Circle Quartet: Chapter 5

Chapter 5

“So, how’s your high-tea, Alice dear? Do you have some fun?” asks Mom as she knits. She loves knitting and sewing. She has done so many embroideries, clothes and anything to do with needle and thread. Winter is getting near so I think that she’s making another scarf for us. I used to learn cross-stitch with her but no avail. I end up stitching something else. I’m not as creative as my Mom. Maybe that’s the proof that I’m not having any blood from the Black family. They are all creative creatures.

“Don’t ask,” I mutter while lying on my stomach on the sofa. After what happened this evening really makes me feel like a rotten egg.

I’m now loitering in my family chamber with Mom, Dad and two of my brothers, Ace and Sable, waiting for dinner. Most of the time, when there’s nothing to do, we usually spend our time in our own chamber which is located on the fourth floor. There are three main chambers on this floor while Grandma Zelda’s chamber is at the top; the fifth floor.

The chamber is exactly look like a normal house. It has a living room, a little kitchen with a six-seated dining table – I call it little because our main kitchen is 5 times more larger and wider and a bathroom. But there’s only one bedroom which is my parents’. Our bedrooms are on the third floor, the most happening and clamorous – that’s what my Dad used to say. We always create a racket and some of us are the hooligans of this house.

Ace and Sable are playing the Need For Speed game – I don’t know what number of the game because it usually has lots of parts and versions. I play video games too but not racing type. I usually play the fighting type, especially during my mood swings. If I don’t feel like punching the sandbag, I’ll release all my pressure by pressing the controller buttons. I have already broken up 5 controllers in this past three months. Another breaking-the-controller records.

“Don’t worry about the meeting after dinner, dear. Your grandmother is going to have a nice chit-chat with the granddaughters. She’s not going to turn you guys into leech or dust-bunnies,” saya Mom as I am still burying my face in the pillow.

“Raina just blew our cover. I told her, no, I yelled at her on top of my lungs and did she hear me? No! I was just two-feet away from here! Argh!” I bury my face deeper. I need to scream right now.

Dad comes in with the bottle of the supply. That’s what I need. The blood. I sit up on the sofa, pretend that nothing happen and smile sheepishly to Dad who is dangling the bottle in front of me.

“Drink it up, Alice. This will sweep your worries away,” he hands the bottle to me. He already put the straw in it. I sip as much as I want until Ace smacks me on the head.

“Don’t spill the blood, Alice. You’ll ruin the nice sofa cover I bought from Italy last month,” he hops next to me. Ace is following Mom’s genetic in sewing and knitting. He loves doing those too. He even sew the sofa and bed cover by himself, without using any magic spells!

“Hey, I’m not spilling it. If it spilled then it’s your fault,” I knock on his head. He just laughs and says I’m in the good mood. You see, Ace is the one who knows me inside out.

“Tell me about your fight with the robbers. I heard from Harley that you guys fight like a real man,” Sable then hops next to me. He already shut off his video game.

I roll my eyes. I’m just trying to forget the tragedy. Sable stares at me, trying to do the puppy-eyes. He thinks that he’s 3 years-old boy where people will flatter and say how cute this boy is. But still I can’t resist the eyes power of the youngest brother.

“Well, we just chased and ran and kicked and used some magic spell. Then a man appeared out of nowhere telling us that he’ll take care of the robbers whom already  being tied and delivered the message from Grandma,” I tell them but not the whole story. There’s no way I’m telling about me and that lonely Wolf, not in front of my parents. They are hoping that one day I’ll be married to him and we’re going to live happily ever after. This is not fairy tale. This is real life. But I don’t want to have the argument with my parents, especially my Mom. She’s the best debater in school.

“I wish you good luck, Alice,” he says, pretending to be solemn and pats my shoulder as if we’re in the middle of burial ceremony. I smack his face with the cushion.

“If you want to fight, go somewhere else. It’s nearly dinner time so let’s get ready. Grandma Zelda doesn’t like late comers,” warns Dad. We scramble to our room to get ready. I pray more, hoping that the meeting after dinner is not horrible as I imagine.

I only touch the tuna casserole instead of chicken pasta. I have lost my appetite since Granma Zelda hasn’t say any word about the incident or the meeting. Everybody is enjoying the meals especially the kids where they always love to eat chicken. I glance at Raina who is gobbling up her pasta and French bread. She doesn’t even care what kind of punishment that she’ll be facing after this. Food is crucial for her at this moment.

We have apple pies for the dessert and they are all vanish in one blink. Who doesn’t like Grandma Zelda’s apple pie? She bakes the best apple pie ever! Mom once said that my late grandfather couldn’t even resist the sweet taste of Grandma Zelda’s apple pie until in his deathbed. That’s the power of true love. I think I’m going to learn to make the apple pie from Grandma Zelda.

Raina gobbles two apple pies since I pass the pie to her. She’s some kind of delightful tonight. Beatrice and I are worried about what Grandma Zelda will say about this evening incident but not Raina. Sometimes I don’t understand about her. She’s been so ridiculously mysterious because of her unexpected behaviour.

“Beatrice, Alice and Raina. Meet me in the meeting parlour in 15 minutes,” says Grandma Zelda while wiping her mouth gently with the napkin.

Beatrice and I gulp and nod. We have to be there earlier than 15 minutes. Raina is still abandoning herself digging up all the food on the table. I nudge Raina who is munching the pie. She nearly chokes and grabs the lemon juice, her favourite.

“Are you going to kill me?” she tries to strangle me.

“It’s better late than never. You’re going to be dead in 15 minutes. Hurry. Grandma wants to meet us in the meeting parlour. Better get yourself ready, Raina,” I warn her, ignoring the strangles.

“Don’t worry. Grandma isn’t a cruel person. She won’t torture us, you’ll see,” she smiles and licks her fingers.

“Oh she won’t torture us, Raina. She’ll torture you!” Beatrice points her finger to Raina’s forehead.

“And why is that?” Raina doesn’t seem to be satisfied.

“Because you blew our cover this evening! Don’t you remember anything about that?” I nearly lose my head. But Ace calms me down. Thanks you little brother!

“That was just an accident. Everybody makes mistake,” Raina smiles innocently and shrugs.

We rush to the meeting parlour in next 15 minutes. The parlour abounds with the pictures of our ancestors mostly from the Black family. There are rows of chairs and a big mahogany table at the end where Grandma Zelda sits there. We walk in a slow pace, approaching our beloved grandmother. I can’t read her mind so I don’t know whether she’s angry or not.

“You know why I call you three here, don’t you?” she asks. Three of us nod. We don’t dare to utter a word, including Raina. She’s now as stiff as a stone.

“I’m proud of what you have done. Capturing the robbers and keep the shoppers save,” she informs. We smile and feel relief. “But…,”

Our smile fade as we hear the word ‘but’. Grandma Zelda’s face sort of changes a bit. She’s holding a TV remote and presses the button. An LCD TV screen appears behind her.

“I have watched everything,” she says in a cold voice. She plays back the incident at Jher Mall then she pauses at Raina’s ribbon-extend part. “Can you explain this, Raina?”

Raina looks at me and the Beatrice. Then she forces herself to tell the truth. “Umm…actually, it was an accident, Grandma. I didn’t notice the guards, I swear! Please, don’t punish these two,” she points to me and Beatrice. “It’s my fault. I’m so careless and act without thinking and looking around first. I’ll do anything, Grandma. I’ll clean the house, I’ll wash the clothes, and…and I’ll cook! I’ll cook anything!” Raina is getting nervous that I think she doesn’t know what she’s talking about.

A smile appears on Grandma Zelda’s face. Looks like Raina is falling in Grandma’s trap. Beatrice and I notice it and we try not to laugh.

“You say you’ll cook? That’s very nice of you, Raina. It’s decided that your punishment is to cook for the whole family this whole week. Ace is going to guide you and be your boss in the kitchen. And no using magic while you’re cooking,” Grandma smiles widely.

Ace is Grandma Zelda’s favourite grandson. She’ll back up Ace no matter what and Ace is her apprentice and a good cook by the way. Beatrice and I start to snicker. Raina is looking paler.

“What? But Grandma…I…,” she stutters

“No but. This is your punishment and you have to accept it, young lady. Discipline is the most important thing for witches like us. Don’t forget that. And for you two,” Grandma points at us as we’re giggling, “good job in capturing the robbers. There are no punishments for you, dearest. You may go now. Happy cooking, Raina,” Grandma winks at her.

We leave the room and Beatrice and I laugh out loud. Raina is not satisfied for what she got just now.

“It’s not fair! How come you guys didn’t get any punishment?” she says, her hands on her hips.

“That’s because we’re not as careless as you are, Raina. Face the music,” Beatrice wipes her tears as she laughs so hard.

“And it’s your fault to mention ‘I’ll cook’. You know that you’re not good in cooking. And you can’t even use magic. You have to learn by yourself,” I pat her shoulder.

“I’d rather be flushed in the toilet bowl rather than cook with him. You know that Ace is my rival! There’s no way he treat me like a human. Oh, this is torturing me!” She throws her arms in the air.

Beatrice and I get the nasty idea. “Okay then. Let us flush you in the toilet, Raina!” We grab her arm, side by side, ready to take her to the toilet. I can’t wait to flush her! She struggles to free herself and as she’s free she runs as fast as she can to her room. We can hear the door bang. Once again, Beatrice and I laugh our heart out.