[Alice]
I sat on my bed for long minutes, trying to compile a message. Each sentence I came up with felt wrong, and had a strong need to be modified, making me stall for even longer minutes.
I had the ideas, and knew exactly what to write but they were scattered in my head, and I needed more focus to bring them together. My father would be home any minute and I needed to complete this message, and send it to Jared before he does.
With the thought that my father would be home any minute strongly on my mind, I surprisingly wrote sentences that suddenly didn't feel wrong.
I read through the message twice before pressing the send button. Aside from checking the message to fish out errors, I was taking my time to be sure that I wanted it, and that there would be no cause for regret later.
Just as I deleted the message from my phone, my door suddenly pulled open. For a moment, I panicked as I turned towards the door to see Agnes, still in her uniform and smiling sweetly. I turned quickly towards the small sized clock on the wall, and realized that it was the time which she usually returned from school. As usual, she had made her first stop in my room, and it was nice to see her especially as I did not get to see her this morning before she left for school.
"You scared the shit out of me." I said, holding my chest, just as I heaved a sigh of relief. I feared it was my dad who had barged in as he usually did.
"We are even now." She replied, looking straight at me, and smiling while my forehead creased in confusion.
"You gave me a scare too, while you were at the hospital." She explained.
"Oh, but that wasn't my fault in any way." I defended.
"True, but I was scared." She added, jumping on my bed.
"Miss," I called teasingly. "Get your sweaty body out of my bed." I ordered, with false seriousness. Of course she knew I didn't mean it, and didn't pay me any attention just as I expected.
"Not a chance." Agnes replied, sticking out her tongue to remind me how powerless I am around her.
"Can I get some snacks, please." She asked with a pout.
"Not without having your bath." I said fiercely, putting up the big sister act even though it has never really worked on her.
"Can I use your bathroom then?" She asked.
"Of course. You go in, I will go fish out your clothes from your room." I said, heading for the door.
Inside her room, I located the space in her wardrobe where she kept her casual wears, and selected a blue dress, one I have always liked on her.
When I got back to my room, Agnes was done showering, and seated on my bed. She was wrapped in my towel.
"Here," I said, handing her the dress.
"Can I have the snacks now?" She asked.
"Of course, make your choice." I said, pointing her to the direction where my collection of snacks laid.
Once she moved towards the direction I pointed, I reached for my phone. As expected, there was a message from Jared.
With my breath held, I read through the message. Quickly at first, and then slowly, after which I let out the breath I was holding.
I sat on my bed, the reality of the decision I just made sinking in for the first time.
He is on board afterall. I muttered to myself, just as Agnes returned with snacks of different kind. I should be excited about it but I wasn't. I was caught somewhere in-between excitement and disappointment even though it was entirely my decision.
While she took a seat beside me, she eyed me guiltily. She expected me to comment on the quantity of snacks she had taken from my collection, but I wasn't paying her any attention.
When I said nothing to her even after a few minutes had passed, she faced me squarely, and only then did she notice my absentmindedness.
"Is everything alright?" She asked, but I wasn't sure what to tell her. While she waited for an answer that wasn't forthcoming, her eyes caught the phone which was now on my thighs, and reached for it.
I tried to stop her, but I ws too late, because the next moment, she was looking at me with disbelief.
"Do you really want to elope?" She asked me, in a hushed voice.
For the first time, since I thought about running off with Jared, I thought about Agnes.
How could I not think about her? I asked myself. What would become of her when I leave? I am the only family she's got...
"I believe dad will come around. Have you noticed the way he treats you now? He respects you." Agnes said convincingly, and I almost laughed at her naivety.
"Do you have any idea why he now respects me?" I asked, and she shook her head, while looking at me with confusion. There shouldn't be a reason for our father to treat us the way he did but there was now, at this point.
"Come with me." I said leading the way to the bathroom.
I opened the toilet tank, and brought out the overly wrapped collection of keys from the bottom of the tank. One glance at Agnes' direction showed just how curious she was, as she should be. This was one thing I have kept from her for years.
With an annoying slowness, I removed the numerous wrappings which held the collection of keys, while Agnes moved from foot to foot, growing impatient.
"Just tear it open." She suggested, while I gigled.
Her impatience, just like her stubbornness can get really funny sometimes, and I always find it cute.
I unwrapped the last of the nylon, after a while and showed the keys to Agnes, whose facial expression had switched from being curious to being genuinely confused.
"What are these?" She asked, even though she knew what they were.
"These are keys, Agnes." I answered even though I knew what she meant.
"I know what they are. What are they for." She corrected.
Without providing any answer to her question, I headed out of the bathroom with the collection, leaving her to decide whether to follow suit or not.
I moved straight to my bedside table, and opened the drawer, after fishing out the key.
"Wait, you have a spare key? Wow! How did you do it?" She exclaimed, once she understood what was going on. The smile on her face showed just how impressed she was.
I brought out the diamond ring, and the envelope, and showed it to Agnes whose eyes were now widened in shock. She may be just a child, but she knew just what these items implied.
"Do you know which one of them sent it?" She asked, her voice low and sympathetic.
"No, I don't. Dad hasn't said anything about it yet." I replied, indifferently.
"You can't marry any of those bastards. They are all dogs. Killers, and women beaters." Agnes stated in a tone which surprised me.
"What can I do?" I replied, resignedly.
"You should work on your elopement plan, Alice. It is the only option that makes sense." Agnes advised, and I stared at her. She sure didn't understand what elopement entails. I didn't either but I was sure it wouldn't be all rosy.
"You don't mean that, do you?" I asked, turning to face her.
"Of course I do." Agnes replied, using the same tone she used moments ago.
"But, what about you. I can't leave you here, all by yourself." I explained.
"I can take care of myself. Besides what difference will it make, if you are caged in the house of one of those monsters, all in the name of marriage." Agnes assured, while I put the items back in the drawer.
"Wait, why is this empty?" Agnes suddenly asked, pulling the envelope from my hold.
"It isn't empty..." I started to say, but stopped on noticing that the envelope was truly empty.
I stared up at Agnes, who also stared at me, realization hitting us both.
"This is worse than I feared." Agnes declared, rising.
When she got to the door, she paused.
"You might want to keep them back." She said without turning to face me, and she was out the next second.
Without wasting any more time, I kept the items in the drawer, and locked it. Then I proceeded to my bathroom, where the nylons with which I wrapped the collection of keys were.
Swiftly, I wrapped the keys in the numerous nylons, and put them inside my toilet tank, where they belong.
The sound of a car honking filled my ears a few minutes later, announcing my dad's arrival, and I reached quickly for my phone to delete Jared's message.
But there was no need, as Agnes had already deleted it.