It was a still night. A cool breeze came and went and fluttered the leaves on the ground. It’s quiet here, the girl thought as she walked about the small town aimlessly. There had been some shouting from where she came from. Shouts and noise and things too horrible for her to bear – and so she walked away, to seek refuge somewhere else. Somewhere away from home.
The girl was quite young, around 15 to 16 years of age, but she felt herself much more mature and responsible. She had small, brown, almond eyes that were then wet with tears, and a thick mane of dark, wavy hair that danced about her head everytime a wind picked up. She spotted a small bench beside the town plaza, sat down, and wept. She wept, not only for herself, but also for her family. What would become of them now? Where would she go? She thought of her father, and of her mother, and of her little brothers, Angelo and Mattie; then she thought of running away, to go sleep in sewers, living on rats and garbage, and she shuddered. Her father was a stoic man, very unemotional, with a heart of steel. A dying child would not touch him, nor would his daughter’s pathetic pleas. Her mother, on the other hand, was sensitive beyond all reason, easily hurt, easily touched, easily infuriated. For a reason unknown, the couple never fought, despite their huge difference in personality. But then one day, they suddenly became so fed up with each other. Angelo would definitely go with Dad, or else no one would teach him how to play soccer, or how to drive, or do with him lots and lots of manly stuff. Matteo wouldn’t last without Mommy; the pampered little boy still has a lot to learn. As for her, Bianca, the eldest, the most responsible one, the third head of the family, she didn’t know where to go. Should she go on to a life where emotions are banned and everything else is abundant, or off to a land of happy or sad, of tears and of laughter?
She stared into the darkness that enveloped her, and had her ears cocked and sensitive to the very slight sound of footsteps, in case any of her parents bothered to look for her. She closed her eyes and pondered. Where shall I go?


The house was finally quiet when she returned. But she wasn’t staying for good – she would gather up some clothes, food, and a handful of money, and then she would be on her way. She was afraid to make her decision; instead, she would go elsewhere. She already had everything planned. She took a few pastries left from dinner and placed them along with her other belongings.
“Bianca?” A small boy of seven years appeared behind her, and stared at her with his great, pensive eyes. “Where are you going?”
“Hush, Mattie, or you’ll wake everybody up”
Mattie shook his head and said, “There isn’t anybody else here to wake up except for Angelo”
“What? Where’d Mom and Dad go?”
“They left. Said they’d come back,” Mattie’s eyes filled with tears, but he held them back.
“Mattie, listen,” She knelt down to his height. “I’m leaving. I’m going to a friend of mine who lives far away from here, and I want you and Angelo to take care of yourselves. I’ll return soon, I promise.”
“Leaving? C-can’t we come with you?”
“I-I…no. I think you would be better off with Mom and Dad”
Mattie averted his eyes and said, “I don’t think Mommy will come back. She had with her a whole lot of clothes and money and she said…she said something like, ‘I’m sick and tired of…of you and you’re little b-brats!’”
And with that, Mattie burst in tears.
“Hush, Mattie! Please don’t cry, please.”
“Mattie?” An older boy of nine years appeared. “What’s going on here?”
“Mattie, sssh! I’m sure she didn’t mean that. She was angry, really angry, that’s why.”
“Bianca, are you leaving?” Angelo asked, staring at the back of Mattie’s head.
Bianca paused, lost in thought. She was in crossroads yet again, but she already had her plans, and those plans included leaving Angelo and Mattie.


The night was still as Bianca left. Putting Mattie to sleep took a while. She was scared and took uneven steps, looking back every now and then. A warm breeze caressed her face and told her that everything would go well. She looked at her house for the last time and sighed. Her eyes were bright, but not with tears, “I'll come back when you’re complete again.”