Chapter 2. Forced to Sleep on the Road like a Hobo

Tired of crying until her eyes were swollen, Eve decided she had to be strong and get out of there before Uncle and Aunty did anything terrible to them.

She must not cry or be weak.

Everything happened so suddenly that their lives changed, and Eve had to be stronger and less whiny, at least in front of her sister. She was the only family she had at the moment.

Eve continued to convince her heart, "I guess I'll have to find a job! I didn't even have a chance to pick up my cards earlier! We have to survive! Yeah, right!" Eve kept saying to herself until she heard her little sister complaining.

"Eve! How long are we going to keep going? Look! My legs are all sore and starting to blister!" she complained and showed her legs starting to turn red and the back of her legs that were slightly injured.

"Does it hurt that much? You wait a minute!" Eve ran to a convenience store that came into view after we walked about 800 meters from our house.

"Sit down, change your shoes with these slippers to make it more comfortable," Eve said as she handed me a pair of slippers after returning from the convenience store.

Adeline slowly took off her shoes, and Eve tried to apply a plaster to cover the wound.

"Let's sit on the pavement for a while to rest. Is that okay?"

Adeline just nodded in agreement. "Eat up! This bread is good enough to fill your stomach. And here's a drink. You don't want to get sick from an empty stomach." Eve offered me a slice of the meat sandwich I bought at the supermarket.

Eve was grateful that the security guard at her house was still kind enough to give us tens of dollars so we could eat that day.

Adeline ate quietly. But she seems hungry because they haven't eaten anything since morning, and now it's late afternoon.

Eve smiled and gave her the uneaten portion, "Eat up, I'm still full."

"But, Eve..."

Eve smiled again, "No problem, Al! I'm really still full. I ate a lot last night, so...I'm still full. And I should cut back a bit, right? If I don't want to get fat!"

Eve laughed a little so that Adelin wouldn't always look sad. Eve has forced her to accept her share of Adeline's hand.

Finally, she took Eve's bread hesitantly and ate while occasionally stealing glances at Eve.

Suddenly, the sky darkened; Eve looked up, standing up. "We should get out of here, and it looks like it's going to rain!" Eve said worriedly. Worried about Adeline, she couldn't get sick from the rain.

We walked a little faster, with Eve pushing and lifting two suitcases with difficulty.

"Hurry...Adeline!" said Eve as she started to feel the raindrops hitting her head.

The rain began to fall heavily; Eve and Adeline were soaked. Eve took off the black-coloured cloak she had worn for the funeral earlier and gave it to her sister to cover her head. Finally, they took shelter in a big tree.

"Come closer, put this on!" Eve opened the jacket worn that day under her robe and put it on for her sister; although it looked a little oversized, it was better; at least she wasn't cold.

Eve held both her palms, and they gave each other warmth. Eve has rubbed her hands with her sister's hands.

"Is it still cold?" Eve said, looking at her; Adeline shook her head.

"Not really, Eve! What about you? You must be cold, put your jacket back on. " Adeline was about to take off her jacket that Eve had just given her.

"No need, Al. I'm fine! I hope the rain stops soon, okay?" Eve said as she looked at the dark sky sending down the rain.

Eve remembered something, "Why don't I ask Robert for help? He would have helped me!" she thought.

Eve took her mobile phone and called her boyfriend, Robert. But time and time again, there was no connection. Eve has also contacted some of her closest friends because Eve didn't have many friends. But it still didn't work.

"Why, Sis?" Asked Adeline, who saw Eve confused.

"I tried to contact my friend and Robert, but there seems to be a problem with the network, maybe because of the weather! Let's wait a little longer, shall we? Hopefully, the rain will stop!" Eve lied to her; it seemed like they blocked Eve's phone, and Eve didn't know why. Tomorrow, she will find out after finding a job. Her thoughts came back.

Adeline just looked down while staring at her sandals.

"Why is our life like this, Sis? Why did Mum and Dad leave us? And why are Uncle and Aunty so mean to us? What did we do wrong, Eve?" said Adeline again, crying and sobbing while looking down.

Eve went over to her, and they hugged each other while shedding more tears and sobbing among the raindrops that drenched the earth.

"I didn't know, Al. I don't know! But believe me, you'll always have me, we'll be together forever! No matter what happens! We'll get through it together! Now you're my only family." They sobbed again.

They continued to cry until, even then, Adeline's body felt like it was about to fall!

"Adeline!"

The rain was still falling into the night when Adeline began to faint.

In the darkness of the night, Eve saw that there was a tunnel-like passage at the end of the street. Eve tried to carry her sister on her tiny back and began to lift her unconscious sister, "I might be able to ask for help in the tunnel. There are usually many vehicles passing by, and someone might be kind enough to help us." Eve thought.

"Hang in there Al, we're getting to that tunnel in a bit!"

But when Eve was almost there, a car drove past at speed, and as a result, the slightly stagnant water splashed on her body and face.

"Hey! Be careful driving!" Eve shouted in annoyance.

Eve carried Adeline back in their wet and dirty clothes. Eve laid her down and returned with their suitcases at the end of the road she had just taken. Eve took their clothes as a mat and blanket, finding nothing but clothes in their suitcase.

Next to her sister, Eve bent her legs while looking down with both hands looked down, and cried.

"What did we do wrong, O Lord? Why do you have to go through this? I miss my home, I miss my cozy bed..."

Eve continued to cry about their lives until she was tired.

They slept on the cold, hard streets like hobos!