Chapter 3 A Sudden Look Of Concern.

As Debbie and Daniel heard her scream from the couch side they became surprised as to what the problem must be this time.

Ma'am Margarita who was inside immediately rushes out as she passed Debbie and Daniel by and headed to where her daughter is as she saw Julie on the ground as she started to scratch her body when she saw her mother.

While Debbie and Daniel were now surprised by the sudden act Julie was displaying as they needed no one to tell the both of them that more trouble was coming as the both of them waited for Julie to tell her mother what the problem was.

" Julie, what is the matter?'' as expected Julie immediately opened her mouth to talk

" Mom, Debbie and Daniel didn't dust this couch and now it's itching me.'' Without wasting no time Ma'am Margarita gave Debbie and Daniel two resounding slap each, as the children held their cheeks and Debbie eyes started becoming crystal as tears threatened to fall.

" Get back to work immediately and make sure you dust that couch before my precious daughter sits on it."

And immediately they got to work cleaning up the mess Julie had made, both of them working in silence.

Debbie hands moved automatically, scrubbing the floor, but her mind was somewhere else.

She couldn't stop thinking about how unfair everything was.

How Julie got to live a life very easy, never lifting a finger, while Daniel and her worked themselves to the bone just to survive.

"Why does she hate us so much?" Daniel muttered under his breath as he mopped up the water.

His voice was filled with bitterness, and she could tell he was struggling to keep his anger in check.

Debbie shook her head, not knowing how to answer him. "I don't know," she said quietly.

"But we just have to get through today without getting into more trouble. One day at a time." Debbie responded calmly.

It was the only thing she could think to say, even though it didn't make the situation any better.

They finished cleaning the floor in silence, and when they were done, Debbie and Daniel stood back, looking at the spotless room.

Debbie's arms were already aching, and her stomach growled loudly, reminding her of the punishment Ma'am Margarita had given them.

No food for the rest of the day. She didn't know how she was going to make it

through the afternoon, let alone the evening, but there was nothing she could do.

She just had to keep going, like she always did.

Julie stayed on the couch the entire time, flipping through her magazine.

She was completely uninterested in the fact that they were working their fingers to the bone.

She didn't even glance up when they finished.

Debbie turned to Daniel, giving him a tired smile. "We did it," she said, trying to sound positive, even though she didn't feel that way.

"Let's just try to stay out of trouble for the rest of the day." She gave him some advice.

He nodded, but she could see the frustration still written all over his face.

He didn't say anything,he just gave her a small nod in return.

As they headed toward the next room, Debbie glanced back at Julie one last time.

She hadn't moved from her spot on the couch, and Debbie knew she wouldn't.

No matter what they did, she would always find a way to make things harder for them.

And no matter how unfair it was, they had to keep going.

Because that was the only way to survive in Ma'am Margarita's house.

By the time Debbie and Daniel had finished cleaning every part of the house, they were already tired and exhausted.

The house sparkled, every surface wiped down, every floor spotless, but the satisfaction of a job well done didn't ease the pains in their bodies or make their bellies not to hunger.

They dragged themselves to the small room they shared at the back of the house.

It wasn't much, just two worn out beds pushed against opposite walls and a tiny window that barely let in any light but it was the only place they could rest.

After a quick bath to wash off the sweat and dust, they lay on their beds, but their empty stomachs growled louder than ever.

The sound echoed in the room, making it impossible to ignore how hungry they were.

Daniel's stomach rumbled again, making Debbie chuckle despite the situation.

"Your stomach is having a conversation all by itself," she teased, though her own stomach was just as loud.

"Yours isn't any better than mine, who knows if the worms in your belly haven't started to sing and dance" Daniel shot back with a grin.

He turned over, facing her on the other bed.

"Do you think Ma'am Margarita really meant no food all day? Not even a little bread?" he asked as if she hasn't faced some punishment worse than that.

Debbie sighed, her smile fading.

"You heard her. No food for the rest of the day because we didn't mop the floor on time." She shook her head, trying to think about it.

"I guess we just have to sleep through it." Daniel suggested.

But as they lay there, on their beds, trying to rest, sleep refused to come.

Every time Debbie closed her eyes, the ache in her stomach brought her back to reality, awake.

She turned to Daniel, who was staring up at the ceiling, his arms crossed behind his head.

"I'm too hungry to sleep," Daniel finally admitted, his voice low but filled with frustration.

"How are we supposed to rest when all I can think about is food?" He kept questioning Debbie as if she was Ma'am Margarita.

Debbie rolled onto her back, staring up at the ceiling alongside him. "I don't know," she said softly.

"It's like my stomach won't let me forget how empty it is." Daniel went further to explain.

There was a long pause. The house was very quiet, the usual sounds of Ma'am Margarita and Julie in the other rooms now silent.

The two of them lay there, side by side in their separate beds, both trying to ignore the rumbling in their bellies.

Then, out of nowhere, Daniel started laughing. It wasn't a small chuckle, but a full, hearty laugh that echoed through the room.

Debbie turned her head to look at him, surprised. "What's so funny?" she asked, even though she found herself smiling at his laughter.

Daniel wiped a tear from his eye, trying to catch his breath.

"It's just... we're lying here, starving, and there's nothing we can do about it! It's kind of funny if you think about it." He turned to face her, still laughing.

"I mean, how did we end up here? No food, no sleep, just staring at the ceiling like it's going to solve our problems." Daniel couldn't stop wondering.

Debbie couldn't help but laugh along with him.

"You're right. It's surprising." She shook her head, the laughter coming from her belly, easing some of the tension in her chest.

"We're too tired to move, too hungry to sleep, and all we can do is laugh." she had reixed what Daniel said was true.

For a moment, the hunger didn't seem so bad.

The sound of their laughter filled the room, and for a little while, they forgot about their empty stomachs and after some seconds, there was a serious look on Daniel's face and Debbie could tell that something was wrong somewhere.

" Daniel, what is the matter?" and he didn't say any word but just kept staring at Debbie which made her even more concerned and the look even frightened her more.