Luckless

Sound of drums

The sound of drums greeted her ears. Clearly Akira has forgotten again to take earphones off her ears before dozing off to sleep, but this has been a usual routine for Akira since she started her higher secondary school. The sound of music did nothing to keep all the other voices at bay but it did create a pattern, a rhythm which if she focused on long enough would help her get some sleep, as little as it may be.
Akira tossed on her bed and pulled her covers over her ears as the locks of her hair were gladly dancing to the sound of the drums thumping in her ears and creating a tickling sensation. Having pulled her hand up till her ears she sensed she had no earphones on.. so where did the sound of drums came from?...
Great... Akira lied in bed, watching the rain pouring against the window of her room with as much frustration as her half slept mind would allow. First day of college, and rainy morning greets you, your day is doomed as hell, Akira thought to herself turning over to see the time in her almost dead Micromax Q380 6:30 it said. She was up early.
That's what rain does to Akira, it takes away all her peace. Funny isn't it? She thought to herself. For some rain was a blessing, like the farmers who relied on it for good crops and for her it was... not a curse.. but close enough.
She dragged herself off the bed and went to stand at the window of the room she shared with her parents. Her dad and mum were already up. She thought how her dad must have had to go to his office in this weather. It made her hate this weather more. How she wished she could just ask her dad to rest at home and not tire himself up in this rain. But she can't.. not yet , she thought to herself but soon...

The sound from the kitchen signaled her mom must be preparing her's and her uncle's breakfast. It was nearly his time to leave for office. Two men to earn and yet things were as bad as it could get. It was middle of the month and things were already starting to look sticky financially. Sometimes she let herself wonder if what her grandmother said made any sense. That they were cursed. Their family was doomed to toil and fight and sweat and cry as long as their name lived on this earth. She brushed that thought aside as soon as it entered her head. No negative thoughts.. she reminded herself of the promise she had made her grandfather on his death bed.
" You are as happy as you let yourself believe to be" he use to say and as a kid she use to believe everything he said. He sounded like a man who has lived and seen and had tons of stores filled in his pockets which he obliged Akira with every now and then and she would jump into his arms every time she felt she could extract one of his adventures stories out of him. How she wanted him to still be here... Even if sick and on bed... But just here to look after them.. to tell them to cheer things would be better.. to guide them in decisions which they were clearly not making correctly.. to tell her all those amazing things that lighted up her bad days. What she would give to have him in this house.
Akira made her way to the kitchen.
"You up? I thought you still had good one hour sleep left." Said mum when she saw her coming out of the room.
"It's raining" was the only reply Akira could think of.
"It's your first day" said mum cheerfully.
"Of that shitty college that I would never had steped foot in if things were different" said Akira with all the enthusiasm she could fake and picked up the broomstick that was kept slating to the wall besides the sink.
"Language young lady" said mum before turning to see her daughter right in the eyes.
"Leave that... I'll do the cleaning.. that's not your job. You go get dressed.. I have some amazing breakfast waiting for you" said she taking the broom out of her daughter's hand.
The smell of eggs greeted her still sleeping nostrils and brought them to life. She smiled looking at her mum's face. She envys her mum, what a weird thing to do, but yes she did. She envys her mum's ability to find happiness in something as simple as making breakfast for her family or the first day of college of , her not-so-amazing-daughter-as-she-thinks-she-is, which her daughter would never have had to attend in the first place if she would have been capable enough to badge a scholarship in the college she actually wanted to attend. Ya she envys her mum because she could find happiness in things she has when all Akira can do is sulk for the things she wants and works hard to have but can't have.. either due to faith or because she is actually not good enough.