Baskadia

Arriving home with the groceries and a bouquet of flowers in her hands, Andrew, Nora's older brother looked at her. Andrew could notice the broad smile on his sister's face. "Who did this to you?" Andrew teased. Nora took a seat next to her brother as she showed him the things she got from the grocery store.

"So, I am thinking of preparing pasta tonight. Have you had anything to eat while I was gone?" asked Nora.

"Sitting in a wheelchair doesn't mean I can't do things with my hands."

Nora smiled. She gave a big sigh as she looked at her brother. She wished she could turn back the hand of time and change so many things like stopping her brother and parents from coming to her school party. If only they had stayed back, her parents would still be alive and her brother won't be sitting in that wheelchair.

If only I could go back in time. Andrew pulled his wheelchair closer to his sister. "I know that look."

Nora faked a smile. "What look?" asked Nora as she kept a straight face.

"That look that says you blame yourself for everything and if possible, you would like to go back in time and change things." Andrew knew his baby sister too well. When they were growing up, he was the only one who understood her.

"But it's all my fault. If you guys hadn't left home to come to my school party, this wouldn't have happened."

"Things happen for a reason." Andrew was going to start giving her pep talks but none of that helps.

Nora shook her head in disagreement. "I don't see any reason for the things that happened. We lost our parents and now you're here in that chair, what sort of reason could there possibly be?"

"Enough of that. Whose flower is that?" Andrew asked to change the subject.

Nora looked at the flower. She grabbed them and put them in a vase. "Michael gave them to me." Nora looked at Andrew because she knows how much Andrew detests him.

"I see." He rolled his chair back to the sitting room where he was enjoying his movie.

Nora prepared everything she needed to make the pasta. "I still don't understand why you don't like him. He has done so much for me, for us. Why don't you like him?" Nora asked her brother who was changing the channels pretending not to hear her. After a moment of silence, he spoke up, turning the wheel chair to face his sister.

"I just have this feeling he's going to hurt you, Nory. I know you love him and he's been kind to us but think about it, why would a celebrity choose a girl like you to be his girlfriend? You are clearly not his type. I just feel like there's something more to his kindness." Andrew knew his sister would feel bad but he just wanted her to know that life isn't what we make of it. "I am just looking out for my baby sister."

After a few minutes, the pasta was ready. Nora served the food and they both ate in silence. She didn't want her night to be ruined, she wanted to keep that moment of tonight with her boyfriend evergreen and she wasn't going to let her brother ruin it with his philosophy of what life is about and what it isn't.

"I am going to be in my room if you need me." with that Nora took her food and excused herself.

Andrew saw this coming so he didn't let it bother him too much. He continued with his meal and made sure he ate to his satisfaction.

Nora got into her room, with her food in her hand she sat down on her bed placing the food gently on the bed. She went to her mirror and stared at her reflection in the mirror. Her black eyeballs, her curly black hair packed up in a ponytail, her olive skin tone, her oblong face with few pimples here and there, her patched orange lips. She glanced at the clothes she was putting on, a baggy top with baggy trousers. If not for her two breasts and her round butt, she would have been mistaken for a guy because of the clothes she wears. But these are clothes that made her feel like herself, wearing skirts or gowns is something she does on special occasions.

What's there not to like? she asked herself. "As long as Michael loves me like this and he ain't complaining about my looks, I ain't going to change," she reassured herself. She ate her food reminiscing about the kiss Michael gave her. "I wish my brother would see you are really not as bad as he pictures you to be."

She was still reminiscing about the kiss when her phone rang. She grabbed her phone and saw that the caller was Sara. "Right! I forgot to talk to her." She face-palmed herself as she cleared her throat before picking up the call.

"You know what, I don't know if you saw me in your dreams chasing you with a gun or perhaps it's that time of the month where you get all cranky and stuff but saying all those words to me doesn't seem right and the fact you didn't bother calling to check if I was OK is a prove that you meant everything you said and you don't give two shits that you hurt my feelings but you know what, it's fine. And you are right, I will stop poking my nose in your affairs anymore. I would have said I would get a love life but the truth is I am not ready for the 19th heartbreak thanks for reminding me what a failure I am in this whole love aspect thing and congratulations for finding your Mr. Right. Goodnight!". Before Nora could say a word, Sara had already hung up.

If I had to choose between Michael and my best friend Sara, who would I choose? Nora thought.