Chapter 2- She Stole My Money

She Stole My Money " You're going to the market now....to get him some drugs" Her mother said authoritatively as she walked in with Kate whose face was painted. Marilyn hadn't noticed it before and It seemed like she had been busy with making up her face rather than thinking of lending a helping hand in the dire situation. " Market?... but...we.. we've not got much to spare for his drugs" Marilyn told the woman. She was being realistic, there wasn't a single penny in the house and the one available to use which she kept had been seen by their prying eyes. " My savings have been taken and I can't find them anymore" she said looking at Kate. " Are you saying I stole them?" Kate asked her in return, glaring at her. " I don't know...maybe you did because...." " Shut up!" Her stepmother growled, interrupting her. " Keep that cavern you call a month shut right now" she added while giving her a murderous stare. " You will go to the market now and get some drugs for your father" " There's no money with me. How will I help my father?" she said with tears almost falling off her face. She wanted to help him badly but didn't know how. " There's a local doctor I know there. He has a medicine in his store for us that we can give your father to use." " I want you to meet him at the market this evening at the Reaper's store. Tell him you're from Ava. He'll give it to you." " Alright" Marilyn said happily that her father was finally going to get better. " But we don't have money to pay for the medicine, will he give it to me?" she asked the woman. " He will... It has been sorted. Both the payment and settlement. You don't have to worry about that" she told her and Marilyn felt a wave of relief wash through her that instant. Finally there was hope for her dad. " I want to go with Marilyn" Millie, her baby sister said but the mother was vehemently against it. " No... You can't go with her. It's evening already" she explained to the girl. " Don't worry Millie" Marilyn said, crouching to the girl's level to assure her that she won't take long. "I'll be back soon before you know it" Marilyn told her sister who was now crying, she didn't want to stay away from her that instant. It was as though she could feel the premonition of what was coming afterwards. " What about the potatoes?" Marilyn asked as she remembered that she was yet to cook them. " Leave that to Kate," her stepmother said. " What!?" Kate yelled. " But I can't cook like Marilyn. It will only get soggy.." she said angrily with a pout. She couldn't cook for the life of her, was practically lazy and was no wife material. This was the same reason her boyfriend Pete broke up with her last week. He had said she was never going to make a good woman and wife like Marilyn would. She hated the fact that her stepsister was praised and she was always compared to her. Marilyn got all the attention she had ever wanted from men freely on a platter of gold even though the girl had not given any of them her attention while she, who longed for the attention, had to work very hard for it, still losing it all in the end. " It will prolly be the only reason I'll miss her when she's gone for good" Kate muttered inaudibly and left for the kitchen, angry that she was going to be doing Marilyn's job for her. Marilyn, not hearing what she said, went over to hug her baby sister, promising to buy her a stick doll later when she got back home. " Alright" Millie said and watched as Marilyn went to kiss her father on his forehead before leaving the house for the market to meet the so-called 'Local Doctor' who had the medicine for her father's illness. Marilyn walked towards the alley that led to the market. She took nothing but only a basket along with her so she could pluck any fruits she was lucky to come across on the way. Her father needed fruits so badly. She was certain that it was one of those things he needed urgently to get back on his feet. To eat some fruits and use his medicine, the one she was going out to get on the streets presently. Her mind drifted to Kate, she hoped deeply that her stepmother was going to assist her lazy stepsister in the kitchen. If not, she would make a mess and when she meant a mess, she wasn't trying to exaggerate. Kate was a bad cook, a very awful one. 'Papa needs a good meal right now to take his medicine with, not some soggy and poorly prepared potatoes' she thought within herself. She also wondered why her stepmother didn't let Kate go to the market instead so she could continue with the cooking. Besides, the girl hated cooking. Kate could have been the one to come to the market to get the medicine while also using that as an opportunity to visit her many men friends. That was the sort of person her stepsister was anyways. The free spirited and very lazy Kate. Suddenly, the rumbling of the thunder could be heard in the evening sky. Marilyn thought she heard children scream out of sheer fright while running to their mothers for protection. " Oh no!" She muttered sadly, she hadn't bothered to take an umbrella with her earlier and that was because there was no sign of it raining. There had been no teeny bit of warning. Such was the funny weather of their town. It does things the way it wants, sending an outpour of rain unexpectedly on the heads of unsuspecting road users on a bright sunny day while sending nothing but a gusty wind and no rain on a dark and dull day. She guessed it was one of those days and kept her pace so she would get to the market fast. Time was no longer on her side and her dad was still very ill.