Chapter 5: Ups, Downs, and Sideways:
Ryka opened the door and we put the heavy bags in the kitchen. Ryka then insisted that I cook. I thought she would worry that I would do something to her food. Guess not. She said she had things to do...
I cut the carrots, peppers, and sushi. Then, fixed the rice, sauces, and sweet buns. I put the vegetables in water and turned on the burner. Turned on the small stove for the sweet buns and biscuits. And fixed something to drink. Everything looks like it is going okay, until Hurricane Ryka breezed threw the kitchen.
"Catrina look at this mess! You're doing it all wrong. You put the vegetables together! Not separate! You... your covered in flour and you have dishes everywhere... look at this mess!" She is so over dramatic!
A few pots, pans, plates, and spoons, is nothing to have a fit about. It's not like she is going to help me clean up all this anyway. I just have to mop the floor, change my clothes, get the veggie peelings off of the ceiling, wash dishes, and I am done!
Everything looked fine to me... what's the big deal!
Ryka shook her head and went out of the kitchen...
After I was done cooking what I thought looked well. I went to my room. Mr. and Mrs. Sueki were out...
My door was cracked, I'm sure I locked it?
I opened the door and looked in. Ryka was looking through my bag. She looked at me and kept looking. I walked over and grabbed my bag away from her. She smiled and walked out...
we sat down and ate dinner. The Sueki's said that it was pretty good. Where did that come from?
The vegetables were too soft, the rice was too hard, and the biscuits didn't look like biscuits! And the sauce and sweet buns... let's not even go there!
They choked it down anyway. Everyone except Ryka.
"Who taught you to cook royal? I think I could of done better at age two, and I didn't know my numbers yet."
I have had enough of her insults! I stood up and left the table, after throwing my whole plate in the trash can, along with hers. She fell out of her chair with hysterical laughter. I went to my room.
Not eating.
"Ryka Sueki! Go apologize to your sister, right now. It's not her faugh the may not know how to cook. I think it is fine." Mrs. Sueki said. Ryka mumbled.
Ryka got up from the table and came to my door, pounding on it. Always.
"Catrina I'm sorry you can't cook... There are classes for that kind of thing. I think its dog food! Anyway, I'll cook from now on in. I think it will be safer that way! I don't want the paper to read. Ryka Sueki choked on piece of over-cooked rice... this still doesn't mean I like you!" She laughed all the way down the hallway... I need something to calm me down.
I looked in my bag... where is it! I tore the room apart... I know where it is!
I opened my door and went across the hall. Into Ryka's room. I moved everything that wasn't tied down, even some things that were. I looked in every piece of clothing, every drawer. Everything.
"Catrina look what you did to my room! Mom! Dad! Catrina's gone crazy!!" Ryka shouted. Mr. and Mrs. Sueki came rushing in.
"Catrina was is it, what's wrong?" Mrs. Sueki said.
I continued my search; I know she has it, somewhere. Ryka was leaning against the wall.
"She looking for that rich and fancy thing she stole at market today!" I froze. Ryka reached in her back pocket and pulled out the pendant.
"Catrina... where did you get that... did you steal it?" Mr. Sueki said. Looking at it in Ryka's hands, then at me. I stood to my feet. I didn't look at them, just the pendant.
"I think she did. I found it in that dirty old bag of hers. She's a theft!" Ryka accused me. She held it in her hands. Rolling it back and forth. I felt something weld up inside me. Something deep down, something I couldn't not think about.
"Give it back..." The sound of my own voice frightened me. It was so long since I have heard myself speak of anything. Everyone froze, wide eyed.
"G...Give it back... to me." I fell to the floor. Just speaking seemed to ware me out. Talking does get you in trouble, and it does hurt... YOU.
Ryka recovered and started shaking the pendant. The small bit of crystallized snow began to move with the motion...
"Give...it...back to me...now." I said, feeling pain in my chest. In my heart. Ryka tossed it into the air, and I caught it, just before it hit the ground...
I clutched it tight to my chest as I ran out of the house...
Ryka opened the door and we put the heavy bags in the kitchen. Ryka then insisted that I cook. I thought she would worry that I would do something to her food. Guess not. She said she had things to do...
I cut the carrots, peppers, and sushi. Then, fixed the rice, sauces, and sweet buns. I put the vegetables in water and turned on the burner. Turned on the small stove for the sweet buns and biscuits. And fixed something to drink. Everything looks like it is going okay, until Hurricane Ryka breezed threw the kitchen.
"Catrina look at this mess! You're doing it all wrong. You put the vegetables together! Not separate! You... your covered in flour and you have dishes everywhere... look at this mess!" She is so over dramatic!
A few pots, pans, plates, and spoons, is nothing to have a fit about. It's not like she is going to help me clean up all this anyway. I just have to mop the floor, change my clothes, get the veggie peelings off of the ceiling, wash dishes, and I am done!
Everything looked fine to me... what's the big deal!
Ryka shook her head and went out of the kitchen...
After I was done cooking what I thought looked well. I went to my room. Mr. and Mrs. Sueki were out...
My door was cracked, I'm sure I locked it?
I opened the door and looked in. Ryka was looking through my bag. She looked at me and kept looking. I walked over and grabbed my bag away from her. She smiled and walked out...
we sat down and ate dinner. The Sueki's said that it was pretty good. Where did that come from?
The vegetables were too soft, the rice was too hard, and the biscuits didn't look like biscuits! And the sauce and sweet buns... let's not even go there!
They choked it down anyway. Everyone except Ryka.
"Who taught you to cook royal? I think I could of done better at age two, and I didn't know my numbers yet."
I have had enough of her insults! I stood up and left the table, after throwing my whole plate in the trash can, along with hers. She fell out of her chair with hysterical laughter. I went to my room.
Not eating.
"Ryka Sueki! Go apologize to your sister, right now. It's not her faugh the may not know how to cook. I think it is fine." Mrs. Sueki said. Ryka mumbled.
Ryka got up from the table and came to my door, pounding on it. Always.
"Catrina I'm sorry you can't cook... There are classes for that kind of thing. I think its dog food! Anyway, I'll cook from now on in. I think it will be safer that way! I don't want the paper to read. Ryka Sueki choked on piece of over-cooked rice... this still doesn't mean I like you!" She laughed all the way down the hallway... I need something to calm me down.
I looked in my bag... where is it! I tore the room apart... I know where it is!
I opened my door and went across the hall. Into Ryka's room. I moved everything that wasn't tied down, even some things that were. I looked in every piece of clothing, every drawer. Everything.
"Catrina look what you did to my room! Mom! Dad! Catrina's gone crazy!!" Ryka shouted. Mr. and Mrs. Sueki came rushing in.
"Catrina was is it, what's wrong?" Mrs. Sueki said.
I continued my search; I know she has it, somewhere. Ryka was leaning against the wall.
"She looking for that rich and fancy thing she stole at market today!" I froze. Ryka reached in her back pocket and pulled out the pendant.
"Catrina... where did you get that... did you steal it?" Mr. Sueki said. Looking at it in Ryka's hands, then at me. I stood to my feet. I didn't look at them, just the pendant.
"I think she did. I found it in that dirty old bag of hers. She's a theft!" Ryka accused me. She held it in her hands. Rolling it back and forth. I felt something weld up inside me. Something deep down, something I couldn't not think about.
"Give it back..." The sound of my own voice frightened me. It was so long since I have heard myself speak of anything. Everyone froze, wide eyed.
"G...Give it back... to me." I fell to the floor. Just speaking seemed to ware me out. Talking does get you in trouble, and it does hurt... YOU.
Ryka recovered and started shaking the pendant. The small bit of crystallized snow began to move with the motion...
"Give...it...back to me...now." I said, feeling pain in my chest. In my heart. Ryka tossed it into the air, and I caught it, just before it hit the ground...
I clutched it tight to my chest as I ran out of the house...