Their Life

**The following is an excerpt from Raina's Story **

Just before school started that year, Mean Mark got a job as a janitor at the court house. He resented this job. Raina could tell by his exceptionally sour mood in the evenings. It had to be demeaning to clean up after a system that you helped support for so many years. But, Raina was thankful that Mean Mark had something to do during the day, other than drink himself into an angry stupor.

Tam was in kindergarten now; getting older all the time. Pretty soon he wouldn’t fall for Raina’s tricks. He’d know that she’d been keeping him from the reality of their situation. But for now, he was still that sweet little boy she helped raise.

This morning, like every other, Raina awoke before her brother. Quietly, she danced her daily routine around his mattress as she gathered her things. Then, she gently tapped her brother. She started by humming the tune. When he didn’t open those adorable sleepy brown eyes, Raina began to sing the very same lyrics her mother had sang to her.

“Little one, arise

The sun has come.

We take to the skies

For the day is here.

Little one, awake

We’ll beat the bedlam.

No need to fake

Together there is no fear”

Tam scrunched up his face and turned his head towards her. He opened his mouth in a drawn out yawn, and mumbled something that sounded like “the other ones too.” Then he opened his big brown eyes, and smiled at his sister. He pulled in a long breath of air through his nose, and let out with a relieved “Wain-uh.”

“Time for school sleepyhead,” She said tossing his blond hair. Raina pointed to the foot of his mattress. “Your clothes are right here. I’ll meet you by the door.”

Now that Tam could dress himself, Raina had time to pack them some snacks to eat during lunch. Today was a good day. They each got a bag of chips and half an apple. It wasn’t much, but it added some nutrition to the government funded potato paste and mystery meat the schools stuck to their trays every day. She wrapped the apple halves in napkins, and, just as she finished zipping up their bags, Tam bounded into the kitchen.

“When I was sleeping you were a princess and Mommy saved us!” He exclaimed.

Raina froze.

“What’s that?!” Mean Mark groaned angrily as he sat up in his recliner.

She stepped in front of her brother and braced for the reaction, but Mark wasn’t fully awake this time. He shrugged with unfixed eyes, and whined incomprehensibly before laying back down. Raina couldn’t be quite sure, but it sounded as if his complaint had ended in “her kids.”

When she turned around, Raina found Tam cringed with one eye squinted shut, and the other trained on her. She relaxed her posture, placed one finger over her lips, and tilted her head towards the door. Relieved, Tam opened both his eyes, and tip-toed out of the apartment. Raina shouldered both of their bags and fixed her green eyes on their unwilling guardian as she followed her brother.

When they reached the pavement at the bottom of the steps, she handed him his bag. “You need to be more careful buddy. Mark works really hard to take care of us,” she lied. “He needs his rest.”

Tam slipped his arms into each of the straps, then shoved his hands in his pockets. “Sorry Wain-uh,” he said as he kicked at a pebble by the curb.

It wasn’t necessary. She couldn’t be mad at this sweet little boy. He deserved more than that. She poked him in the stomach, then headed off down the sidewalk. “No sweat Tam-tam.” He stifled a giggle, and ran after her.

“So, a princess again?” Raina inquired.

“Yeah!” Tam lit up. “And Mommy saved us this time!”

Together they walked the half mile to the local elementary school. Raina listened as Tam recounted the most recent version of his dreams. She should be flattered. Raina was a prominent figure in her brother’s dreams. She was always fighting off bad guys, or perched above him looking off in the distance. Sometimes she even flew. It was sweet really, but Raina couldn't help feeling overwhelmed by it all.

When they arrived at Tam’s school, Raina muffled a yawn. She loved her brother, but this was her release. After he entered his classroom, Raina could let go. She didn’t need to answer to anyone for the next seven hours. She got to be a kid again, and letting go of her responsibilities just reminded her how exhausting their life had become. At home, she never let her guard down, but this time was hers.

She kissed Tam’s forehead, and watched his Peter Pan backpack bounce up and down as he walked through the doors. Then she pulled away. Knowing they were both safe, she pushed her world behind her, and walked across the street to the bus stop. Dazed, she waited as her classmates gathered around her. As she climbed aboard her yellow transport, the girls giggled about the upcoming dance. She barely even heard the boys pick apart the most recent football game when she settled into her seat. She was too tired to focus on any of it. She only half nodded when Kevin, her lab partner, asked to sit with her.

Raina closed her eyes. She was just going to rest them a little on the way to school. She never actually thought she would fall asleep, but she felt herself drift off before the next stop. The bus must have turned east, because the rising sun made a rainbow of colors dance across her eyelids. She felt warmth spread over her body as her head dipped to the left. With increasing heaviness, her brow settled into Kevin’s shoulder. Raina felt an arm wrap around her own shoulder, but she was too far gone to question it. She didn’t even notice when an unfamiliar voice said “we’re almost there Love.”

To be continued...