The tiny voice

It was a regular Thursday, mother’s busy applying her red lipstick. She was getting ready to dance for the gentlemen tonight at the club. While my cracked father smooched his bottle of liquor again, and frequently demanding for some money.

I was sixteen, curly and lonely. Since childhood, my parents were like this. Everywhere I go, I’m usually alone except when I go to work. I had one friend, her name is Rosita. She’s a ten-year old girl living across the drugstore where I attend as a clerk.

One evening Rosita went to visit me at my workplace. Holding a box of cake on her hand.

“Hey sweetie, is that for me?”

“Yes, my mommy baked it for you. She asked if I could be with you ’til tomorrow because she and dad had to fly for a business meeting,” she said.

“Of course, you can. You don’t have to pay me with a cake. Thanks anyway.”

Our conversation went on until 10pm, the store was quite, no customers came. Rosita asked me to accompany her outside to buy burgers for her starving stomach.

We walked outside . Filled our stomachs. She was so happy, laughing and dancing on the street until a car approached rapidly.

Booo-oooo-ooommmmm!!!

The windshield cracked, my body hit the solid ground, I felt pain all over my body. I tried to see her but my vision were blurry. I gasped and I fainted.

I saw a man in the shade of a white light. He wanted me to go with him. He said to me about paradise, that I shouldn’t be afraid.

When I attempted to grab his hand, a familiar voice called my name. She was sobbing. I listened and followed the echo of her tiny voice. I ran away from the man, I stumbled and suddenly the light was gone.

“She’s awake! Oh my god!” the familiar voice said.

I opened my eyes slowly, I was surrounded by people. I saw my parents, my mom with no make-up on, dad finally sober.

And, Rosita, she was the familiar voice. I saw her eyes twinkled even though she cried. She embraced and kissed me.

“Thank you for saving my life,” she said.

“No, you saved mine.”