Chapter 29 {Touching}

Alisha remained silent after he departed, his warning still echoing in her mind. She knew better than to provoke him. The memory of his touch and the pain it brought was too fresh, and she couldn't bear the thought of enduring it again. So, she resolved to keep her mouth shut.

"He talks about teaching me manners, yet he has none," she thought. "He's disrespectful and dirty. How can he expect to instruct me on proper behaviour?"

Alisha's mother, observing her frightened and tear-stained face, sensed that something had gone awry behind closed doors. She felt helpless, unsure of how to assist Alisha, but she knew she had to act before her son could inflict further harm.

Approaching Alisha, she said, "Don't cry, Alisha. Everything will be alright."

Alisha wanted to respond, to tell her mother how her son had treated her, but she dared not. His warning still hung over her, and she feared making things worse.

Alisha's mother, expecting a strong reaction from her daughter, became concerned when Alisha remained silent. She tried to comfort her by offering pasta, hoping to lift her spirits.

Alisha's appetite was piqued by the sight of the pasta, but she remembered her tormentor's words: "Don't open your mouth." How could she eat without doing so?

Her mother noticed her hesitation and asked, "What's wrong, Alisha? You don't look well."

Alisha wanted to express her desire to eat the pasta, but she couldn't speak without opening her mouth, as she had been warned not to. She simply shook her head to indicate that everything was fine.

Confused by her daughter's silence, Alisha's mother asked again, "What's the matter, Alisha? Why aren't you speaking?"

Alisha, feeling trapped, shook her head once more, trying to convey that there was no problem.

Her mother, realising that her son was behind Alisha's silence, inquired, "Did Alice do something to you?"

Alisha, without thinking, blurted out, "Yes, Auntie! He said he'd do something bad if I spoke."

Regretting her words immediately, Alisha cowered in fear. "Auntie, I've spoken now. He's going to do something bad."

Her mother chuckled at Alisha's unintended humour. She found her daughter's innocence endearing and decided to lighten the mood.

Alisha, perplexed by her mother's laughter, asked, "I've already spoken, so why do I need to stay silent? Can I at least have the pasta before I face punishment? And by the way, what's your name, Auntie?"

"My name is Daisy," her mother replied.

"Can I call you Daisy, Auntie?" Alisha inquired.

Daisy smiled and agreed, "Of course, you can."

As Alisha began to eat the pasta, Daisy explained, "When Alice told you not to open your mouth, he meant not to reveal what he did to you while I was away."

Alisha, puzzled, responded, "But why would I spill the tea when I didn't even have any? I don't even like tea."

“Ha! You continue eating”,

Daisy found Alisha's innocence charming. She realised that her son was drawn to Alisha's naivety, and she worried about the dangers he posed to her.

As Alisha continued to eat, Daisy pondered the perilous situation her son had created, determined to protect Alisha from any further harm.

"Aunty, I know lying is a bad habit, but can you help me with something."

Daisy nodded and asked, "Sure, tell me what you need my help with?"

"How about you don't tell Alice that I said anything, so I can be safe and enjoy the delicious pasta you made for me,” Alisha replied.

Daisy smiled and reassured her, "You can speak freely, Alisha. There's nothing you need to worry about."

Alisha smiled back and said, "I know, Aunty. You're right. I don't need to worry about anything, but he's not a good person and he hurt me, so please don't tell him."

Daisy smiled and said, "Don't worry, he won't find out about our conversation while we enjoy this wonderful pasta."

Alisha's face lit up with a beautiful smile, feeling relieved that things might be okay now instead of being a mess.

She missed her mother Mary, but Daisy somehow made her feel comfortable enough to not be in distress.

In a cheerful voice, Alisha said, "That's good, Daisy Aunty. I want to talk about how your son is not a good person, but you are."

Daisy started feeding Alisha and said, "I know, but he's not as bad as you think. He just has some anger issues."

Alisha nodded as she enjoyed being fed by Daisy and said, "You know, Daisy Aunty, Mother Mary always feeds me like this."

Daisy smiled, realising that she had never had a daughter and her son was not the type to be fed by her like this.

Daisy sighed, remembering how Alice had always been independent, even as a child. She often wondered how she could get him to behave like a normal person. She couldn't imagine how he would handle his anger issues.

“Aunty, aren't you going to eat?," Alisha asked Daisy.

Daisy snapped out of her thoughts and replied, "No, I'm full. It's for you, so you better finish it. It's delicious."

"I was full too, but you fed me. This pasta is too good. You shouldn't neglect good food, Aunty,”

Daisy smiled and took a bite of pasta herself, saying, "See, I didn't waste it. So don't worry and eat."

Alisha nodded and began to enjoy the pasta and Daisy's company.

"Delicious",