Chp 2: The Family Keeper & Protector

IVANA

"Shut up!!! I don't want to hear anything. You are never going to change. Just shut the fuck up." Mom shouted at Dad. It's been a week since we have settled in our new home. I had returned from office when Freya told me about their fight in their room. I wanted to go and stop them but Freya told me to wait. She was worried if they would lash out at me. So, here we are, waiting in living room from them to get done with their daily arguments.

"You know what??? I am fed up with explaining the same thing to you again and again. Think what you want to think!!" Dad replied to her.

"How will you explain that you again lost 20 lakhs of money in your so-called business, David?? I am sick of your behaviour. You're a father of three children. Your elder daughter is now of marriageable age. Despite all this, you kept losing such a big amount like that. Can't you just stop doing it??"

I sat between Freya and Rowan with each arm around them. Tears trickled down Freya's face while Rowan was completely quiet as we heard our parent's raised voices filled the room, an argument that seemed to have no end in sight. I tried to keep my face expressionless but rubbed gentle circles on both their backs with my thumbs, trying to offer comfort.

"Shut up!! Just shut up!! Don't make Ivana, or my children, for that matter, a part of this. And if you are so sick of me. Then give me a divorce. We'll all be relieved."

"Yeah, right. Now you want a divorce so you can commit your dirty deeds freely, but I won't let it happen."

'Shut up!' I wanted to scream at them both. 'Can't you see what you're doing to us?'

But I held my tongue, knowing it wouldn't solve anything. My jaw clenched and my hands balled into fists as I spun around towards my parents. My eyes flashed with anger, but my face remained expressionless. The air in the room felt heavy with tension as she let out a long sigh. I slowly uncrossed my arms and spoke in an icy voice. 

"Are you both finished today or are there still some details? If not, I recommend you continue. Though, let me let you both know that I will take away Rowan and Freya from you both. And we'll never return. You may continue your fight in peace if you wish."

"Eve, it was your mom who said, 'where were you last night and ..?" Dad tried to calm me but got cut off in the middle.

"It doesn't matter who started it. If you want your children to live with you, stop it now." I glared at the two of them, my eyes like daggers. Neither said a word but their gazes were locked in a silent battle. Mom shifted in her chair and broke their stare-off. 

She rose from her seat abruptly and stormed out of the room with a loud bang of the door. My heart raced as I stepped closer to Dad, my heart pounding in anticipation as I opened my mouth to speak.

"Dad, go get freshened up. Me and Freya will cook dinner for you," I said, my voice softening slightly. I wanted to mend this rift, to keep our family from falling apart completely.

After my father left, I sank into the couch, feeling drained. The burden of holding our family together was becoming too heavy to bear. But then Freya came up to me, wrapping her arms around me in a tight hug, her tears soaking into my shirt.

"I love you, Eve. They wouldn't have stopped fighting without you. Grandma was right. You are the heart and soul of this family. You keep us together," Freya said through her tears.

I hesitated for a moment, unsure of how to respond to her affection. But I quickly gathered myself and replied, trying to maintain a semblance of strength, "You aren't 12 anymore. Stop crying. They aren't fighting anymore. Go make me some tea." Freya nodded, her tears subsiding, and went into the kitchen. I followed her into our shared room.

I pushed the door of my room shut, desperate for a moment of peace in the midst of the madness. Man, I was exhausted. The arguments, the yelling, it all felt like a never-ending storm crashing against the walls of our family. I flopped onto my bed, feeling the weight of the chaos settle deep within me. In that quiet room, I closed my eyes and let out a heavy sigh. All I wanted was for things to be different, for us to find harmony like everyone else has in their home. I wished for a break from the constant bickering, for a chance to heal the cracks in our relationships.

The next morning, as the sun peeked through the curtains, I dragged myself out of bed, determined to start the day on a different note. The heaviness from the previous night still lingered, but I was determined to push through. I took a deep breath, gathering my strength, and made my way towards the kitchen.

As I entered the room, the aroma of freshly brewed coffee and warm pancakes filled the air, wrapping around me like a comforting embrace. The sight that greeted me brought a flicker of hope to my tired heart. There they were, my whole family gathered around the table, their faces etched with a mix of weariness and tentative smiles.

"Good morning everyone." I made my way to mom where she was scurrying around preparing breakfast for herself and siblings before school. She and Dad weren't speaking; it seemed that their previous argument had yet to be resolved. I tried to ignore the tension between them and got to work on helping Mom. But then Rowan spoke up from his place at the table, 

"Eve, can you please drop to college today?? I have to purchase some books on my way. I don't want to get late. Please" 

"What happened to your bike???" I asked, narrowing my eyes at him. My sudden question gathered my parents' attention as well. 

"Your sister is asking something. Answer her!!" Dad said in a strict tone. 

"The- the thing is, its clutch had some problem. So, I gave it for repair. I'll get it in the evening." He replied, looking nervous. 

I could tell there was something more going on than just the clutch's issue, but the oppressive atmosphere of the house made me uneasy. I didn't want to ask any more questions and risk making it worse. It was better to wait until we were out in the car where we could talk without worrying about being overheard. Instead, I said,

"Fine, I'll drop you. But you better hurry. Cause I don't want to get late as well." 

I shoved the last bite of my breakfast into my mouth and hopped up from the table. As I made my way out of the room, Freya came flying down the stairs with her eyes wide open. She ran up to me and said breathlessly, 

"Eve, why didn't you wake me up?? I have a very important presentation today. I couldn't cause any delay. Because of you, I didn't dress up properly." 

I looked at her in amusement. Her yellow crop top complemented the vibrant royal blue of her scarf and contrasted perfectly with her white jeans. I was about to ask her what else she needed when she headed toward the kitchen. I couldn't help but shake my head, wondering why every single one of my family members seemed so extraordinary—in one way or another. As I walked out of the house, I shouted for Hamdan to meet me in the parking lot. 

"Where are you going??? How can you forget me??? Please drop me as well." 

"Going into a secret dungeon planning the destruction of humanity," I answered her question with a plastic smile. And continued, 

"Fine. But, come fast. I don't have all day." 

She shoves the last bite of toast into her mouth, grabs her bag and things, and sprints out of the house with Rowan following close behind. As we leave, I silently pray that my parents won't start up another fight while we're gone. How I longed for my Grandma to be here so we didn't have to go through this. It made me wonder who had thought it would be a good idea for these two very different people to get married in the first place. 

My musings were cut short as I saw someone emerge from around the corner that none of us wanted to encounter so soon after dawn. Our neighbour Mrs. Gross was coming our way, probably on her way to drop off her granddaughter at the school bus stop. I groaned inwardly. As she came closer, she enveloped me in an uncomfortably tight hug and exclaimed, 

 "OHH!! Ivana, it's been a while since I last saw you. Where have you been???" She is a friend of my grandma. That's why she sometimes thinks that she is my grandma. I don't know why she used to talk to her. 

"I'm fine, aunty. I was quite busy with my last project. I used to go early in the morning and came late at night, that's why." 

I tried my best to smile, but it was a feeble attempt. I shifted from foot to foot, feeling uncomfortable and annoyed at her question. She was older than me and expected me to answer, but I didn't want to divulge any information to her. My face was stoic as I desperately searched for a way to make her understand without having to say anything. But she kept pushing, unaware of the constant resistance I was trying to show. 

"OHH!! Really. You are young. You shouldn't work so much. Enjoy your life. Once you get married and have children. Once you have them, there will be no word like 'rest' in your life." I just tried to smile at her. And she continued, 

"You know, my friend Nancy. Her son has just returned from aboard. He is well settled over there. If you want, I can fix a meeting with him. What do you say???" she asked me with such enthusiasm in her voice. Her wide eyes sparkled with excitement, and she clasped her hands together as if she was asking a favour on my behalf. I opened my mouth to answer her, but before I could get the words out, Rowan interjected. 

"Sorry, aunty. But Eve never told you to find someone for her. And why do you want her to set up with some random guy??? She doesn't want to meet him. She will never marry someone who lives abroad. She will never leave us behind here alone. So, stop setting her up with unknown boys. If she wants, she will find one. Thanks for your concern." 

With one strong tug, he pulled me away from there. I glanced back and saw Freya standing there with her arms crossed and her face with a plastic smile. "I hope my brother made it clear to you to stop doing that with our Eve. Hope you'll never bother her again in the future." 

And she also left from there, leaving Mrs. Gross shocked. And when she recovered, she mustered something in-breath, cursing all three of us. We went to our car and drove off. Freya sat in the passenger seat and Rowan in the back seat. Both were quite annoyed because of her. So cooling down the temperature in the car. I asked, looking at Hamdan from the rear-view mirror. 

"Would you care to explain what happened to your bike??? I didn't want to ask in front of Mom and Dad because the environment was not good at the house. I didn't want to fuel it up because of you. So, now tell me. And don't you dare give me the same excuse which you gave them?" He widened his eyes and gave me a how-do-you-know look. I just shrugged off my shoulders as an answer. What he thinks, he can fool me. I am his elder sister. I know him more than himself. 

"Speak" I ordered him. 

"Eve, first promise me you won't tell Mom and Dad about it." 

"That depends," I replied. I thought stupid creature. If I had to tell them, I would have asked in front of them only. 

"I gave it to my friend, and he parked it in a no-parking zone. And-" I understood what happened next. I tried my best not to burst out on his stupidity. Kept my voice as low as possible, and said. 

"And you are getting it in the evening. Right??" He nodded. I continued, 

"May I know the name of this friend of yours??" clenching the steering wheel. From the things most difficult to do for me, one of them is controlling my rage. It took everything in me not to shout at him and bang his head for his stupidity. How can he just give his bike to that idiot friend of his?? 

"Ben. His name is Ben. I promise, I will never give my things to anyone ever again. Just forgive me once." He replied with guilt in his tone. 

And one of my weaknesses is I can never see my people getting hurt, especially because of me. So, I just nodded at him. First, we drop Freya at her college. And then went to the petrol pump. We reached there and filled it. As it was 7. 30 in the morning. Few employees were there at the pump. So, I have to swipe my card for payment myself. I got out and went to the machine. I tried a few times. Every time it shows an error. As it confused me what was happening. That's when I heard someone's voice. 

"It doesn't work. Try this one." He said from a distance while pointing out at the machine in his hands. 

At first, I thought he was telling someone else. So confirming, I pointed a finger at myself and asked if he was talking to me. And he nodded. So, without wasting time, I went to him. And as I was about to approach him. A man from another car looked at me and said, 

"Heyy, Barbie doll needs some help???" 

"Nope. Thanks for asking. Just don't want some bullshit help for an asshole like you." I replied, twinkling my eyes at him. He laughed and got out of the car, and came to me. Suddenly, he held my wrist and said, 

"Don't be so rude, Barbie doll. I just wanted to help." 

I removed my hand from his grip and twisted it back painfully. With my free hand, I jabbed him in the nose, and my left knee connected to his dick. He fell to his knees. And I said, 

"Didn't your mother teach you it's not nice to touch women without their permission??" As I was about to punch his face again. His friend came running to me out of nowhere. And stopped me from punching his friend and said, 

"Heyy, heyy, don't hit him. He is drunk. Sorry on his behalf for whatever wrong he did. Please forgive him. Extremely sorry." I was so pissed off that I wanted him to beat me up right here, right now. But the things on my plate stopped me from doing it. So, I left him and said, 

"If he is drunk, why did you get him out??? Keep him caged properly. If you don't want the police to handle this matter. Take his asshole away from my sight." 

"Thanks. I'll take him right away. And once again extremely sorry." 

With that, both the idiots went away. That's when I remembered I came to make the payment. And when I turned, I saw a bunch of people shocked by my stunt. Including the man who told me to use another machine. His mouth hung open. 

"Is it really a big deal to see a girl protecting herself??" I asked him. But before he could answer, Rowan came and asked, 

"Eve, what's causing you so much time?? We'll be late." 

"I am sorry, dude. Just taught an asshole to not touch women without their permission." I answered him. 

"If you were there. Why didn't you come to help your sister???" the man asked Rowan.

"Why would I take the stress if my sister could handle it by herself?? She knows how to protect herself. She didn't need me for that." I answered. With that, we both made the payment and then went back in the car and drove off.