2. Erika

Erika Ramirez tied her long, black hair in a ponytail before stepping out of the silver sedan.  When her mother asked her if she wanted to stay with an Uncle Alex for the summer, she did not need to think about it twice.  All her friends had plans with their families and her mother needs to go away for business so, she didn’t have anything to do at home.

Her small mouth hanged slightly opened as her brown eyes took in her surroundings.  Despite the many times she had been inside her friends’ big houses, she had never seen a place as big, and not to mention as old, as the mansion in front of her.

“I can’t believe this house is still standing,” she whispered to her mom as she helped her unload the compartment.

Helen Ramirez smiled.  “Well, you better believe it.  This house is older than your grandmother’s mother and even the super typhoon last year wasn’t able to destroy anything.”

“That’s not entirely true, Helen.”  Alex was grinning when he approached her.  “I had to replace some of the windows and the front door’s archway’s broken in half.”  He pointed at the archway nearly visible through the thick bushes.  “I still have to get that fixed.”

Erika couldn’t help but smile at the handsome guy in front of her.

“You must be Erika.”  Alex extended a hand.  “I’m your Uncle Alex.  But I prefer you don’t call me ‘Uncle’.”

Erika took the hand he offered and shook it.  Her jaw almost dropped for the second time.  She knew having Alex as an uncle will take a little getting used to.  Although, the way her small physique made them seem like father and daughter or brother and sister might help in the progress.

Alex led the way towards the house, carrying two of Erika’s three bags.  When they reached the broken arch, Helen smiled at the familiar, beaming face of a woman with short, dark hair and amber eyes.

“Erin!”  She immediately placed the bag she was carrying down and gave the woman a tight hug.  “It’s been so long!  How are you?”  She released her and studied her face at arm’s length.  “You look good.”

“Same old, same old.”  Erin flashed a genuine smile.  “What about you?  I see your hair’s still black.  Don’t tell me you still haven’t grown a single white hair after all these years?”

“Oh, I had that done at my favorite salon.”  She sounded proud of the work.

“Ah, ladies, before we get into the details, why don’t we go inside first?” Alex interjected.  “I think it’s going to rain soon.”  He pointed at the darkening sky with his eyes.

Helen and Erin nodded.

Alex handed over the bags to a maid standing by the door when they entered and headed for the receiving area.

Erika eyed the girl beside her as they walked towards the midnight-blue couch side by side.  She stood about half-a-foot taller than her and her brunette hair was layered and stopped a little after her shoulders.  She wore simple jeans that stopped after her knees, a plain, fitting, white shirt, and dark sneakers.  Her eyes that are the color of butterscotch glanced down at her every now and then.  She took a seat beside the woman Erika assumed was her mother and grabbed a porcelain cup.  She drank it empty with one gulp.

“Oh, Kris, dear, this is Helen Ramirez.  She’s been a very good friend of mine since college.”  Erin gestured towards Helen then back.  “Helen, I’d like you to meet my daughter, Kristen.”

Kristen smiled.

“So this is little Kristen.”  Helen smiled back.  “I’ve only seen you in photos from when you’re still a baby.  I see you’ve grown into a beautiful, young lady.”

“T-Thanks.”  Kristen wasn’t sure how to respond.

Helen slumped into the couch.  “This is my daughter, Erika.  She’s the same age as you, eighteen.”  She gestured a hand towards Erika.  “Erika, this is Kristen.”

“Hey.”  Erika forced a smile.  If there was one thing she didn’t want to get through, it’s introductions.  “You can call me Erika.”

Kristen nodded.  “Just call me Kris.”

Alex served another batch of coffee and took a seat in one of the chairs he dragged in from another room.  He joined Helen and Erin in their conversation about their past and their work from time to time.

Erika and Kristen remained quiet at both ends of the couch.

Soon, it was raining, just as Alex had predicted.

“You know.”  Alex turned to Kristen who was closer to where he sat.  Erika listened attentively.  “Here in the mountains, even though it’s summer, it usually rains after the sun sets.”

“Yeah, I figured.”  Kristen grinned.  “I heard mountains have weird climates.”

Alex nodded.  “Very true.”  He glanced at Helen and Erin who were still talking animatedly.  “C’mon, I wanna show you something.”  He stood up from his chair and turned to Erika.  “You too.  C’mon.”

Erika and Kristen looked at each other and shrugged.  They were about to stand up when Helen called her daughter’s attention.

“Erika, honey, I need to go.  I have to make it to my eight o’clock flight.”  She glanced at her watch.  “Will you be okay if I leave now?”

Kristen studied Erika’s small, Asian-looking face.  From her point of view, she was unusually short and her hair was amazingly black.  She wore signature jeans, a tight tank-top, and heels.  Everything about her screamed ‘rich chick’.  Even the car her mother drove her in seemed expensive.  And from the way Helen dressed and acted, she assumed she was some kind of executive.

Erika nodded, forcing a smile.  The last thing she wanted her mother to do was to leave her alone with people she never knew until now.  But she expected it, more or less.  “Of course.”

“Well then.”  Helen took a last sip of her coffee and grabbed her purse.  “Alex, Erin, I’ll be going.  It’s a pity I won’t be able to wait for Diane and her daughter.  I wanted to meet her too.  See if she looks anything like her mother.”  She laughed, as if it was supposed to be some kind of a joke.  “And Kristen, it was nice meeting you.”  She smiled.  “You and Erika have fun this summer.”

“Wait, let me get an umbrella first.”  Alex went out of the room and called for a maid.  He and Erin escorted Helen to her car.

After a few minutes, the sound of a car coming to life and then speeding away echoed through the receiving room.  At that moment, Erika never felt more alone.

 

Reviews

[Moonlight]

Love the chapter and can't wait for you to write more. Do keep me posted!
Thanks,
-Moonlight