Tongue Tied- By Paperz Mate
I finally made it…
Monika held her bag to her chest in excitement, she actually made it!
Here she thought that Border Patrol would've stopped her in her tracks from walking right into the busy streets of Hungary. Long ago, she remembered coming to this wonderful country when she was a young girl, along with her mother and her older brother Gilbert. She remembered stopping at the local bakery's in the area to get little sweet or savory biscuits called Pogacsa. Just the thought of those made her stomach grumble.
Picking up her belongings, she hauled her light jansport back pack over her shoulder and made a bee-line into the immigration line, which also went much smoother than she thought.
"Identification?" The busty woman asked, smiling down at her from her glass cubical. Monika handed her the card, and the lady took a moment to scandalize her, "Where are you from?"
"Austria, "she lied. The woman smiled at her, "I thought so, you have that sophisticated feature about you." Monika wanted to laugh, but she held her tongue. "Why thank you."
The woman handed her back her document and led her out the gates, "Have a nice day miss." Monika waved back, thankful that she gotten past the last authority before going on her large quest into finding her brother.
Once she made it out the train station, Monika was utterly lost. Usually she'd have her phone on with her, but she couldn't carry it on her person this time. She was starting over, a new chapter of her life, pretending to be an Austrian who's visiting her family over on holiday, traveling legally as a minor and planning to stay for a few months…or years.
Taking her time, she stopped walking and sat down on an empty bench by a park and pulled out a map of the country and her address book she kept Gilbert's current address. He was currently staying at Sopron, which was about two hours away by a subway train apparently.
"Oof!" a voice whined, the sound of pattering feet came near her on the cobble stone roads. Monika looked behind her to see a boy, maybe around her age, hissing under his breath as the giant black case that must have toppled over with the force of the strong winds and slammed right on his toe.
"Are you alright?" the teen looked up at her and grinned widely, even though it was evident that he was in pain, "Si. I'm okay." From what Monika could judge, He was probably originated from a Latin country, Italy maybe?
When the boy gotten up from the ground and dusted himself off, Monika had gotten a better look at him. This first thing she noticed was how bright his eyes were. They were a warm, light amber colour, making him look innocent and gentle. The next thing was the odd fashion of his hair, with that one curl that stuck up in the air on the side of his head. It kind of annoyed and amused Monika on the way it bounced around, all perky-like whenever he shifted his head. The next thing was his overall, fashionable looking attire, wearing a pair of black jeans, a crimson red button down shirt, and a gray fedora hat.
"Oh, why hello," He smiled a flirtatiously, showing off that dazzling smile that would've normally made girls swoon. Monika rolled her eyes, "Have you knocked your head as well?" the boy was a little taken back with her stingy attitude, but that hadn't stopped him from talking to her.
"What's your name bella?" he grinned, trying to win a good impression. He would hate it if he walked away knowing that he angered such a pretty girl. Monika eyed him suspiciously, what trick is he trying to pull by flirting with her? Monika secretly pulled out her can of pepper spray and held it at arm's length towards him. He didn't even notice the gesture as he was talking a mile a minute non-stop.
"So…Why do you have that?" He asked wearily, hoping that she had no intention in spraying him with that. The look on his face made Monika's heart sink, how could she think of doing that to him?, he obviously wanted to be her friend.
The German runaway slyly played her mistake off, giggling sheepishly, "Oh I'm sorry, I just…there was a beetle on your shoulder and…it flew away." Her excuse sounded more like question but he bought it anyways.
He shrugged it off, "No problem, hey you never told me your name. Mine is Feliciano, but you can call me Feli."
"Well it's a pleasure to meet you Feli, my name is-"
"FELICIANO!" another interrupted.
She looked very identical to Feli only that in place of a gentle smile was a great scowl. The taller sibling marched towards them by the bench and rudely cut in front of Monika with her back turned towards her, and purposefully whipped her hair over her shoulder and put her hands on her slender waist. Monika took a step back, having her personal space invaded, and observed the two converse in rapid string of Italian. Just who does she think she is?
"Ah, Umm…" Monika narrowed her eyes, then widened in realization that she hadn't told them her name up to now.
"Mien name is Monika" she offered. The older girl scoffed, "Ugh, and she's a German!" Feli smacked his sister lightly on her arm, but she reacted too dramatically for Monika's taste. "WHAT THE FUCK!" she bellowed irritably.
Feliciano shook his head, pinching the bridge of his nose, trying his best not to act out along with is sister. "Chiara, stop acting like that." He whined.
Chiara rolled her pretty green hazel eyes, "Acting like what? You want me to respect some one of the likes of her? Germans are so uncivilized! Just look at the way she's dressed, like a hobo! I wouldn't be in surprised if she ran away from home!"
….Now that hit home, literally.
Monika abruptly picked up her bag and map and headed north, back towards the bustling crowd near the train station she just left. She just didn't care anymore, she needed to more time to think and get away from people. Her bottom lip quivered in frustration and her blood grew hot. She needed to leave before things got ugly.
"Hey! Where you going? Yea, keep walking and stay away from mio fratellino!" Chiara barked. Monika stopped right in her tracks, she shook her head. No Monika, ignore her and keep walking… do not start over with the same mess…focus on finding your brother… but instinct gotten the better of her, so instead of walking away, she faced the red bitch. Hell, if she was going to talk trash, she might as well tell it to her face!
Once again, another voice interrupted them, this time it was a shrill from a Hispanic teen, about a head taller than them all.
"CHIARA!" He willingly pounced on the girl. Chiara doubled over from the heavy weighted impact and was forcefully knocked down, being smothered in kisses from head to toe.
"An…Antonio!" she fumbled, struggling to lift him off of her, but no such luck. Feli and Monika stood back, watching the two basically have a one-sided make out session in the middle of the street.
Feli turned his full attention towards her, "I'm sorry about all that, she never gets along with anybody and what she said earlier…just ignore it. Mi sorella says so many things to hurt people's feelings when she doesn't mean it." Monika sat down on the plane of grass near the river bank that surrounded the small town. "It's fine." Her voice came out weary and exhausted. She was hungry, tired, sore, plus all the above and she just couldn't be bothered with people like Chiara at the moment.
Feli let go of his cheery façade, feeling guilty for what happened earlier. "Umm…Monika, can I ask you something?"
The German remained silent. "Uhm…are you related to anyone that lives here? In Hungary?" Monika nodded, "Well, I was wondering, as a piece offering on the behalf of my sister, that you may hitch a ride with us through town to your destination. Judging by the looks of it, you like you came a far way from home and I don't really suggest taking the underground subways anywhere. Its rat infested."
Monika sighed for the umpteenth time that day. Maybe this strange, yet cute, Italian boy can help her find her way to her brother…or better yet, maybe they would know him by a slight chance!
"Do you know an albino guy named Gilbert?"
"Gilbert, what about Gil?" Antonio piped up, his eyes dazed from puckering up with Chiara for a whole five minutes.
"Do you know Gilbert?" Monika turned hopefully to the tanned Hispanic.
"Is he Albino and always referring to himself as awesome?" Monika nodded, more so at the albino description.
"Why, do you have an appointment with him?" Monika wasn't sure what Antonio was asking, "Err…the only appointment I have with him is to see him, personally. I'm his sister."
"But I thought Gilbert had no siblings. He grew up in this town after he ran away seven years ago…" Monika nodded, "Ja, seven years ago, when our mother died. He had to leave the house because of some circumstances… " Monika stopped talking, not sure if she should continue with all her family drama. She just wanted to find him once again.
Antonio and the other two didn't know what to make of it. "Well I suppose I can take you to him…He has a wife now, I think I should tell you." Now that was something new. Gilbert…wife? NO way!
With little struggle and lots of whining, the gang managed to weave through the busy crowd of people and into Antonio's car. "Hey why does she get to ride in the front!" Chiara whined. Feli sighed, he could feel a slight head ache coming on once again. Antonio chuckled, trying to lighten the damp atmosphere, "It's only polite." Monika relaxed on the shot-gun. She could've sworn that Chiara said something about Polite and her ass, but decided not to question it. His car was simple, but big enough for a good amount of people not to get squished.
"I can't thank you enough…" Monika sighed (again). Feli and Antonio were appalled, "Oh no! It's quite fine. We always like helping people in need, right Feli?"
"That's a fact Jack!"
Chiara scoffed, "Just drive you Tomato bastard and stop talking to the Potato bastard." Monika knitted her brows together, well that's just racist.
After a few stop lights and traffic filled streets later, Antonio swerved into corner and stopped at a beautiful apartment complex near the nation's famous shopping plaza. Antonio backed into a narrow drive way to park his car and pile everyone out.
"I thought we were only dropping her off?"
Antonio smirked, "I have other things to do here. It seems like Gilbert has some explaining to do." He glanced back at Monika, watching her take in the crème colored concrete apartments.
"Well you better make it quick; we all have to go to the music festival later. Feli and I are doing a show. " Antonio widened his eyes in realization, "Oh Mio Dio!, I almost forgot….If we are still being kept in there, You can just take the keys and you and Feli can drive to the place. I'll take the bus." Chiara growled, "Whatever…bastard…"
"Hello, anyone home?" He pushed the door open. Antonio and the rest filed in the small apartment to be greeted by the warm aroma of grilled meat, baked potatoes and steamed vegetables. "Oh, Antonio!", A woman looking to be in her early twenties, scurried to the front to greet them. She smiled warmly at her familiar guests, "Ah! Feliciano! Look how much you've grown, c'mere!" she wrapped her lean arms around his slim torso, then went to greet everyone the same way. Antonio exchanged a kiss on each side of her cheek, and hugged back, "Looks like I came just in time" he grinned.
Monika lingered behind the small crowd, taking in the warm atmosphere all around her. The young woman looked over Antonio's shoulder, noticing the aquamarine eyes staring back at her, "Oh, and who's this one hiding over there?"
Everyone turned their attention towards Monika. Feli smiled, "This is our new friend Monika, she's Gilbert's sister." The Hungarian woman's emerald green eyes widened, "Oh my gosh, so you are that little girl in the picture! My name is Elizabetha by the way!" Monika was pulled into the center of the living room, being led by Elizabetha to look at the small photo collection on the tall book shelf, near the television. She picked up an old picture of Monika when she was a baby, being held in pre-teens arms. Monika vaguely remembered this photo, before her father burnt the last remains of the photos of when their mother was alive. It was a beautiful picture that was captured at their old house. Feli cooed at Monika's baby picture, commenting on how plump her cheeks used to be, how bright her eyes were, and how wide her toothless smile was.
"Awe~, you look so adorable. I wish that when Gil and I ever have a child, I want it look just like that!" Monika blushed at the sediment. She then turned to Antonio, "Do you believe me now?"
Antonio was totally caught off guard. "It's amazing; he hadn't told me any of this. I'm one of his closest friends since he came here…I just…Wow, you were a beautiful baby. " he drooled. Monika and Chiara rolled their eyes.
"Well anyways, sweet heart, Gilbert has told me a lot about his home back in Berlin. It seems like something has gone after your mother left, correct?" Monika had a feeling that Elizabetha knew exactly why she was here, but for the sake of company, she's chosen to keep her mouth shut about certain things, which was a good thing in Monika's case. But the open ended questions just kept prodding at everyone else's curiosity, which was the thing she was solely trying to avoid.
"When is my brother coming back?" Monika didn't want to sound rude, but she wasn't in the mood to talk to strangers about her personal life. She wanted her family. Elizabetha gently patted her shoulder sympathetically, "Wednesday is an early day, so he'll be back in an hour. In the mean time, why don't you sit down, or better yet freshen up, have you eaten anything at all?"
"No, I've been on my feet all day and all yesterday I was on hopping trains so I barely had anything to eat yet" She forced a smile. Feli took pity on her, "Well I know just what you need, a nice big bowl of Pasta!"
Chiara scowled, "Idiota, she'll probably want something else other than that!"
Monika smirked, "Actually that sounds lovely."
Feli smiled, "Really?" Monika nodded in full honesty, when was the last time she had something other than soup?
Elizabetha showed her around the small apartment, allowing her access to their bathroom in the bedroom that she shares with Gilbert. Pulling over a clean grey t-shirt and a pair of basketball shorts that Elizabetha borrowed her, Monika had never felt any more comfortable in her cloths. She smelled the soft lavender scent that she bathed with, and the sweet straw berry shampoo wafting around her head. After bathing and getting dressed, the Hungarian woman showed her to where she would be sleeping, which was a small guest room right across the hall, that needed a bit of a cleaning, if you asked her. "I know that the room space is pretty small, but don't you worry, you'll have the best time of your life living with us!" Monika hoped so; anything is better than going back home at the moment. Speaking of home, she wondered how Lilli and Vash were doing. Her mind has been so set on finding her brother that she didn't even think about those two…
"Oh, well hello everybody!" a voice so familiar boomed in the house. Monika's heart jumped as she just dropped everything and ran towards the source of the noise, just like she had done before he left, for good.
Elizabetha pulled her back before she could create a big entrance, "Wait, let me." Monika paused for a moment, and patiently waited for what Elizabetha was about to do. The older women could already see the tears that glazed her eyes, Poor thing.
"Welcome back sweet heart." She kissed her husband on his lips. Gilbert sat his suit case down on the floor and kissed his woman back, "The awesome me has returned from duty" he joked. From what Monika could hear, his voice was a lot deeper from what she could remember. Feli stood in the background and observed Monika hiding behind the wall, "Monika?" he whispered. He noticed the tears that fell as little droplets on the carpet flooring. Taking her gently by the hand, Feli brought her out into view.
"So what has everyone been up to? It's not every day you all are here basking in my awesomeness" he chuckled.
"I don't know bastardo, look behind you."