Short Story: Life of Jewl

[storytellersilvic]

    Jewl slowly opened her eyes to see that it was her sister Amanda sleeping with her. She looked at her face to see if she was sleeping and she was.

    ‘I must have been having a nightmare again.’ - Jewl thought. She tried to go back to sleep but she couldn’t. She slowly got out of bed and walked around the house. She checked in her parents room to only see her mom. She then went to the living room and lied down on the couch, looking at the ceiling. 

    ‘I wonder how Val and Zane are doing?’ She thought. She raised her hand to the ceiling, pretending to grab something from the air. ‘I had that dream again. Where I was sitting on the sidewalk. It was raining hard.’ Jewl thought to herself. She looked at the palm of her hand in mystery. “Maybe...it’s just my imagination.” She said in a low-tone voice. Her eyes started to feel heavy and slowly she went back to sleep.

    A few hours have passed since she fell asleep. Amanda and their mother, Iris, were awake and cleaning the house. Amanda saw that Jewl was sleeping on the couch and chose not to wake her up.

    “Amanda, do you mind if you and Jewl went shopping for me? There is something important I have to take care of.” - Iris said.

    “Alright. But can I cook for today?” - Amanda asked.

    “What do you have in mind?”

    “I was thinking Teriyaki Salmon with some rice and vegetables.”

    “That sounds very good. Do you want me to help?

    “You don’t always have to help mom. I got it on my own. And besides, I got to cook more so she doesn’t starve herself by sleeping all day.”

    “Alright. Suit yourself. I left $50 on the counter so you can buy the groceries.”

    “Thanks mom.” Iris then left the house leaving the two alone. Amanda took a deep breath and tried to wake up Jewl. She put two fingers up her nose and grabbed her mouth. Jewl started to fidget around trying to breathe. She opened her eyes to see Amanda doing it and just looked disappointed. 

    “Hey Amanda.” - Jewl said.

    “Now that you’re awake. Let’s go shopping.”

    “But I don’t want to shop mom…”
    “I didn’t make the rules. Get up and let's get it over with.”

    “Can I sleep for 5 more minutes?”

    “No.”

Jewl wanted to go back to sleep but if she did she knows Amanda will do the trick on her. She got up from the couch, took a shower, put on her dinosaur jacket and left with Amanda. As they are walking down the street, Amanda checks her surroundings for anything unusual. Jewl is just holding a pillow and walking behind her.

    “Oh I just remembered.” Amanda pulled out a canned coffee drink from one of the shopping bags and handed it to Jewl. “Here. It’s your favorite. Try to keep your head up at least. You look like a lost child.”

    “But I'm 16.” - Jewl answered.

    ‘And somehow taller than me but genetics suck.’ Amanda thought to herself. “Not with those tired puppy eyes.”

    “Thank you.” Jewl said and took a drink of the coffee. 

They arrived at the shopping district. Not many people were here early in the morning. Amanda grabbed Jewl’s hand and started to walk towards the meat department. When she reached there saw the butcher cutting the meat in the back.

    “Morning Oliver.” - Amanda says. The butcher stops cutting and looks up to see Amanda and Jewl.

    “Amanda! It’s been too long! How has your family been?” - Oliver asked.

    “Mom and dad are doing alright. But my mom had to work this morning so I'm grocery shopping.”

    “Your mother always came to the best when it came to meat. So the usual?”

    “No thank you. I was wondering if you had any salmon in the shop today?”

    “I have plenty of salmon that I recently finished deboning.” He grabbed a big slab of sliced salmon and showed it off to Amanda. Amanda thought to herself for a moment.

    “Sure. I would like three pounds of it please?”

    “Coming right up.” Oliver put a bag on the scale and slowly put in the salmon. “There you go. Three pounds of salmon. That will be $16.24” Amanda handed him the money and received her change. He wrapped up the bag and handed it to her. “Have a good day Amanda.”

    “You too sir.”

    “By the way, how is your sister?” - Oliver asked.

    “Ernesta is doing alright. Although she worries me a bit.”

    “You say that like you’re being a bad big sister. Just don’t worry as much.”

    “I know.” Amanda said under her voice and walked away waving Oliver goodbye. ‘Wait.’ She realized Jewl wasn’t with her the whole time. She started to panic a bit to wonder where she was. Amanda retraced her steps and slowly walked around the shopping district. Finally she saw Jewl talking to a woman about the vegetables and fruits she had. Amanda decided to join her and help her pick out stuff. They continue to walk down and Amanda looks at her with a bit of concern. “You alright Jewl? You seem a bit lost.”   

    “Don’t I always look like that?”

    “Yeah but it’s more than usual.”

“I’m sorry.”

“You don’t have to apologize.”

“Alright…”

They walked around the mart looking for items to cook with. Amanda ponders to herself for a moment. She hasn’t found much interest nor has she found anything on her list. Amanda looked at Jewl and realized she had her eyes on something. Amanda looked in the direction and it was a person selling desserts. Jewl looked at Amanda with puppy eyes. 

    “No.” - Amanda says.

    “But he’s selling Strawberry Parfaits.” - Jewl says.

    “Then use your allowance money.”

    “I...spent it all.”

    “ON WHAT?!”

    “Stuff.”

    “Did you deathroll with Valerie?”

    “Maybe” Jewl whispered under her voice. 

Amanda took a deep breath and gave her $10. “Don’t forget you owe me. Let’s just go home.”

They returned home with the items they bought. Jewl laid on the couch and scrolled through her phone on one hand with the parfait on the other. Amanda put all the groceries on the table and started to put them away except for the salmon. She left it out on the stovetop and looked for condiments in the cabinet.

Jewl ponders to herself for a moment, thinking on what to say. “Hey Amanda. I had that dream again.” Amanda doesn’t look surprised but still a bit concerned. “But something changed about it.”

“Oh what was different about it?”

“You were there.”

Amanda looks surprised but kept it hidden for the time. “I guess that would make sense. I mean don’t you ever think of your friends in your dreams?”

    “No. It never happened once. But when you appeared. I felt pure joy.” Jewl smiled.

    Amanda paused for a moment. She didn’t know how to feel. “Well. I’m glad that nightmare isn’t haunting you as much now. Anyways do you mind if-” Jewel was passed out on the couch with the phone on her leg. ‘Never mind then. Guess I should start preparing.’

   

It was late afternoon. The sky was covered in gray clouds, pouring heavy rain. Traffic was heavy, people walking around with their umbrellas. Passing a little girl who was standing in the rain. The little girl looked on as everyone passed, not calling for help. Her body was tired, eyes dread and empty. She sat down on the wet side walk and curled up. It felt like time was moving slow with each passing second. The little girl accepted that nobody would come to help her. Until the rain stopped pouring on her head. She slowly looked up to see another kid, holding an umbrella over her. They were wearing their school uniform and looking at them.

    “You shouldn’t be sitting there you know.” The student said and reached out her arm to her. “Come with me. I’ll take you somewhere dry.”

The girl thought about it for a moment and hesitated to reach her arm out. But the student still stayed.

    “Leave...me.” the girl said in a very low tone.

    “No. Let's go.” - The Student says.

She did what the student said. She grabbed their hand and walked with them. She made sure to not let go of her hand.

    “What’s your name?” - The student asked.

    “Ernesta.” - she said.

    “Nice to meet you. My name is Amanda.”