3Ivecita: Histrionic's Daughter
For Mommy
It was the end for little Ivecita. Her life was over at the age of seven. She walked down the hall of the Staten Island apartment, which she lived in with her parents and four brothers and sisters. Her elder sister Jeanette sat absentmindedly combing her hair while little Lillian repeatedly poked, her slightly senior, brother Raymond in the face.
Ivecita, as her father called her, glanced at her siblings taking in the scene. It was the last time she would ever see them again. They didn't notice her melancholy glance of longing towards them. It was goodbye and they were missing it.
Why the seven year old had to go was only truly understood by the child herself. An inner secret she knew they would discover too late. She opened the door to the bathroom and slowly stepped in. Her shoeless feet stepped onto the cold linoleum tiles as she shut the door. She knew she would have to be quick.
She stared at her reflection in the mirror. Although she could only see the top of her brunette head in the mirror she knew she had on a beautifully martyr-like look upon her tanned face. She took a deep breath and looked for what was going to bring upon her end.
Sitting on the edge of the soap dish in the shower was a small ball of soap she had left the night before. She climbed into the bathroom and clutched the soap to her breast. Breathing fast, she jumped out and stepped onto the toilet lid and scooted to see her reflection better on the sink.
In her hands was certain death. She knew it. Just a tiny sliver would do the trick. She picked hesitantly at the soap and sculpted out a bit of the white dove bar. She held up the tiny piece to her mouth and took yet another deep breath. She didn't move. Any minute now it would happen.
Her body sat frozen on the sink staring at herself. Her large brown eyes wander to the closed door directly behind her. Any minute now. She knew someone would rush in. She saw it all in her mind. The look of horror on her siblings' faces when they ran in to see her holding the sliver of doom in her tiny hands. They'd scream in unison and she was sure John, the eldest, would leap across the bathroom grabbing the poison from her just in the nick of time before she swallowed.
Any time now.
Her eyes were fixed on the doorknob, waiting. Her hand began to sweat and the sliver became slippery and once or twice fell out her hand. But, she knew they would come. Then suddenly the sound of a knight in shining armor was heard gallivanting towards the bathroom. It grew closer and closer. A shriek of her savior bellowed to her from outside. Then drifted quickly by as Raymond chased John down the hall. Ivecita heard the younger boy tackle the elder and they began to wrestle and break everything in sight.
She sat for a few more seconds when she deduced that maybe she should just leave. It was obvious her family had no respect for the dramatic. She sighed and concluded that maybe tomorrow she would try to kill herself. Then maybe her family would realize that they were most definitely dealing with a child who didn't joke around. She might even try a bigger piece of soap next time. Oh, if they only knew.
With this happy thought in her mind she skipped out of the bathroom and went to go play with Lillian.