Chapter 7: THE BROKEN FAMILY

I was walking home , scratching my behind and look back to see whether there was any possible sign of my cousin . But the people were either some intimate couples or some drunkards and at times kids living in that street joking around. I could also hear the dogs barking,cars hooting and my mind being confused with all that silence.

I got back in my house at around 10 o'clock and that's some serious issue for my mum or any other parent.

I slowly opened the door ,James who happened to be going to the kitchen saw me and said " Momma ,your loving son just alighted from his flight.". I walked right behind him ,mum was laying the table when she saw me she stopped,and her hands akimbo . I was there fidgeting, to avoid the stares I looked at the opposite side of the house .

She asked me where I had been . I was so tensed and I had no particular answer to her question so I also asked whether she was talking to me. One thing about my momma she hates pretence . She then said " I don't think your father's ghost is still wandering around."

Ok That caught my attention and I was literally annoyed and I found myself saying" Ouch mum ,you do also realize it's unnecessary to bring up such a topic."

James said " I'm amazed ,my younger brother finally gat some balls. Do you realize you're on the wrong ?"

Little did I realize that this fight was about to be between me and my brother and finally break us apart. I told him that the last time I checked he minded his business so what had greatly changed . He looked at me and asked whether I was addressing him.

I lowered my head slightly to the level of his head, firmly looked at him in the eyes and gave that left check evil smile then said in a rather lowered evil tone " Just like mum (as I turned to look at her then back to James)I don't think Dad's ghost is still wandering around. " I stood up straight looking at mum then finished my statement" so yes brother James I was addressing you."

Both of them were shocked by the new me and mum asked whether I was high or something related to that but I didn't answer I just chuckled softly and nodded my head to disagree with her .

" So if you're not high , what's with all this attitude?" She asked.

Just the mention of the word 'attitude' just made me to be so angry . I was full of rage,the rage and anger I felt when I injured Asher and I couldn't hold in there for long. With veins all over my head I began to yell at her .

" Mhh! so you think all this is about the attitude. This is the result of the damage you and your loving perfect son over here have brought about. " They said nothing so I kept pinching where it did hurt most for them to feel my pain also.

I continued " ..ever since I Messed up you've been treating me like trash, from not talking to me to not listening to me and locking me up for a whole month like I was a prisoner. It's not any different if I'd been sentenced."

I didn't realize that tears had been rolling down those checks for all this time , when I felt something wet go down I wiped it away furiously and said " I know I'll regret after tonight but let me crown it with this ,I wish that it wasn't dad who had been murdered that night ."

James pushed his chair behind and slapped me and said " you don't get to talk to mum like that." I looked at her pull her seat and sat facing down supporting her face with her hands definitely she was crying. I looked back to him and said " You're not my dad so you don't get to slap me ever again."

I walked out on them .By the entrance of my door some guy was also standing there in my head I was like 'so you're still here alive and kicking while am out there being rained on in the name of looking a full grown ass man'.

He said in a low tone " That was immensely intense." I pushed him and said " fuck off." I slammed the door and cried myself to sleep.When I woke up he was sleeping next to me.Her legs were on me I threw them away and said " can you be normal for once." I took a shower and headed downstairs to have breakfast.Mum and James had already left . I poured myself some milk plugged my earphones and was listening to some sad songs. Deeping the cookies in the milk and eating them slowly.Lost in my thoughts my cousin came down , he was clearly talking to me but I wasn't listening to him .He snapped to bring me back but instead I turned to him and looked at him point blank .When I realized he was becoming a nuisance I went to the living him alone. Later on he came and informed me that he wanted to go for a walk and wanted me to go with but I declined his offer .I had much better things to be worried about and he wasn't one of them.

While he was away ,I awaited for my tutor but he didn't come around also. I concluded to myself that those were the consequences of talking to your mum rudely.

Two days later I had barely set my eyes on my brother.He could leave before I could wake up and return after I had slept.For mum we only met at the dinner table which was full of silence . Also my tutor hadn't come through so I asked mum about but guess what she left the dinner table claiming that she had lost her appetite. I was about to tell her that she hadn't answered she bid Ian Goodnight. I looked at him as he stretched his hand to get the bowl of soup and he asked me " What ?"

I replied " If you came here to compete with me for my mother's love , congratulations you're almost there but don't be so comfortable."

" Really ? "he asked . " You do realize you're so damaged and you need some repairs."

For the first time since he stepped his filthy legs in that house he had said some sense. That night I was on a call with Harry and Cassie I told them all that had happened and they said that Harry was actually right I needed to do some repairs.

The next morning it chanced that we were all together for breakfast. But as usual the silence was weird . Only the forks and plates could be heard . I was trying to find some right words in order to apologize so I was just playing with those eggs on that plate as I looked at mum and James and I Made sure they didn't catch me glance at them . I was about to speak when suddenly James told mum that he had something he wanted to tell her and she gave her all ears and attention " Go ahead am listening."

All eyes and ears were on him including Ian's.He said " First of all mum I'm grateful for everything you've done for us single handedly. We may look ungrateful but trust me we do appreciate. I don't like arguing with Robs but that's every siblings thing but to end it all I guess I have to vacate this house.

" Wait , what ! you don't have to go " I said as I looked at me him sadly hoping he'd change his mind.

He said " Don't worry small bro I'll be coming to visit once in a while ."

Mum had said nothing, it was so breaking I had torn my family apart . The only person I had close to a father was also leaving me. When I looked at Ian ,he looked back as if trying to say " I told you bro," When I looked at mum I saw some sad being who was broken deep down and wanted to cry herself out but she couldn't .

I must admit for the first time not only was I afraid of loosing my family but my bigger brother. Truly it really takes absence to appreciate presence