It took a while for her eyes to adjust to the darkness. There was a sliver of light which pierced through the thick curtains and shone on the black and white tile on the ground. The cold checkered surface on which she sat made her shiver. She could not remember how she got to the floor from the large bed that she shared with her brother and sometimes her mother when their father was out most of the night. Almost every evening, Rakhil and her brother Jibreel massaged their mother's legs, and took turns walking on them. It gave great comfort after a long day of being on her feet doing the housekeeping and keeping an eye on two small children.
Rakhil could not stand and had to crawl. Her body moved only a few steps when a giant cardboard box blocked her path. She tried pushing it aside but it would not budge. Going in another direction did not help as another box kept her from advancing. Fear took over as another attempt was made only to be thwarted by another container and another, and yet another.
She rolled back to where she sat with bottom on floor and legs arched. All she could see around her was a moving coil of monster boxes. Trapped, she felt as if a drum was pounding against her insides. There was nowhere else for her to go. She sobbed quietly, covering her eyes with her tiny hands.
Unaware of how much time had passed, Rakhil opened her eyes to the brightness of the day. She was back on the bed. Her mother caressed her curlytop head, It's okay baby. Everything is going to be fine. Mommy looked beautiful. Her red lips curved upward and her thick black wavy hair freed of its usual ponytail, was a halo framing her face.
Tears still slid out of the corners of Rakhil's eyes. It took her some time to erase the notion that the monster boxes of the previous night were real.
Copyright Naveeda Valentina
