CHAPTER 6: SEARCHING GRACIELLA

The next morning, she woke up with a lot of body aches. Sally began stretching and did light exercises for twenty minutes. She noticed that it is already seven in the morning but her mom is not awake yet. She decided to get ready and do something for her. Everything is new to her. However, she's fully aware that her role has changed overnight. She became her mom's daughter at a very young age. There are many things expected of her to do, since she's dependent to rely on her parents at this age. It sucks but she needs to do it. She prepared scrambled eggs and bought some pieces of soft bread from a nearby bakery. She remembered that she used to like hot chocolate every morning. When she opened their food keeper, she saw a chocolate powder in a tin can. She smiled as she started to heat half a liter of water for breakfast. She got two empty cups from their old cupboard and she went to the table to set up their food and even the bread that she bought. "Mom! Breakfast is ready!" She called her with a raised voice. She felt so good that life from the past is so simple. She never noticed her mom standing behind her. She turned to her and she could see her folding her arms as she frowned. She's feeling like she's above cloud nine, now that she's having a chance to prepare something for her mom. "You know what? If you're frowning, you will look ugly." She said as she giggled. Her mom sat in front of her looking annoyed. "I got myself a hot chocolate, mom. Would you like coffee?" "Well, if you start your day with this, I will be happier and you're setting my mood." "Mom, just eat and be full, and everything else will follow." She looked at me from head to toe as if I am acting really weird. "You know what? I find you weird since yesterday. You're naturally quiet but now, I don't think you're my child anymore." She looked at her mom and she noticed she hovered her gaze to her from head to toe. "Mom!" She chuckled for the first time that Sally couldn't help but smile, too. She's glad that her mother appreciated what she did early in the morning. This must be a daily routine from now on. "Do the housework while I am away. I will just go to the neighborhood to check if they need some house cleaning service." Her mom said, still frowning at her. "You don't clean your own house but you wanted to clean another house? "Just shut up and do as I say." "Mom, you're a bit complicated, you know." She resisted, trying to explain her side. She had the point and she knew it very well. "This is work-related, okay? Who will earn money for this family? Who do you expect to support us if I will not do anything?" Sally was stunned in a moment. Well, her mother is right. Ever since she set her foot on this house, she never noticed her father's presence. Where could he be at this point of time? "Just do what I tell you to do without asking a lot of things. I don't need your opinion about this." Sally sighed as she looked at her. "Alright." "And take a bath. You're stinky now. Act like a lady, you're not a kid anymore. Think about your hygiene." "Mom, don't treat me as one. I know what to do, okay?" The remaining minutes became silent as they ate their breakfast. As they were sitting facing each other, Sally had a chance to look and observe her mom's physical appearance and the details of her face. Sally had her mom's lovely deep-set, brown eyes. While she had her dad's elegant, straight nose, symmetrical lips, with the lower lip slightly fuller. She would describe her mom to be the older version of her, beautiful even without any make-up on. She can't help but smile because she is seeing her mom again. For a while, she doesn't want to believe that this is really for real this time. She also had a sprinkled stain of freckles around her upper cheek to her nose bridge which emphasized her fair skin even more. Sally's skin is a bit tanned because there were times she will be sweeping dried leaves of trees outside of their house. When her mom left for work, she sneaked outside again to look for the 1957 Aurora that brought her from the future. She sighed when she couldn't see any trace of it again for the second time around. Is she on a mission right now? Why did she visit her past all of a sudden? Was she cursed by someone? Did someone put her into a magic spell that's why she's now stuck in this time of her past? With shoulders drooped down, she got the rake and started pulling the pile of leaves to the shallow hole beside their fence. Good thing there were many trees around. The air is fresher from the past compared to the future. She looked around and she could even see houses that's not crowded. Sally also noticed that there were a lot of people passing by their house. She could seldom see bikes but most of the time, passersby. Those people were happily talking together while walking with giant steps. She noticed that those people were so used to walking rather than took any form of transportation for their convenience. There were kids who also waved their hands on her while they were passing in front of their small house. Sally couldn't help but envy those little girls. They have their beautiful ponytails on their braided, long hair. They also wear beautiful and classy clothes. Sally couldn't help but to look at herself. She only wore a simple blouse, worn out trousers and an old, ragged apron which had holes on it. They knew her very well while she couldn't even name everyone who waved at her. That seemed weird. Sally massaged her forehead a bit as she tried to remember them one by one but to no avail. She rushed in going outside, hoping to find Graciella. "Graciella! Can someone tell me where Graciella is? Please?" She shouted at the group of people who waved at her from a while ago. Nobody ever turned her back as she kept on calling them with new names. She noticed as those people went farther, they shook their heads. Are they making fun of her? Maybe they are thinking that she's getting crazy. It made her sad and lonely all of a sudden. Is she going to spend all these teenage years looking for Graciella so that she will return her to the future again? That, she's not very sure of. Sally's curiosity just got even wilder. All she thinks about is Graciella. She knew that she's the only one that could ever answer her questions in mind.