“Ma’am! Step back from where you are please!”

Was that the cavalry?!

Gill raised his head in hope and wrapped his arms around RaRa.

Who called for the police? No matter! Thank you whichever angel or deity or god, watching over us over thank you, thank you, thank you!

Aunty turned towards the sound of the voice and stared for a moment. The sight of two women in police uniform greeted her. She gathered her wits about her, stood, drawing herself up to her full petite height.

“This is my home! Who are you?! Why are you tracking mud into my home! GET OUT!”

One of the police officers held out her hand in a calming manner and lowered her voice and in a soothing manner repeated “Ma’am, someone called for the police. Please step away from where you are. Slowly if you please.”

“I will NOT! This is my home! You are uninvited. UNINVITED! GET OUT!”

The other officer turned towards her partner and whispered “Did we get it wrong? Did we come to the wrong house? I mean you are a directional idiot after all…”

Both officers turned to look at each other, confused. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, much less the murder that was being called in. All the woman seemed to be doing was to make a mess of a room in her own house, as if searching for something. That didn’t warrant police intervention. The mess and butchering of boxes also wasn’t a crime. Not in that sense anyway. People have lived in messier and worse clutter than this without police involvement.

“Ma’am, someone called the police for urgent assistance. May I know if there is anyone else in the house that may have done so?”

“You are uninvited! There is no one else here. No one! NO ONE! NO ONE!! GET OUT!” Aunty started to pant.

The police officers took a step back. Looking at each other again, they decided unanimously to leave first and ask for advice from the superiors outside the house.

“Ma’am, if there is no one here, maybe there is a mistake, or maybe it may have been a prank. If so, we apologise for the intrusion.”

“LEAVE! GET OUT! TAKE YOUR NOISE WITH YOU! THERE IS NO ONE HERE” Aunty covered her ears and started to screech, as if she were in physical pain.

The police officers started backing away slowly, unwilling to agitate her any further. The woman didn’t commit a crime, nor did she do anything dangerous to anyone. But at the same time she looked as if she needed help. Her mouth seemed to say one thing, but her eyes seemed to be pleading for something else.

“Ma’am, would you like our help? We are here to help.” The first officer said softly, voice filled with empathy.

“But if you feel you need time to yourself first, both our doors are always open. Here are our cards. We can leave first if you want us to. We will be here if you need us.” The second officer placed two name cards on top of an overturned box.

No! They were going to leave! And I think I will die a terrible death if they do!

Gill decided this was his chance. It was now or never. Apologising to the police and having his parents rain their wrath upon him at this point seemed like a more prudent course of action than leaving his fate to the seemingly unstable Aunty’s hand.

Gill quickly popped his head up before the officers could turn to leave. “Take me with you! Please! I am sorry!”

In a blink of an eye, Aunty’s expression changed and she leaped towards Gill in a blink of the eye, hands curled into claws.

“YOU! IT’S ALL YOUR FAULT! YOU! BRING MY LEORA BACK!”

The two officers reacted with lightning speed, despite their astonishment at the suddenly appearing Gill, and jumped towards Aunty. They pinned her down firmly and efficiently before she was able to reach Gill.

“Ma’am, please stop! Ma’am!”

“You are the reason why everything has gone downhill! You horrid, horrid boy! Such a bad influence on my perfect little daughter! I am glad that I killed her! She does not deserve to be sullied by hanging around such a dirty disgraceful little boy! DIE! DIE! DIE!”

The anger distorted Aunty’s perfectly made up, pretty face, to that of a monster. Gill leaped back, pulling RaRa behind him.

“DIE! WON’T YOU DIE! WHY WON’T YOU ALL DIE?! Why can’t everyone just leave me in peace! Why can’t it be quiet?! Why can’t it be peaceful! Is that too much to ask?! THAT NOISE! SHUT UP! SHUT UP! BE QUIET!”

Aunty raged and struggled. Her strength had increased multifold and it took the strength of both police officers to restrain her. The first officer was almost rendered breathless with the effort of holding her down. The second officer took out her handcuffs and firmly cuffed her.

“Ma’am, I am sorry, but you are under arrest for the murder of your daughter Leora.”