She stoops to conquer

The stench of rotting fish clung to my jacket as I shoved open the door of the house. The lock was broken-again-and the draft from the harbor slithered in like a thief.

"Grandma?" My voice cracked. No answer. Just the drip-drip-drip of the kitchen sink and the distant ticking of the clock

I dropped her grocery bag-two cans of soup, half-stale bread-and froze.

The bed was empty.

A slick, metallic smell hit her first. Then I saw it: blood smeared on the floorboards, leading to the closet. My pulse hammered as I yanked the door open.

Grandma slumped against the wall, clutching a rusted box. Her lips moved, soundless.

"Len... you were never... supposed to be here."I didn't know if she was talking about this exact moment or something else..

The last word dissolved into a wet cough. Then silence. What does that even mean...

My knees hit the floor. I pried the box from Ma's stiff fingers. Inside:

A yellowed photo of a woman who looked like

Me-same sharp cheekbones, same defiant glare-standing beside a man in a tailored suit. She was well dressed & beautiful they seem to be from a rich home _her mother??

"Grandma!!!.. what is this... Is this my mom??"

Grandma nodded weakly.

Her breath stuttered. The Boston's royalty. The company whose name she could remember as a kid at every time their limousines roared past the slums then. What became of them now she couldn't tell... she had since never heard of them neither could she tell what really happened.. Rumor had it that they suffered losses & the owners had to sell the company... What was this box all about??...

There was a knock at the door.

"No...Not now" Eleanor thought she was in her early 20's..23 to be precise..& she lived with her foster family.. she knew them ever since she was young. They had shortened her name to Len which to them was more easier to say .

Grandma was the mother of Len's foster mother.. she was the nicest & kindest, quite opposite of her daughter & even worse her son-in-law ... Len had always gone to her when she had a quarrel with her ma which happened frequently... Now she had taken ill she suffered heart problem & stroke. She heard her ma discussing with her husband that her sickness was a 'lost cause'... "She wouldn't live up to a week, the doctor had said. So we should rather not spend much money taking her to the hospital. Plus she is already very old" ma had said earlier before..

"Len"

She hid the box she had forgotten that someone had knocked earlier. "yes am coming"

"What took u so long" Lisa her foster sis had said while walking in .."Mom had sent for you & she is pissed" she added quickly..

"I just wanted to see if ma needed help, I would be back, won't take time".

Lisa looked at me & humped "suit yourself" with that she left... They had assigned a nurse to take care of grandma but today was her day off..

I quickly went in & helped grandma up & put her back on her old dusty bed...then I soothed her hair with gentle strokes...

"Grandma .."I said..." I Kno u Kno something about my real parents.. please tell me something.. anything...

She coughed weekly & her breathing was frail...

"Eleanor... This life wasn't meant for u.. u had a really rich family & ... She coughed repeatedly... I brought her water instantly...

"What was my family's name.."

"C...c" & all went silent grandma had stopped breathing & her face looked peaceful...

95 year old Rosa was dead. Len covered her face with a piece of clothe..

Tears streamed down lens face... She didn't get to Kno about her family & why she was abandoned... Since her family was rich, why had they left her... Was she hated & not loved...she wasn't thinking rationally her feelings were mixed with anger & sadness & pain.. She cried for a long time too, she was going to miss grandma alot but then again annoyed at the same time because she hadn't asked Grandma anything before then or even gotten any information before she died finally, that wasn't the end of the world, she was going to get the truth one way or the other she summoned courage & left for what she assumed was home.

It been months now... Grandma was now gone & buried... & Everyone had moved on with their life.. except me of course.. they had sold grandma's house cos according to them it wasn't useful anymore as the owners were dead...

I was seated outside in the living room when pa barged... "Eleanor, what have I said about my boxes in my room." "Y did u touch them?"

"I didn't touch them"I said

"U filthy lier for the last time. Did u touch my box in my room."

" I didn't, I just cleaned the room that's all." I said furiously.

" How dare u raise ur voice at me".... He was about raising his hands & attempted what looked like a slap... I was already braising myself for it effects.... But ma intervened

" No dear... She didn't touch ur box.. I was in there the whole time.. don't waste ur time on the useless girl...."

"You are not being hard on her, that why she can raise her voice at me... I won't spare u the next time" he warned & left....

"Now go upstairs... U just like causing problems.. maybe that's why ur parents didn't want u anymore"

I ran to the basement with teary eyes... That hurt so much... Ma had never loved me... But strangely she always seem to defend me when pa would want to hit me...ma was never with me through out the clean up... So whether or not I tampered with the box she couldn't tell...

Let me introduce myself property.. I am Eleanor short for Len... Ever since I was a kid I have lived with this family of 6 including grandma..who lived in her own house...this was an average or little bit below average family saves to pa's gambling & drinking habit... They were barely eating a proper meal that too three square meal maybe that was why pa hated my guts, he feels am an extra mouth & constantly blaming ma for bringing "an extra burden"... I am currently 23.... Never been to school since 13... We were ma,pa bro Daniel, Lisa, me.. bro Daniel had gotten a girl pregnant at age 19 to he had started a familylife far away from home with the girl, turns out the girl wanted to have the baby & her parents wanted bro Daniel to be responsible for it... Haven't seen him for the longest time.. I was a bit older than Lisa....

"Are u still awake" Lisa had walked in with a lamb.

"Yeah" I said getting up

"Come on, let's go outside, the stars are out & it's so bright outside"

The cool evening breeze hit me..truly it was a beautiful sight..

Lisa looked at me & lay down on the low grass..

"where would u like to find ur self _ say in the next 5 to 6 years". She said, facing me with an elbow supporting her head...

"Well..." I said joining her "... I never really thought about it.

"Don't u want to leave here & at least Know where or who ur family is... As for me... This life is frustrating.. I hate it .. I mean we never really do anything fun as a family, we don't have the money...I want a more better life u Kno.. far from this dirty slum"

She was quite right tho... Life hasn't been easy for us both.. mostly for me...

"So what about u.. she continued.

"Mmmm.. I just want to have something doing for myself...I want to leave this place & explore the world.. I wish I could for once live like an elite, have that luxurious life."

"That's a nice wish but what about ur family."

" Oh no, since they literally abandoned me..why should I bother looking for them... I don't want to dwell on the past but focus on the Future...

"Good point.. come on now let's go in..

As I lay in my make shift bed deep deep down she new Lisa might be right who was her family & most importantly why was she abandoned.... How she wishes grandma could have completed her statement or at least given her a hint of who she is.. "the box"...she was curious, yes she was...there was another metal box in it & God Knows she had tried to pry it open but she couldn't...

As she fell asleep as if in a trance a figure had walked up to her _A lady she wouldn't really tell...her hair was long & flowing.. she'd say next to her... & Say words to her... Len's subconscious mind couldn't get what she was saying then the lady would stroke her hair & hum... Mom!!! _She would think..

She would always wake up pondering on such a dream... Or was it???

"i brushed away the strands of my hair & whipped my face from the beads of sweat... Ma had asked me to clean the "dark room".. just as the name said.. it was the most darkest, shabbiest of room.. never been occupied or used.. for some reason ma had asked me to clean out the room.. what on earth had she done to this woman?....why was she hell bent on making her life miserable?...was I really going to spend the rest of my life?.. living like this, what was the world out there?... No.. no..no.. this can't be it!!.. I am _23 a whole 23...

"Hey!!" ma yelled..."what do u think u are doing u stupid child?.... U don't have all day... Ur pa has asked u to do his laundry- for Christ sake .... Don't be a slut..."

"Am done with the room " I rolled my eyes.

"Go have ur meal first then u will run some errands for me, & do wash ur pa's clothe if you don't want ur head ripped off ur body.."

The said meal was canned beans & plain rice.. she almost puked at the sight... Better than last night's "meal"..

After hours & hours of work she finally got a break.. as she fell asleep at least to half a decent nap.. she was shaken harshly by her _pa_

"Pa!!!... What r u doing here..." He was drunk & she knew what he could do when drunk...

But surprisingly he handed her some cash.."go get me some whiskey... Now!!!!".

"Now??.. pa it's 1am in the morning.. please I beg u, first thing tomorrow I will get u ur booze"..

" U dare question me Len... I see ur ma hasn't been hard on u enough..." He said & dragged me straight to the front door...I screamed all the way...

"Greg... What r u doing" that was ma, she came down half drowsy...

"Nothing much, just need a beer that's all..."

"It's 1 in the midmorning & really late..."

" & why do u care, she isn't ours anyways ....she can go to yell for all I care... Now go get me my whiskey"..

"Greg...."

"Go to bed woman.. it's final"...

Within minutes, I was out in the empty streets..cold, & angered... Who does he think he is, sending me out like a sacrificial lamb.. not even a prisoner deserves this...

The place was deserted & I had heard a lot of stories about how dangerous it was to be out in the night.. All of a sudden there was a man who appeared from no where_ he was in suit & glasses like a spy ....I became conscious & increased my pace... God help me.. I get pa's booze & find him sleeping.. I'd make sure I shove the drink right down his throat...

He was gaining on me & I ran & made a turn... I breathed out with relief as I checked & realized I had lost him.. as I turned, there he was but not the same guy in tux & dark shade glasses.. "oh no" I mouthed ... He instantly reached out to me & gagged me it didn't take minutes I felt light headed & drowsy he must have drugged the handkerchief.."hell!!"...

I lost control of my balance & my legs gave way.. as I was about to hit the floor... I was caught & I blacked out...

A black mask was removed from my face & I was faced to an equally dark room.."where am I?"

"You are fine" a man replied ...

"As I squinted my eyes to get the figure indeed was a man sitting across the room he had faced the opposite side.. he lit a dim light.. I could finally see his silhouette..

"Who r u"

"Eleanor.. at least let me give an answer to the first question.."

"how did u Kno my name?"

"There she goes again"

" Please let me go.. I really need to get..."

"Whiskey_for ur_ pa... Am right, am I?"

" How do u Kno so much about me?"

"I can go on & on..but then there is nothing really to say about u...". He continued.. I have an offer for u".

"What offer".. curious me wanted to know.

"How about u take a new identity.. u know, finally have a life"

"I have a life" I shot back.

"Not with this life you don't"

"Am done here.. I really don't want ur offer. Can I go home now..."

"U will listen to me, till i am done, then will u leave" he raised his voice which was commanding,cruel & cold.. he said this while still backing me...I swallowed... How on earth did I get here... He started explaining something & I used that time to check him out just little observation & guess work.. but I couldn't quite guess... He was finally done talking..

"At least tell me ur name."

"SINE"

The name that changed her life forever....