4 Chapter 4: Helens Turn (1/2)
Yesterday was the same old, same old, except that I was almost avoided by Carmine the entire day, while Helen bugged me like crazy!
Today, however, Helen was planned something different for me. Her face that stenched of 'plot' with rubbing lips and grittingteeth hinted a large drama. Trouble, as I can figure.
She had a thing against me and I have no clue why. All I can say is that ever since I woke up this morning, followed by the heavy smelly perfume from my diaper, she had been peering her huge eyes at me. I could feel that daggers were being aimed towards me as if I was a training equipment.
Everytime she would stare for a while, then click her tongue with disappointment and then put on a thinking face. One time she gleamed with a delightful face; the next thing I know, I'm wearing a pajama like outfit. A small tank top and something like the pajama pants...? I've yet to fully grasp fashion anyway. Might as well leave it at that.
Mom, on the other hand scratched her hair and then gleamed at me with a face I didn't like. Before I could react, I was dragged away as she mumbled something and did my soft little boyish hair. It was something similar to the pixie cut, girls are used to in my old world. However, mom had a way with her hands and did my hair naturally, not cutting a single hair, or damaging them.
The feeling came even better than the saloons. It was pure relish! I felt as if I'd been drowning in a sweet scented water.
The drool from my mouth toppled down, but in an instant, I could feel envy being directed toward me. Now Helen was conjuring something up to her sleeves.
Just as mom was putting me into my cradle, ”Hey, mom,” Helen started, ”Why not use the timing and teach this thing to crawl?” then she snorted.
Mom, who had not been fazed by her daughter's words, simply smiled. ”Good idea.”
”No,” my father came out into the living room looking perfectly trimmed and ready, ”how about after daddy~ comes home~?”
”But what if she fell over?” Helen strongly accused, ”Or tried escaping the cradle...!”
I see. So she was trying to ignite the fire. Then adding fuel to that small flame to enhance it, huh. What a brat!
”You've sure gotten quite the temper,” mom said with worry, ”is this the side effect of awakening, I wonder?”
”Its not like that!” Helen pouted with a frown.
”You know, Helen,” dad softly spoke with a stern voice, ”your baby sister cannot speak yet. She barely utters anything except crying... so crawling might cause further problems.”
Dad was serious. Apparently, in this world, a baby is always ready for crawling when he/she can speak a word like papa or mama. Babies speak words at 3 months age and the can crawl by 8 months. I had learned this recently, but due to the expired time, I didn't know what to do.
”How about waiting for papa~!” dad suggested with a charmed smug all over his face, ”but if you wanna~ then, how about-”
”Not happening.” mom shook her head and then produced a dark simper plastered on her face, ”Dear, you're getting late...” She took his briefcase as if it was a shield and tugged and pushed him out the door elegantly, still smiling.
”So scary!” I thought, ”Never make mom angry. Note to self.”
As I tossed and turned myself in the cradle, I could feel two propelling auras, piercing at me.
The first one was Helen, who had a lot of pent up frustration.
The second was a rather gentle and shy one with a more confused daze. Peeping at me, was, Carmine.
The telephone rang and mom hurriedly went to pick it up. She seemed quite thrilled by the phone call, arousing within me, a speck of suspicion. Though I heaved an uncertain sigh and eventually let out the bad thoughts.
”I shouldn't be thinking like this... it's wrong.” I assured myself.
She got very excited over the phone and then her expression went purple. She hung up the phone and left with a few words, ”I'll be back soon. Eat lunch, okay?” and the door closed with the lock.
Before anything, let me recollect the certain, yet exhausting functions of telephone here. One, they are used with magic and consume quite a bit of mana. So rare homes have telephone access.
Two, only powerful and capable mages are able to connect their voices together or call so that they can talk in real time. Otherwise, the telephone is more of a recording voice that passes through, like voice messages.
Three, the structure of the telephone is slightly different. Picture a normal landline telephone, however, not any of the call buttons. There is a huge translucent glass over that area and a single button at the top left corner of the phone. Press it and hold it for listening to the voices left behind using to connected cord.
Double tap the same button to record your voice. Then the signal will be transmitted once you place your hand on the translucent glass and the recorded voice with the silver glow will disappear.
Just by adding your will, the nearest phone to your certain someone, the connection will reach. Of course that also means that there are several flaws, but there aren't many magic researchers in this world or scientists that can improve them.
Perhaps nobody has thought about this peculiar phone functions thoroughly yet...? May be that's why.
Of course, listening is much easier since it doesn't require much magic. You still need to be at least at the Lead Class, 1st stage though. However, the message won't last long and deplete over time.
For example, a fresh message that is recorded and sent, if immediately arrived, will be bright golden color. At that point, the caller is still at the other end, so if the receiver calls back, the connection is made, but a huge amount of mana is gone and it takes long time to consume that power back.
Colors that have fresh messages goes like this: golden, yellow, orange, red. Red means that there isn't much left. Afterwards, the glow will disappear and nothing will be left behind.
”Okay then,” an all too familiar voice interrupted my train of thoughts, ”let's teach ya how to have some fun!”
Helen picked me up. I was in the demon's clutches... what to do? No matter how much I panicked and sweated, it was to no avail.
I was led to the Baby Room and put on top of the crimson red carpet. It was soft and silky.
”Now hop to it,” Helen suggested, putting me down, ”Crawl baby, or I will skin ya alive!”
She's threatening me! How vexing! This little pinhead.
Carmine who had been silently lurking in the shadows, came into the room and picked me up.
Though brave, I was too much for her, so we both fell. She toppled down and thankfully I secured my landing when I fell on top of her.
The once jealous little brat, was now sweetly putting on airs, to aid me. How cute.
”Hmph, you're too small to even carry her.” Helen protested with a grin.
”Am not!” Carmine shot back in a fierce tone, ”Babwy Gow wikes Caaarmi better!”
Even if it were an argument, I could clearly verify that Carmine wasn't good in it. She had the temper, but she often let it lose and even more so, caused a mess. For a child, this was her best shot, I bet.
At that moment, a nostalgia hit me as I mumbled to myself, ”Fight on~!!!”
Since children grow up too fast, it's best they learn from the fights now and how relationships work... unlike me, who had to learn everything the hard way. After all, reincarnating wasn't planned by me. What if I died like everyone else and never got a chance? This was a precious point in my new life and enjoying the moment now as it is would be the best!
”Did she say so?” Helen asked.
”She-she... she called my name! Not Yows!” Carmine bravely confronted her sister.
”Oh, really,” Helen deviously smirked, ”then shall we try again? Baby Glow has to answer.”
”Yea.” Carmine agreed.
They came towards me like giants about to squash a measly fly. I shook in desperation regarding what these two had in mind.
As I was picked up, I saw Helen bend down, sitting. On the other end of the room, Carmine did the same. ”Now, go and call her,” Helen ordered with a deep bitter-sweet voice, ”come back and say mine. If you cannot, then I will tie you upside down!”
At the sheer burst of her ridiculous threat, I crawled like crazy to where Carmine sat, teary eyed as I approached her.