Dating : Aloha!

Ray is put to sleep by the screeching tires of the car that missed a turn. The light seeps through the sack doubled up for a duvet. She watches as the diffused light softly flickers and honking filters through the box knots. Mom strokes her dishpan hands on Ray’s sallow skin. You are so beautiful! She thinks.
Mom wants to watch her child sleep but her eyes flutter from the burden she carries.

Ever so vigilant, she handpicks her sleep. Tracking time with phases of traffic, she’s lucky to have gotten through the night.

Mom laid off from work amidst scares. She frantically tosses every trash around the corner to find food for herself. While she’s at it, she’s noticed by a young woman-probably a student. Are you looking for something? She asks. Food, mom replied sheepishly. The woman looked visibly uncomfortable, put on the spot. The woman offered her leftovers from last night to the mom. Noticing the bow on the woman’s hair, Ray mumbles EENK EENK and reaches for the PINK bow smiling wide with her two teeth tiptoeing around the woman.

I’m Eli, the woman says squatting down. Something about Ray seems so close to home to Eli. Is it her glistening eyes or her ecstatic smile that instantly plummets through layers of sadness. She couldn’t figure. I know you, Do I? I don’t. Know? Ray babbles trying to mirror Eli. She chuckles apologetically and says Aloha.

The sky is now grey and but everything else still timeless. Mom spoons Ray to sleep locking her with her legs. Its heavy Ray thinks but at least she knows she’s protected.

Aloha is a column of serialised fiction and is a triptych of short stories.It is also my first ever fiction piece. Would love me some feedback!