Craving My Mate's Brother

FIONA

The splash of cold water jerked me out of my sleep. I should be used to the inhumane way she woke me up, because she always used a bucket of ice water on me every morning, but I still shivered uncontrollably as I sat up on the bed.

"Get up, you useless girl," My mother shouted at me, as I tried to blink water from my eyes. "You are already late for work!"

She continued nagging as I tried to put my drowsy self together.

"You always go late to work..."

I stood up from the bed.

"Third count of laziness and I am sure that they will fire you...and you cannot get fired, we need the money..."

I slipped my feet into the bathroom slippers that were by the side of the bed.

" Your siblings came home from school, earlier this morning, they said that they were not allowed to enter the school grounds because of lack of school fees."

Hearing those words made me topple over an overflowing bucket of water that caught the water leaking from our rotting ceiling. That was the third strike this week, after our landlord came banging on our door, demanding for our rent that was due three months ago.

Me and my mother locked eyes for some moments as the impact of her words came sinking in.

"What about pa? Is he stronger now? "

He has to be stronger, dear goddess. How do they expect me to work out my siblings' school fees and house rent altogether from a mere bartending job at a bar that catered to the poorest in the city?

Mom shook her head. "He is flat on his back, can't walk, and as from yesterday evening last night, can't talk."

My mom followed me to my back as I slipped into the shower compartment. "What are the doctors saying?" I asked weakly.

"He needs intensive treatment." Her voice was harsh. "The medicine they prescribed for him is very expensive. I could not afford it."

This right here is the reason why I try my best to wake up as early as I can, so I could avoid all this sad news. It seemed like everyday, something bad would happen at our house. And somehow, because I am the eldest daughter, I had to shelter it, work something out, fix it. I was just 23, and I was drowning.

"Mom, what would you have me do?"

"I don't like that you come back here so early with your miserable peanuts. You should work harder, take the second shift, bring home a tangible amount of money."

The second shift was the night shift at my bar. Not only was I losing my freedom to freely exist and be happy because of this family, I would lose my night sleep too.

My voice came out pleadingly. "Mom, you know I can't do that..."

"Shut up!" her fists struck the frosted glass beside me. "If not for your stupid