Living in a Troubled Life

mikmws

Chapter 6

The weekend passed by so fast.

I feel like my body’s being run over by a 24-wheeler truck as I

got up in my bed. I slowly walked towards the bathroom and
started increasing the water temperature before taking a shower
so I could somehow relieve the pain through a hot bath.

----------

During the weekends, Oxus attended a 5-day workshop in his school

so he left the house early in the morning but he went first in my
room to bid me goodbye.

“Pree?” Oxus called as he knocked on my door.

I was just half-asleep when I heard him. I couldn’t sleep with

all the pain I am feeling.

I covered myself in my bedsheets and using my hoarse voice, I

answered him.

“It’s open,” I said.

The door slowly opened and his smiling face showed. I smiled
back.

“Did I wake you up?”

“No, not really. I was just half-asleep,” I said. “Grab a chair

and sit beside me, I don’t want to get up,” I added.

Oxus chuckled. Instead of pulling the chair from my study table,

he sat on the floor, facing me. He didn’t open the lights so the
lights from the hallway are the only thing that illuminates some
areas in my room.

“I have to go,” he said.

“Take care,” I answered. He didn’t move, but instead, he just

looked at me. Gone was the smile he showed a while ago.

“You looked like a pufferfish. Did someone make you cry?”

I sighed and closed my eyes. I then shook my head before opening

my eyes to look at him. He’s just like Dad whenever he sees me
crying.

“Well, yes, I watched this very tragic movie about a mentally

challenged man who was accused of sexually assaulting a child”

He gasped. “You already watched that?! I thought we’d watch it

together!” he hissed. “You traitor!” he added.
I chuckled. I haven’t really watched that film yet, but according
to those who already watched it, it’s a tearjerker movie.
Thankfully he already bought my excuse.

“Let’s watch it together then later when you arrive,” I

suggested.

Oxus was taken aback. “About that, Pree,” he said then flashed a
sad smile.

I looked at him with a questioning face.

“I will be attending a 5-day workshop that was prepared by the

school for art majors. So I’m leaving this early since we will be
starting our workshop today. I won’t be coming home for 5 days.”

This time I was the one who was taken aback.

He’ll be gone for 5 days?!

I sighed.

“Let’s watch it when you arrive home then. Enjoy your workshop,”
I suggested.

He agreed and flicked my forehead as he bade me goodbye.

As soon as I heard the door closing, I silently wished him and me

some luck before drifting myself to sleep.
----------

As soon as I arrived at school I became one of the main topics of

the students in my department.

Some would definitely stare at the way I walk, some would whisper
in a loud way telling their peers to look at how I drag my legs.
Some would even stop and will look at me with weird type of
facial reactions.

I didn’t falter; I still walked my way to the room with my head

held high and continued walking as if I don’t look like a limping
idiot.

I didn’t take the stairs; I took the elevator to temporarily stop

torturing myself.

I stared at the ground as I walk my way to the room, not minding

the stares and the sudden halt of the chatting students in the
hallway upon looking at me.

Thankfully, Dan and his group didn’t pull any pranks on me as I

entered the room.

Walking towards my seat is excruciating. Pulling up my legs to

take the stairs needs a certain amount of force and I couldn’t
help but silently groan in pain.

As soon as I reached my seat, I stretched out my legs and tried

to massage them lightly.
Soon after I finished doing a little massage, I could see Flaira
rushing towards me while flashing a worried face.

“I heard all the murmurs in the building. What happened?” she

said as she reached my seat.

“It’s nothing, just a little walking problem,” I answered before

sighing. If only I could just say that I don’t want to talk about
it, but for sure she won’t stop bugging me unless I tell her the
details.

“What do you mean it’s nothing?! It isn’t something! Did your

aunt do this to you?!”

Flaira put her things on her seat with force, creating a loud
noise enough for our other block mates to stop what they’re doing
and stare at us.

I felt embarrassed with what she did so I gently pulled her hand
for her to sit so we could talk softly.

“Don’t just make any unnecessary attention, Flaira. You’ll get us

trouble,” I said.

She rolled her eyes. “Whatever. Now tell me, Pree. What happened
to you?”

I shrugged as an answer. “I was too clumsy,” I said.

My answer caused her to raise her eyebrow. God, she would see
through me.

“Really?” she asked, sounding as if she’s not buying my reason.

“Really,” I responded.

“Explain.”

I sighed. Oh well, this is Flaira we’re talking about, she won’t

easily believe anything I’ll say when it comes to my injuries.

And it’s a fact. She will always give me a suspecting stare

whenever she asks me about my injuries, minor or not. It’s as if
all my injuries should always be because my aunt did it, which is
sometimes not the case. There are times that my clumsiness would
always result in a minor injury to me.

“I was doing the laundry this weekend when I accidentally slipped

upon getting the unwashed clothes so I hit my back on the nearby
chair.”

“What about your leg?”

“I stumbled as I hit my back so I slipped again, putting all my

weight so I could balance myself and prevent the fall.
Unfortunately, it didn’t happen so the weight on my legs dragged
my entire body to the floor. Causing me to limp when I walk,” I
answered.

I was praying that she would buy my excuse so she could stop
insisting and asking further questions.

No one actually knew about the physical punishments I’ve been

receiving from my aunt, not even Oxus and Toper, Flaira, nor
Yvan. They knew about the way she treats me, like how I’m an
outsider even when I am her relative.
But that’s what they only know. I was always being threatened by
Aunt Lyn that any word that escaped from my mouth regarding the
physical punishments I received from her would be the end of my
privileged life.

I would lose everything because she said that she’ll kick me out
so I always dodge the question related to Aunt Lyn whenever I was
being asked for my injuries.

Yvan and Flaira were suspecting that my injuries are directly

involved with Aunt Lyn but they couldn’t just pinpoint how since
I won’t say anything.

After looking at me suspectingly, Flaira sighed.

“You sound convincing, but I still am not believing it. You

should get it checked by the nurse or a doctor in the clinic.
I’ll accompany you.”

I smiled. Finally.

“It’s not necessary, I can manage. It’s just a minor leg pain,” I
said.

Deep inside me, I was screaming my heart out. Yes, please! Take
me to the clinic so the doctor could take a look at it! I really
am in great pain and I badly wanted to end this leg pain!

But being the pretentious I am, I pretended that everything is

fine.

To distract me from feeling the pain, I opened the tablet on my

desk and logged in to my account to read some past notes while
waiting for professor Idlre to arrive.