CHAPTER 3 - HOME VISIT

"Alright students!!! Happy learning!!! And as I said this weekend is a home visit weekend!!! I'll be visiting all of your houses and have a nice little chat with your parents. Don't worry I won't complain to them!!! So have a look at the roaster and look at the day and time for your home visit!!! And don't forget to tell your parents!!!", Miss Leila said.

"Ok ma'am!!", chattered the 20 students present in the class.

"Home visit... I wonder what my parents would say...", the little girl thought.

After getting out of the classroom the little girl took a look at the roaster.

Saturday - 4 p.m.

It was written beside her name.

"Saturday it is then", the little girl thought. "Got to inform mom and dad."

She started walking home alone.

Here also she was alone. But this was mostly because she didn't talk a lot. Her classmates were typical cry babies. She was not. She was mature. She could cook. Others could not.

The little girl reached home within 20 minutes. Her school was not far from her home. She got up the stairs. Their apartment was in the 3rd floor. Near the end of the 2nd floor she heard shouts; pretty loud ones. It was coming from their apartment. She shuddered. She was horrified.

The little girl slowly crept inside. Her parents had started throwing stuffs now. She hid under her table. Her eyes were filled with silent tears.

After 2 hours the bell rang.

"Must be a neighbour", she thought.

Her parents didn't even hear the doorbell. She crept out and headed towards the door. A hit from a sudden plate put her off guard. She fell, hitting the floor with a loud bang.

Her dad answered the door. He apologized for the commotion.

"Same ritual as always", she thought.

Her mom was busy in her phone. She grabbed her bag and went out glaring at her husband. Her dad also went out. She had to clean the apartment now. She didn't have a chance to tell about the home visit to her parents...

She started cleaning the apartment. She picked up her books and pens which were scattered throughout the apartment. Those were her life. Her first priority. She wouldn't exchange them for her whole world.

Hours passed.

The apartment became cleaner.

Her parents did not return.

Finally, after struggling for 4 long hours with her injured leg, the apartment was clean; spotless clean. Just like her dad had said.

She remembered her mom's words.

"What are you looking at, If you are hungry just heat something up and eat it. Don't look at me. I am busy as is."

"She's always busy", the child sighed.

She opened the fridge. It was messy. Really messy.

"I should just clean and arrange the fridge when I am at it", She thought.

Cleaning the fridge took another 30 minutes.

"I am hungry now", She said to herself.

She looked around and found a packet of noodles. She turned on the oven, put some water in a pot and put the pot on flame. Then after a few moments she broke the cake of noodles into small pieces and put it in the water.

"A little bit of vegetables should do the trick", She thought.

She cut onions, tomatoes, and capsicums. She put those in the boiling pot; put the spices and closed the lid. Then she waited.

After about 5 minutes, the noodles was done. She took a bowl, put the noodles and took a spoon and carefully carried the bowl to the table. She put it down to cool. Then she cleaned up the kitchen and washed the pot.

After cleaning, she sat down to eat. She ate slowly, slurping the hot noodles, enjoying the flavours. She washed the bowl after eating.

Now she started doing her homework. It was quite late when she finished.

Her parents were not back...

Not yet...

The next morning she woke up and found her mom in the kitchen. It was the weekend. Her dad was nowhere to be seen. She brushed her teeth and took a bathe. And then she started studying.

Not a word was uttered throughout the day.

Not mother not daughter.

Her dad returned during lunch. They had an almost quiet lunch. At almost the end of their lunch the child spoke up.

"Our class teacher will be coming for home visit today", She said quietly.

Her parents didn't have any reaction.

She repeated a bit loudly now.

Still no reaction.

"Mom! Dad! I am saying something!"

"What were you saying??", her dad snapped.

"I was saying that our class teacher will be coming for a home visit today..."

The doorbell rang.

"And that must be her...my class teacher...", she sighed.