Opus Veda

Eva tiptoed shivering from the wash corner. The kitchenette heater wheezed into the biting October morning.

Kasia was facing her, holding the rabbit like a trophy.

"You still need to name him Evie-"

"You can. I don't care."

"How about... Peppa?"

Eva huffed, "you can't name him after a pig he's a rabbit."

"Well you'd better find a name for him, otherwise I'll cook him into a stew."

The rabbit whined and reached for Eva. Despite her anger Eva broke into a grin. She petted his head and squinted.

"Yorkie…"

"Yorkie!?" Kasia held him up again, "eeeee make me a cuppa would ya! And fetch me pipe!"

"He doesn't talk like that… and he doesn't drink tea…" Eva snatched him. He scrabbled free and scuttled to his hutch. She turned back to see Kasia sitting on the floor, studying her with a nervous look.

"Will you join me?"

They rested against the kitchenette cupboard. The heater rattled burnt air over their head.

Kasia pointed to Eva's arm.

"Can I see it?"

"No."

"Okay…" she gave Eva an understanding smile, "I hope you never need to self-harm again, but if you do, I will never judge you."

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Eva shrugged. Kasia looked down.

"I'm sorry for kicking off. I shouldn't have punished you for something we all did..." she heard Imany's accusation of jealousy; her eyes welled, "if I've abused you..."

Eva turned to her, wanting a hug but, afraid to be spurned, reached across the gulf and poked Kasia's hand.

Kasia threw her arms out, cradling Eva with them.

"Evie please! You have to stop speaking to that man... You can hate me but if I do nothing you'll hate me in ten years when you realise what I ignored. Either you hate me now or then, and I'd rather now. I promise: you do not need him; there will be so many better people to meet, please don't throw it away so soon…"

Eva hesitated, torn between the man she wanted, and the woman she loved.

She wriggled closer.

"Okay mama… I promise I won't-"

"Evie!" Kasia pulled back and gripped Eva's arms. Eva saw a stranger - a frantic woman searching her soul with crazed eyes.

"You have to do better than I did! My mum passed her traumas down to me; I tried to do better with you but I see it isn't enough. You have to end the cycle Evie! You can do it I know you can!"

"I will! I promise mama…" she leant back in and wrapped herself in Kasia's arms. Kasia pressed her cheek on Eva's head and rocked.

"I wish I could get you out of here. They keep saying England can't get worse but, I don't know… it just can. So make me another promise: when you get a chance to leave you take it, with or without me."

"…you're not trying to get rid of me?"

Kasia squeezed her.

"The world would be pitch black if you weren't in it. Why else should the sun show up each day? I want you to get away from all these stupid ideologies. In fact, that's one of the best things you've taught me: these people don't care about us, and I don't care about them either.

Only you."

They spent the evening watching BooTube, an archive of deceased content creators. Eva found them hilariously outdated. Kasia wondered about their lives - forgotten nobodies making inane content for other nobodies. Where had they ended up? Did they find someone, something? How would they feel about the future they left? They were all ordinary like her. One day, her content would join theirs.

And what inheritance would she leave Eva? A girl with a single asset, whose beauty and poverty condemned her. A girl too gladly accepted, too often demanded, too easily endangered.

And the first blow had already fallen.

Thirteen.

Eva bumped her head against Kasia's arm.

"Will you work tomorrow Mama?"

"Yes Evie. I will."