Red

Mother keeps glaring at Mia our border slash prostitute for habitually taking her customer in the villa, mind you she's fun to be around, she always give a great stash of sweets that earned her another black marks from my mom.

" Earning your bread should be within your work area, how many times should I tell you to keep it away from here?"

" You're also doing my line of work, why so pretentious?"

" There's unwritten line between being tacky, vulgar, and society correct conduct." Mia glared saucily at Brenda upon hearing the words, then suddenly laugh mirthlessly.

" You mean to say, we should be elegant ladies while whoring ourselves for a few bucks?"

" Why not? This villa shouldn't be tainted."

" Why not? Care to explain why it's not fucking so?"

" Language my dear." Mia rolled her eyeballs and right now I can feel the agitation in her voice, she's exasperated to my mom's, 'oh so meticulous behavior'.

" Another unwritten rule between tacky, vulgar, and society correct conduct my dear Brenda?"

" If you put it that way -"

" And now you left me hanging, would you like to elaborate this attitude of being high and mighty and mind you you're always shoving this crap."

" Attitude my dear, she's within earshot, and don't go rolling that eyeballs again it's not great on you." Mia's jaw slacked a minute or two before she gathered her bearings.

" She knows what we're doing and please stop lecturing me once again with being socially correct. I'll gonna puked on your dammed face." I know Mia got a steely glare, mother is so formidable, not just in attitude but also in build. She's not a softy kind of woman, with frills and ribbons. She's handsome with sturdy stature, angular face and an elegant attitude through and through.

" I know Mia, but I drilled her to be a perfect lady."

" You have a lot of mystery Brenda than the rosary you always keep during Sunday mass. I really can't fathom the depths of your thinking."

"Just keep your source of bread away from here."

"Sure as you say my lady, " Mia bowed mockingly with a slight tilt of her head before straightening she winked at my direction.

I cheekily grinned and followed the shadowy part of the villa, catching up with Mia before she hit the sack.

" Hey little one, look at you always dressed to impress!" She cockily observed. I can't help the bubbly emotions and laugh freely. She hug me dearly to muffled my laughter. Then when my laughter subside she peeled me gently an inch away from her hunched position.

" A lady shouldn't laugh recklessly," we simultaneously recite, it's one of the creed an oath mother incalcute in me.

She looked at me making sure I'm looking at her eyes. It's the first time I saw her so determined, so focused and full of love.

" Remember these two words my little one, run and hide."

" Why?" I asked curiously.

" You are your mother's daughter, you're intelligent enough, be sassy, don't hide your true self." She cut the eye contact and kissed me fervently on my forehead, " run along little one, practice the art of hide and seek, God forbid I'm so worn-out! I'm hitting the sack."

" Thank you Mia, you're the best!"

" I know right! But still no sweet treats for you that's the only concensus I have with your overbearing mother."

" You love her." I state the obvious.

" Of course I do. I'm the only one who can withstand her atrocity, and only Me can put some sense in her airy head."

I hugged her one last time before I head out of her room. I closed the door quietly before mom catch me going out of Mia's room. It's a great taboo for me to freely get in and get out to any rented rooms in the villa. My time should religiously go to different sessions with selected tutors and instructors.

" Where's your parasol you naughty child?"

I stand straighter than the curtain rods, I ducked immediately to the alcove and picked the most elaborate parasol I can hold on to. Knowing my mother for fourteen years of my life, she has this mania for 'Elaborate appearance.'

" Time won't wait on you." There's a steely edge to her cultivated voice.

" I'm here now mom." A flat tone devoid of warmth nor cockiness.

She looked at me thoroughly, then tied the ribbons of my white bonnet.

" Sloppiness is unbecoming with your age, mind the simplest details to create a beautiful you."

" Like you mom?" I asked curiously.

" Not like me, nor anyone. But You. You should be perfect, flawless, a beautiful you."

A questioned looked retaining in my eyes and mom dismissed my inquiry with a simple nod to a halting cab.

" At last! A cab on time, slide along my dearest Portia, we'll be late for the mass."

I bite my tongue to not utter another word, for Sunday mass is so holy in mom's vocabulary.

I sang, heard scriptures, and listen to homily in autopilot. After half a day serving the Lord, I held a solemn sighed of relief, at last time to shepherd us outside.

Mom slightly straieghten her askew mini hat while elegantly having a chit chat with other females of the congregation.

All of a sudden a suffocating humidity clung to my skin, I lift my downcasted eyes and got a shock in my lifetime an intense 6 foot man with patrician features and solid built, lasciviously eyeing me, without fear nor qualm he smirked devilishly sending his intentions.

My attention turns to my mother and to my horror she makes a small bow acknowledging the presence.

Without further prompting he strolled leisurely towards us.

I lowered my eyes when I feel my Mom's simple jabbing at my side, instinctively she held my left hand a bit tightly.

" Good day sir! Such a benevolent day it is."

" It is, madame -"

" Birsch."

" And the lady?"

" Portia Birsch, my daughter."

He tipped his hat in my direction and continue appraising me while listening and answering in monotone.

It's embarrassing on my part, imagine all the gossiping members of the congregation felt the heat of his desire emitting from his eyes, and my over mannerly correct mother not saying any words, or just one word to curb the man's unholy stares.

Without blinking, he offered us a ride and without batting an eyelash, mom accepts. My mom, accepts oh so coyly! Like a teenager in heat!

My mom! So decently in swiping the dirt of our family underneath the rugs, not airing her dirty linen for the neighborhood to see, now, solicitously salivating for a morsel of attention from this unscrupulous man. I inwardly shakes my head. Not a good sign oh Father in Heaven!

The gleaming car stopped and I eagerly opening my side, when mom held my hand. I looked downward and stop what I'm doing, obediently sensing what's going to unfolds.

The chauffeur opens my mother's door, while the dominating man opening my side of door, I refused to look at him for the second time because at the first staring showdown with his foreboding eyes I saw a glimpse of hell.

I stays at my mother's side while they still exchanging pleasantries. Out of nowhere Mia came, lithely walking towards us with a seductive smile that make mother tense.

" Brenda, why don't you invite this fine man inside the villa, as you always instructed Portia, with her legion of admirers."

Mom stood still for a second before a subtle eye glare at Mia's direction. I refrain from chuckling knowing I'll get a murdering mom at my neck after this fiasco.

" Nice meeting you sir," mom politely and abruptly ends the random conversation.

" Aldrich Renoir, a pleasure for me, until next time." Eyeing me nonstop.

When the car rolls out, I breath luxuriously and the gripping feeling I carried loosen immediately. My mother eyed me, cataloguing my reaction, noting the colors of my paled face and the erratic beating of my heart. Storing, sorting, all of these as a reservoir for impending calamity.

My hidden carefree days was somewhat numbered, everytime I saw his overbearing self, he's like a walking calendar, my dammed alarm clock, that always give me a rude awakening about my value in his standard.

He's the countdown to my damnation and I need to play my card so well, or I'll be doomed. He doesn't veiled his intention, never put any filter or rose colored glasses in front of us, even with anyone, he simply doesn't care, he served it so straightforward that it gives me chills down to my soul.

Now I'm unraveling after his tactics, his moves, he's so dammed poker faced about it. Every encounter is a chance for me to mapped little by little the ways of his devious mind.

And he's here again, confidently lounging in one of mom's prized chintz chair, where even a speck of dust will earned a gruesome stare from her.

Without directly looking at him, I can feel his vindictive stare.

I descend the simple staircase of our villa.

Mom's face light up, approving my modest and up to date ensemble, with a little rise of her well shaped left eyebrow, a signal for me to behave, and to zip my mouth.

" I'm glad you grace me with your youthful charm Portia." An engrossed expression never left his face with an underlying vindictiveness.

I just tilt my head a little to the left to welcome his presence.

" You're so pensive today, must be the weather-"

Am I Mia's daughter or what? That hang sentence again, goading my patience to wear and probably going thinner, but the sudden quirked of my mom's right eyebrow prompt me to reply oh so courteously!

" I'm good SIR, never been better."

I directed my not so innocent glance with mom,

" I need to go, my ballet class will start soon, it's just across the street, mom, can I excused myself?"

The smile, how I hate his smile! So foxy, so sly!

Did he think he won this round, summoning me in my father's house like a pauper. I'll get even. I saw how conflicted my mother at that moment. One thing she can't forego is for her hard earned money to be wasted, and ditching a ballet lesson is a great no no in her vocabulary.

" I'm sorry Sir Renoir, you came in unfortunate time."

I simply half closed my eyes when I heard her heartfelt sorry. Savoring my small win, it's hard to come by, might as well enjoy and basking in this bit of glory.

I half turned my face towards her direction and saw how coquettishly she dabs the corner of her lips with her ever handy flowery laced hankie.

For Pete's sake! Please delivered me from this cloying situation.

With a little wave of her hankie, I alighted with great alacricity. I directly look at Sir Renoir's eyes, not missing his condescending stance.

" Thank you SIR Renoir, for gracing our humble abode. Im so thankful for your benevolent time, I hope it doesn't hinder your other endeavors. " I poetically stated. Dammed that snide smile always directing at me.

" Youth has its own merits and demirits, I believe you chose the right one, my Ever dearest Portia."

He sarcastically replied getting even with my rhetoric.

" Of course SIR Renoir I am my mother's daughter after all. " I smiled frostily gracefully peck at my mother's left cheek to signal my departure.

" Let me walk you out Sir Renoir, to finalize our meeting this day."

That had me stiffen my already stiff posture.

Mom really had a way to convey her message loud and clear without begging nor shouting at me. I salute her, so dearly. One day I'll have her mantra and the eye of my own hurricane.Head high, I continued going out, while they both observed my disposition within that split second I dawdle in the threshold.