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The smell of his breath came off in waves of grief and alcohol mixed into what could be described as inner turmoil. Although Alice barely gave a thought to the bottle of whiskey in his hand, as she was zaidi preoccupied with not throwing up from the smell of her father she should have gotten used to in the few weeks that passed. Outside’s mocking sun shined through the window, a reminder that time was passing that didn’t seem to get through the house grieving of its missing occupant.
Grimly, Alice tugged at the torn sleeve of her father’s overly worn shirt, causing him to stir from his unconscious sleep, the whiskey falling out of his grip and spilling over Alice’s school clothes.
“Ugh.” Alice mumbled, catching the bottle over her pants before it could spill over more, setting it at the floor on the edge of the old ragged sofa.
“Love bug?” she heard her father’s nickname for her, hoarse and barely audible, unlike the love-y its-gonna-be-alright fatherly tone he usually used with her, reassuring and annoying at the same time.
“Hi dad,” Alice told him, attempting a smile for his benefit, but what she was sure came out like zaidi of a grimace then anything.
“Why aren’t ya in school?” he asked, his speech coming out slurred, his face inaonyesha no attempt at disapproval.
Alice shrugged. She hadn’t been to school for two weeks.
“Yur mum was supposta take you.” her father murmured, his voice already fading. He took the bottle of whiskey from the floor, frowning at the amount left of its contents.
A shock of agonizing pain went through Alice’s moyo as she thought of her mother. Alice opened her mouth, preparing to say ‘Momma’s gone, she left’, but decided against it.
“I guess she forgot.”
“Well, it doesn’t matter,” he said, smiling a drunken smile. “Now I got my little bug to myself for the whole day.” he exclaimed, a faint happiness in his voice.
But he was already fading, the alcohol taking its toll so soon after relieving it. A mixture of bile and something else went up Alice’s throat, tears stinging her eyes.
“Yeah dad.” Alice alisema softly, speaking in a prayer. “The whole day. Just us.”
“My little girl...” he mumbled one last time before he closed his eyes again.
Outside in the distance a jogoo laughed, and the children played. Mothers yelled out at their children in the front of their yards, and the children rolled their eyes at each other. Couples shared a secret, whispering things in each other’s ears that would make them both laugh. Loners walked along the sidewalk, staring into space, a mysterious mist surrounding them.
The clouds passed through the sun, giving the world an odd moment of silence and timelessness. The wind whispered a few secrets, but the plants never moved. Tumble weeds held their breaths.
Just for a moment.
Then the sun came out, Victorious as the world started to songesha again. But instead celebrating the sun, Alice decided to live in brief moment the clouds granted her.
Fulfilling a silent promise, Alice crawled up into her father’s arms, ignoring the lump fighting up her throat, never minding she wouldn’t be able to sleep.
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