Chapter 4 A reason for absence

"Mom! Stop!" I clench her mouth and her wrist which holds the knife from behind.

"Sain!" A light of hope comes back in Mrs Eilin's eyes. "Good lord that you're back!"

Mom bites my palm and I wince my brows in pain. "Mom stop! Please don't bite me!" I pull her closer to myself.

"Is she your mother?!"

"I'm sorry Mrs Eilin." Unwantedly I sneak some peeks into her house while restraining mom. I snap back and say. "I'll be taking her back now. Please forgive us." I drag mom back into her home and shove the door close. She pushes me away and swings the knife across my left cheek. I glare at her while my cut starts to bleed.

"Seriously. As soon as I climbed up the stairs I found you scaring Mrs Eilin." I step closer to her. "Is something wrong? You can tell me! I'll hear everything."

She stares at the broken lock ignoring my glances. I grab her shoulders in an attempt to seek her attention. "Did you break that lock mom?"

She gasps and looks in my eyes.

"Did you do it? Do you want to go outside? I'll take you."

She slaps on my wounded cheek. "Eeeek! It stings."

She raises the knife above her head and swings it towards my chest. I grasp her wrists and twist them. She drops the knife but hits me anyway. She hits me against the wall. My right eye swells up and my forehead skin splits. I wait until she's satisfied.

I slide down and she twitches. She sits near me with a worrisome look. Her warm fingers gently swipes on my wound and her other palm wipes the blood rolling from my forehead. She starts to cry.

I roll my eyes upto her. "I'm alright. I'm probably hit because I deserved it. You don't have to feel guilty."

She looks around and stands up. I see her running around the house. After a while she comes back with a box in her hand.

"First aid box?"

She takes out several bandages, gauge and antiseptic. Properly and neatly she dresses my wounds. I snuggle my face on her warm palm. "You're such a gentle person, mom. I'm glad that I'm your son."

She says nothing and leaves to the bedroom.

I wipe the spot where she smacked my head on the wall. The spot is right next to where the light from outside shines through the window. The moon is disturbingly bright tonight.

Maybe I'll skip school tomorrow. I guess I'll also need to put stitches on my forehead. I'll get the lock redone while I'm at it tomorrow.

["Sain hasn't come to school today." Dew asks Eclise.

"Its seems that he has called in sick." Eclise looks ahead as a student calls him out.

"Eclise. Ms Yana is looking for you."

"Sure." Eclise finds Yana at the teacher's room, waiting for him. "You summoned?"

"Yes." She asks him. "Are you friends with Sain?"

He thinks for a while and reluctantly agrees. "Somewhat."

Even Yana looks hesitant. She averts her glances and thinks for a while.

"Do you want to know more about Sain, Ms Yana?"

"I'm honestly worried about him."

Eclise takes the hint and says. "Me too. I've seen those marks around his neck."

Yana flinches. Its written all over her face… 'You noticed!'

"The first time he was introduced to me, I saw light bruises. O.. of course I don't want to interfere in his personal life but I'd like to make sure he's okay."

"I understand Ms Yana. I'll try to help Sain as much as I can. I'll make sure he's not bothered at school."

"Thank you Eclise. I hate to say this to another student but please report to me immediately if you ever see Sain majorly injured." She mumbles. "He wouldn't tell me himself. So…"

"Yes." ]