Track 22: Burned

We were in the garden and the girls were throwing the plants everywhere, the mess was huge. I stood still, after all Marta would not like what they were doing at all.

"Mom is going to kill us". Vidia says, looking around, frightened by the mess.

"We'll pay for a gardener later". Karen says, concentrating on finding the envelope, destroying all the plants in her path.

"I think you'll need to hire a miracle worker". I say, looking around and making everyone laugh.

"I found it". She speaks excitedly with the envelope in her hand, which was dirty with mud. "Gather up the leftovers". She says with an evil smile and begins to tear the envelope into several small pieces.

She runs out and throws the pieces on the floor, which the brothers begin to try to put together. I leave them there and follow Karen, who was walking from one place to another looking nervous.

"What is tall and not roofed, and is green?" She inquires softly, wondering.

I put my hand over my mouth to contain my laughter and leave slowly, without making a sound. I leave the house and run toward the tree across the street. I see the golden envelope stuck on a branch, high up.

I snort and start to take off my heel, looking back to make sure I had no competition. Thanks to much of my childhood living in fields, I manage to climb the tree and grab the envelope. I sit down on a large branch and begin to open it.

The envelope says: I don't go out and I don't play,

I stay home quiet all day.

And when you come home covered in mud, I clean you first, without saying a word. Shower?

"Look at her over there". Liam speaks with an evil smile. "How about sharing the information?" Speaks pretending to be nice.

"The game is individual Liam". I speak also pretending a fake angelic smile.

"We're engaged". Speaks as if it were an obvious fact.

"I think Karen has already made it clear that love relationships should not interfere with the game". I say seriously, as I climb down from the tree.

Liam helps me down and tries to take the envelope, but I put it in my mouth and start to chew it.

"You cheater". He looks at me, not believing what I had done.

I laugh and start to run, ignoring him and leaving my heels behind, since they wouldn't help me. I go into the guest bathroom and find nothing, I was about to go upstairs when I see the girls coming in.

They had dirty feet and cleaned up all the dirt on the carpet. I give up and run to the carpet, getting up and seeing a golden envelope.

"She's good". I hear one of the girls talking.

The envelope says: You can take me morning, afternoon or night, but I remain here day after day. Try to accept me however you can. I grimace, loving that I have no idea where to start.

"Get it before she eats it". Liam shouts and everyone advances on me to grab the envelope.

[***]

We had already searched the entire house and part of the neighborhood. We had chased a poor letter carrier and a little lady who was walking by with her cat. We had gone through the cars, the attic, and even stopped on the roof. I mean, Karen went up on the roof, since no one wanted to go up there with her.

The last few hints were not specific at all, so we had been playing with it for hours, and I was already exhausted. Karen and I had found more envelopes, but the others gave us a second's peace.

We all met up again in the garden, still looking for the prize. The hint to find the damn stuffed animal is horrible and I had no other ideas. I look at Liam and see his torn jacket, not to mention that he was covered in mud.

"What happened to you guys?" I ask, laughing as I see Lilian and Vidia covered in mud as well.

"The cute one over there wanted to check a mud puddle". Vidia replies with a frown.

We all laugh at them, it was an iconic scene.

"What's up dad, we are all lost, give one more hint". Karen says giving her father a gentle look.

"No more hints, this is a serious game girl, isn't it dear?" He says looking at Marta, who is reading a book and concentrating.

The envelope said: something that you have to treat with care and that when you are too late can end up all burned. It didn't make the slightest sense.

"I only know that you will clean up all this mess in the end". She answers seriously, without even looking at Liam.

"Who wants to take another look in the kitchen while I call a cleaning crew?" Liam speaks up and his sons follow, thinking it was a hint.

I smile and walk toward Martha, taking a seat next to her.

"Why did you agree to participate in the game?" I ask, curious. "You don't seem to like it very much".

She looks at me with a smile and sits down, taking the teddy bear out of the bag that was resting on her chair and hands me the toy.

"I knew you would win". She says with a smile. "Answering to your question, even though I don't like the mess this toy makes in my house, I like to see them together. I had a separate family and never had a good relationship with my parents or my siblings. I like knowing that they build a close-knit family and I also like to see them killing each other to get a silly prize". Speaks and we both laugh. "Are you and Liam engaged?"

I look surprised at her, who just smiles.

"How did you know?"

"No son of mine has ever been able to lie to me". She speaks with a victorious smile. "I saw you two together on the day of the camp and at the hotel, he is in love".

I widen my eyes, but try to disguise my surprise a little, since it was normal to feel passion when you were engaged. But we didn't have a normal relationship, it was all by contract.

"We came to talk about it today, but we ended up being entertained". I talk, looking at the strange stuffed toy I had in my hands.