Chapter 12
I opened the door to my room and groaned. A small square with a small white wired bed to the left and a tall dresser to the right, with light wood flooring. The walls were covered, floor to ceiling, in pictures I've sketched and painted of Emiliano’s face. Trying to get the vision out of my head and onto paper. The real Emiliano looks like a God compared to the perception I used to have. I wanted to rip them all down. I wanted to set fire to this room and be done with Emiliano.
I tore down three or four pictures before a hurricane started rumbling under my skin, the waves crashed in my esophagus, making it hard to breathe. I fell to my knees in anger. Stupid fucking Emiliano, and stupid *Anka*! I pounded my fists on the floor. I didn't want to cry. They weren't worth it. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I stood up off the floor, held my head high, and reset my expression. I looked into the many faces of Emiliano and felt anger growing inside me, like magma rising to the surface of a volcano. I tightened my teeth as I looked around one last time, then I left the room. Closing the door behind me, closing the door on Emiliano.
“Are there any assignments?”
I asked as I approached my theía out on the covered deck. Aunt Sophie looked back at me with a annoyed look and said,
“There’s a few, like always, I was just about to pass them out.”
“I want one.”
She looked at me disappointed and replied,
“Hera, is that a good idea? Look at the condition you're in.”
I clenched my teeth and rolled my eyes,
“Please theía, I need one, please! Just one!”
“Then one will turn into three. I’ve seen this before, child.”
I clenched my fist in fear I was going to break all my teeth from the rage. Aunt Sophie rolled her eyes and said,
“Fine. Just one.”
I felt a smile start to split across my face and Aunt Sophie warned,
“I mean it, Hera.”
My half smile turned into a whole devilish grin and theía laughed as she handed me her joint and led me into the house. I took a puff of the cigarette and put it out in the ashtray on the porch before entering behind her. I followed her into her office. A white room with a white desk, white chairs, white accented decorations. Aunt Sophie took a seat at the desk and I sat in a chair on the other side. She pulled out four oversized manilla envelopes out of her desk drawer, quickly read the names on them and handed me back two,
“These ones will be relatively easy. They're just civilians.”
I took both the envelopes and got up and said,
“Ok perfect, thank you, theía.”
“Óchi, koritsáki, Eípa óti tha boroúsate na échete éna!”
*“Excuse me, miss, I said one!”*
Aunt Sophie said as she reached her arm out. I looked at her with a pouty look, tucking the envelopes closer to me and she peered at me through squinted eyes. She rolled her eyes and said,
“Fine! But both of those have deadlines, Hera. One day after the other.”
I nodded my head frantically as i said,
“Fysiká, theía”
*“Of course.”*
Theía waved her hand, I was being excused. I got up off my chair and turned to my aunt before leaving her office and said,
“I think I’m going to go to my place.”
Aunt Sophie looked up at me, she was already on the phone, making accommodations for the other two assignments. She gave me a questioned look and I said,
“Tha eímai kalá.”
*“I’ll be fine.”*
Aunt Sophie nodded towards me, and continued with her call.