiful lady I saw gardening across my house. My brother liked her. Anyway, I was so contemplated whether to open the door or not. Somehow, I feel relieved to saw familiar face. So, I decided to seek her out.  Slowly but sure, I opened the door and she smiled on me. It’s soothing me. She bend down her body so our eyes can meet each other and she started to talk to me.

“Hey. You see that house, that’s mine. It sounds creepy but I know your mom since college. Here it is.”

*She reached into her pocket and taking out a photo of her and my mom on their graduation day trying to convinced me.

“ I know it’s a little bit late for a visitor, but thank you for being a brave girl. I just got called from a hospital telling me about your mom got into a little bit of an accident. Luckly she’s fine. Phew!! But, she has to be hospitalized for few days. Well, it’s never to late for girl’s night out, right?” she said.

I stayed silent for awhile. I didn’t really know how to began. First of all, she was talking about my mom got into a car accident!? She was fine a little while ago. Also my family new in this town and suddenly my neighbors was my mom’s colleague. This whole situation didn’t make any sense. I didn’t even know this person. I might have just put myself in danger. Right at the moment, I got a notification from… MY MOM! Finally. I read her message and she told me exactly the same like the lady said but without the part that she wasn’t actually my mom’s friend at the college. However I felt so much better that nothing bad happened to her and I can have some rest for the night.

So, she help me packing up some of my clothes and my brother’s. I waken up my brother who knew nothing about it.  I looked around to see if I missed something. After that, three of us went to her house. In her house, a girl with a long straight hair was waiting for us in the wheelchair. She looked normal and beautiful for someone in those wheel. Then, I saw a big picture hanging on their living room. It was a complete pack of family. I got distracted by how big their house compared to ours. Indeed, she has everything I couldn’t have except her feet. What a pity I thought. At least I have my dad around me.

Like my mom said, I stayed there for a few days. They really accompanied us well. The girl was so nice to us and so did everyone else. I got to eat my favorite food and played with her every single day. Their bed is super soft-no kidding. I didn’t have to worry about getting up late or going to bed early. I had so much fun that it felt like a dream to me. Still, I didn’t have the courage to ask what’s wrong to her feet. I afraid it would offend her. So, I acted as if nothing different between us. Though sometimes things get a little bit awkward, I enjoyed having her around me. 

The day my mom checked out from the hospital, the woman took us back to our home safely. While on the way back home, she was thanking me for stayed in her house. I was surprised.  I should be the one who said it. She help us when my mom wasn’t there with us. She even brought my favorite food so we can eat it later. I wanted to cry for her kindness. That night, I told my mom what was happening during her absence. At the same time, I felt proud of myself. Later I found out, my mom only met her once when we first moved in. She mistook my mom with her colleague. Then, she talked about her child who was having seizure and no one wants to played with her. That’s when my mom remembered her and they were passing a favor to each other.