It was a cool Saturday morning. The sun was out in full swing but it was cool, thanks to the early morning rain. The street was quiet, no vehicles and no children out playing. The wind swept through the streets shaking the leaves from their trees, changing direction it pulled them down making little twisters.
A freshly polished black car drove down the street slowly as if to not disturb the calm. The wind blew violently as though the car had interrupted its play. Leaves flew at the car's windscreen forcing it to a stop.
"The wind must not like us." Mr. Malieni said.
"Either way, I think we're here." His wife responded looking out her window.
--
The doorbell rang and Jodi looked at the clock. She took off the television and got off the couch. She brushed her hair back and headed for the door. She opened the door to a man and woman she'd never seen before.
The man looked handsome. But the woman, something about her felt disgustingly familiar. Jodi looked the woman over and realized she was like Lexis. The woman smiled and it made her feel even more disgusted.
"Hi. I'm Aurelia Malieni. This is my husband, Alessandro. I take it you're Lexis' mother?"
"No!She's not my child!"
"I'm sorry. We would like to speak with her parents."
"She doesn't have. I'm her legal guardian."
"Ah. Well, can we talk?"
Jodi looked them over. She didn't want to let them in, but the man gave a faint smile that made her concede.
"Come in."
-
When the doorbell rang Lexis looked out the window wondering which worried soul was coming over to console Jodi this weekend. When she saw the car she panicked. She rushed out her room and down the stairs as the Malienis stepped inside.
"Hello Lexis." Aurelia said smiling up at her.
Lexis nodded. "What brings you here?" she asked.
"We're here to talk to your guardian about the scholarship."
"Scholarship?" Jodi asked surprised. "What scholarship?" She looked up at Lexis.
"Lexis qualified and earned a scholarship to our college. I thought you knew..." Aurelia said looking at Jodi.
"No, I know nothing of this." Jodi answered looking back and forth between Aurelia and Lexis.
"Perhaps we should sit down and discuss what's going." Aurelia suggested.
Jodi showed the Malienis into the living room and they all sat down. Aurelia explained Lexis' application for the scholarship and how she had passed the examination earning it. Jodi looked at Lexis at first with shock and then suspicion.
"A signature was on the forms giving her permission to study with us. But if you knew nothing about it then-"
Jodi flashed Lexis an angry look.
"You forged my signature?!"
"No I put mom's."
"She's dead!" Jodi shouted.
"Which means she can't tell me no, or question anything!" Lexis retaliated.
"Did you cheat on that exam too?" Jodi lashed back.
Lexis got angrier.
"You know nothing about me." She said through gritted teeth.
Aurelia stepped into their squabble.
"It's very difficult to cheat on our exams. The students never know what's coming apart from the standard English and Mathematics."
Jodi looked at Aurelia and Lexis. Her eyes met with Alessandro's and she felt embarrassed.
"You didn't cheat." She said it more like a question than a statement.
"The question, Ms. Francis, now that you know all this, will you give permission for Lexis to study with us?" Aurelia asked looking at Jodi hard.
"No." Jodi answered without a thought.
"BULLSHIT!" Lexis shouted She looked at the Malienis and back to Jodi.
"Could you give us a reason as to why not?" Aurelia asked, her eyes on Lexis.
"Because I won't." Jodi answered.
Aurelia opened her mouth to speak again but her husband yawned and that caught her attention. It wasn't just the fact that he had yawned, it was how he yawned. Alessandro tilted his head back and yawned as wide as his mouth could go, before lazily raising his hand to cover his mouth. The others watched him in silence.
"Please excuse me." He said as he got up.
He walked over to Lexis, took her by the hand and walked outside. Neither of the women said anything they just watched him until he disappeared from sight. When the door closed, Aurelia spoke.
"Ms. Francis, is there any reason why you don't want Lexis to study with us?"
"I just don't want her to." Jodi answered.
"I am aware that the people here dislike Lexis because of her...parentage."
"What are you implying?" Jodi asked.
"I'm not implying anything."
"So what are you getting at?"
"I'm also half Indian, though it is not so easily obvious."
Jodi clenched her jaw.
"My mother was Indian. However, people here treat me different from the way I've heard they treat Lexis. It makes me wonder, with some much hate going around, how you feel towards Lexis?"
Jodi's eyes widened. "Lexis is my little sister's child." She hissed at Aurelia.
"But you don't feel any attachment to her other than that. To you she's nothing but a mistake, a burden left behind by your sister. Am I right?"
"No!"
"But you don't love her."
Jodi said nothing, only stared at Aurelia.
"Lexis is a brilliant girl, we'd love to have her at the college. Being at the college will give her the opportunity to improve herself. If you give consent, she wouldn't be a problem here anymore. You needn't worry about her."
A few moments of silence passed between them.
"Okay."
"Also, would it be alright if she stayed with us before she starts school?"
"Why?!"
"She has asked to stay with us after her graduation."
"...I guess."
"Thank you."
When Lexis and Alessandro returned inside and heard the news, Lexis laughed and Alessandro smiled at Jodi. Aurelia also put down two conditions for Lexis moving in with them, to which she agreed. When the Malienis left Lexis turned to Jodi.
"Why'd you change your mind? Why'd you agree?"
"No reason." She said walking away.70Please respect copyright.PENANAwjNDuvk3Ap