Chapter 7 Bastard I

• BASTARD
• The door behind me closed and I felt my heart racing and my legs shaking. There was a big room there, with so many strange sofas that I was in doubt again if that place was really a house.
• The woman took me by the hand, leading me through the sofas, until I reached the three people sitting.
• — Here's the girl, Mr. Hauser. — He let go of my hand, leaving me in the center of the plush carpet, under their inquisitive gaze.
• We all looked at each other for a while, without saying anything. I still held my white bag in my hands and little by little I became embarrassed and hid my things behind my body. I looked at my dirty feet on the light beige carpet and compared my worn pair of shoes with those of the girl who looked to be almost the same age as me, wearing black flats with gold toes and a small heel.
• I smiled, remembering how much I asked my mother to buy shoes like that girl's. The white tights she wore were impeccable and without a single thread, unlike the ones I had in my bag, which had already been sewn many times.
• Her dress was made of black corduroy and had a white collar and cuffs, with the same designs as the tights. Her blond hair, a little darker than mine, was braided and tied with shiny bows.
• — Hello, Maria Eduarda. I am Alexis Hauser, your grandfather. — The dark-skinned man with well-combed hair and green eyes stood up and came towards me.
• He wasn't very tall. He had a slightly white beard and a few strands of hair too. He was wearing a dark blue suit and a light blue shirt with white stripes underneath. But he wasn't wearing a nice tie, like the guy who picked me up at the gate.
• — All she needs is to be mute, which is no wonder! — He mentioned the beautiful woman who was sitting next to the girl.
• — I'm not mute — I said shyly, putting one foot over the other when I noticed the girl looking at the frayed tips of my sneakers.
• — This is Tumalina, your cousin. She is the daughter of Maya, her aunt. — He pointed to the blonde woman, with hair below her shoulders, slightly curled at the ends.
• Although Alexis had a slight smile on her lips, the two didn't make a point of showing friendliness, which made me feel bad, like I was an intruder.
• I remembered my mother's words: “Be good, kind and honest... Show your best”.
• — Hello Aunt Maya. Hello “ TumbaLinda ” — I greeted with a warm smile.
• — She... called me TumbaLinda ? — The girl looked at her mother and started crying.
• — Daddy, did you see what she did? The girl made Tumalina cry! — The woman looked at me with a reproachful look.
• I didn't understand what I had done wrong. I still apologized:
• — I'm sorry... — I looked at the pretty girl with tidy hair who was crying without tears falling.
• — I honestly didn't think this bastard would come here. — Aunt Maya looked me from head to toe again.
• Bastard? What did that word mean?
• — Don't call her that, Maya. She is your brother's daughter.
• — Bastard daughter... His and the maid.
• Did they not understand that I was there listening to people talking about me? Although I didn't know what the word “bastard” meant, I figured it wasn't a good thing. And my mother had prepared me for a less than warm welcome from my father's family. But it was one thing to be prepared for everything and by her side. Another was being alone, among strangers, whom I had never seen in my life.
• — She has the same rights as Tumalina. Because although she is the maid's daughter, she still has the blood of her brother... And of our family. She's a Hauser.
• — Dad, how can you say she's a Hauser? — Maya laughed dismissively. — Look at her... The maid's dirty blood runs through her veins. Look at your clothes and the look of covetousness at my Tumalina. This joke won't work and you know it very well. We cannot teach good manners to a girl who was born and raised in poverty.
• — Your shoes are horrible — TumbaLinda said, looking at my feet, making me take a step back, trying to hide the toes of the sneakers even more.
• — A cloth bag looking like it came out of the trash... Is this what she brought? — Maya laughed.
• — You're behaving like a child, Maya — Alexis scolded her daughter.
• — You know that your father died and that's why you're here, right? — The woman my grandfather introduced me as an aunt spoke to me directly. — Because if he hadn't died, he would never have stepped on his dirty feet in this house. My brother would never allow it. He never even wanted to meet her...
• — You're being offensive to the girl, Maya. — Alexis seemed irritated.
• — Maria Dolores sold the girl? This is it? Is this little creature here because her mother needed money, daddy? Because there is no other reason for this child to be present in our home.
• — We no longer have your brother... She's all we have left of him.
• — You know Rob never wanted this daughter. You can't force us to put up with it, shove it down our throats. This isn't fair, Dad.
• I wiped away a stubborn tear that fell down my cheek, feeling like I wanted to run away. But I remembered how much my mother had begged me to bear anything and accept that this was my place, because the Hausers were also my family and I had that blood, unfortunately.
• Why couldn't I stay with my mother forever, just the two of us? I didn't want to belong to a rich family. I didn't care about anything... I even regretted asking my mother for new sneakers. Was that why she had sent me to that house? I could give up all my requests... Just to be able to stay by her side.
• The words that beautiful woman said hurt so much that my sneakers felt tight after a long walk to school. Most of the time when I sat at my desk, I had to remove them from my feet and let them rest. Every now and then the fingers would bleed. And everyone made fun of the horrible smell that emitted when I removed them. Yes, because the walk to school was long and my feet were sweaty in my shoes.
• — She will stay in the house whether you like it or not, Maya. Maria Eduarda is my granddaughter, as is Tumalina. And he has the same rights as you.
• - That is inadmissible. You must be crazy! I'll have him run tests and hospitalized.
• He laughed:
• — He will have left this house before that.
• - Like this?
• — Either accept the girl or take your things and leave my house.
• She looked terrified at her father and then at me:
• — All because of you and that freeloading mother of yours... Did she say she sold you out for money? — Laughed. — Yes, you were sold, little bastard!
• I slowly walked towards my supposed aunt and took her hands, lovingly. She was confused. I got closer and spat in the air, getting in his face.
• The woman tried to slap me, but was stopped by a hand that appeared behind her:
• — Don't you dare lay a finger on the girl!
• I looked at the woman who came out from behind Aunt Maya. She wasn't very tall, she had fair skin and a round face with beautiful light eyes and straight black hair. She was pretty and smelled good.
• She approached and bent down slightly, getting to my height:
• - Hello! I'm Mabel. All good?
• I nodded, taking a step back, scared.