3 Books

"Your nose is going to get swallowed by that book Jun" she'd say to him as Jun as a kid back then would roll his eyes as he would reply "Books don't have teeth". Jun's mother had never understood why her boy was so different, he was given all the same opportunities and chances as other kids but just seemed to stay at home and read. Now maybe that didn't seem so bad but all he did was read! Bathroom, kitchen, bedroom, lounge room, back yard, front of house, on the roof, in the trees!

His school teacher Mrs White even said "That boy just isn't normal, have you taken the boy maybe to a psychologist? He doesn't socialise or participate much. Don't get me wrong Mrs Lee, your boy is smart and does his work diligently maybe even the smartest in the class. But his overall attitude and his preference of just books isn't ideal."

She'd heard this before and yes, Jun's Mother had indeed taken Jun Lee to many doctors and psychologists who simply laughed at her. A practical joke and amusement is how they saw 'Jun's condition' as she'd told them.

"There isn't anything wrong with they boy Mrs Lee, he simply enjoys books" Spoke a male doctor shaking his head in a displeased way as his time was just wasted.

"Mrs Lee, for the last time- your son is perfectly fine. He's just got a passion for books" Spoke the young Psychologist as she showed them the way out of her establishment and slam the door as they just exited.

Jun's Mother simply ranked her hands through her hair. Yes there wasn't a significant problem but Jun hardly ever spoke or even looked at anything except the text of a book! Looking at her son in the lounge room from the kitchen table she was stressing as she wondered how on earth she'd stop the madness?

At first she'd thought it was great her son chose books over games or sports, her herself was a librarian and met Jun's father there. However Jun's father did her wrong and left her with Jun with another woman yet he'd died in the end of reckless decisions. She'd been hopeless for a bit and Jun had to be put in foster care temporarily till she found placement.

She'd been feeding his mind for books since she'd finally got him back by 4 years old. A small house with 3 rooms, two bathrooms and a spacious lounge room. Every day almost she bought him a 90c book from a thrift shop and he'd read it, by the time he was 10 he was reading books of high caliber for the more mature ages.

Back then she thought he just enjoyed it and was actually content with her son being as bit of a big book worm as she was back in the day. But it became an obsession over time as he hit his teenage years and used his own allowance to buy at least 20-25 books each pay! His room by age 17 was practically shelves and books that seemed to pour out the door in more shelves and books!

"Jun! Come clean this mess!" Again she'd stumbled over a pile of books Jun had seemed to finish over the period of this morning. He'd perfected a master technique of shuffling through a books contents and skimming but reading at exceptional speed. The books weren't small either, most ranged a height and width of 2/7, 2/5, 3/4 cm and so on, that consisted with page numbering from 01 to 10 thousand plus if it called for it!

Jun walked from his bedroom to the kitchen to see what his Mother had meant, he held a book in hand and hadn't seemed to have gotten dress today which made Jun's Mother sigh. He wore his wiggly line boxer pants and his white plain T-shirt, his brown hair had seen better days as it was all over the place.

"And why not clean yourself up too while you're at it!" Barked his Mother as Jun with great effort and almost pain put his book he currently had his face plastered too. Down onto the kitchen table as he bent down and picked up all 4 volumes of 'The Ultimate Lycan System' off the floor.

"You know the deal Jun, you can keep all the books you want but you need to maintain a clean environment as well as personal hygiene" she carried on in the same tone of 'I've told you this before' as Jun placed the 4 books into their respectable place within the shelves. Before he grabbed the book he left off the table and opened it back up to where a book mark had kept his page.

His Mother stopping short her rant watched as Jun nodded and walked away. Overtime she'd made some progress with Jun, he'd have to put his book down to shower and clean as well as eat at the table. But he never made eye contact once, she hadn't seen her own child's eyes since he was a small boy. She wondered if Jun would rather escape into a book then live reality that had her in it. There had always been a nagging voice of guilt and oppression that weighed heavy on her heart and mind. Thoughts that spoke "that Jun probably hated her for abandoning him" 'he hates you' or "Your son rather read books then look at you and live life" 'He rather read books'.

But this wasn't the only thing that wounded her, she was running out of time to even try to help Jun or earn his forgiveness.

"Stage 3 Stomach cancer, it's in the middle stages and you won't survive long, roughly a few months. If you had been in the earlier stages we might have been able to treat you immediately and say with confidence you would pull through to an extent. But being stage 3 and halfway with growths in your inner walls, operating wouldn't only be risky but you'd essentially not have a stomach by the end of the operation. However even if surgery was a success and you pulled through with an artificial bag stomach that would provide you food through a tube. We can't guarantee that the cancer hasn't reached other areas of your body just yet"

Walking towards the bathroom hearing the water going she thought long and hard. But against better judgment, instead of knocking on the door she walked away and headed to her room.

In her room she grabbed a notebook and pen and began to write, she'd send Jun to her Sister as her sister was aware of her condition. In the meantime she'd write, write down everything she'd felt and grieve in that notebook knowing this maybe the only communication she'd have with her son.

"Aunt Tess will be looking after you from now Jun" she spoke with a hard rasp as tears threatened to spill, yet Jun never looked up from the ground as his book was being held by his Aunty. "You need to remember our promise alright?" Jun nodded as he felt warmth as he was suddenly embraced. "You'll always be my boy, my Jun, I know we never really saw eye to eye but know I love you"

It wasn't that Jun was ignorant or even arrogant, he was just different. But in that moment he looked up to see his Mother's eyes filled with tears rather then print text and dialogue. Jun's Mother not expecting his actions cried more, "forgive me Jun".

That had been the last and final time he'd ever see her because in the end his Mother had chose to live her last months alone to bare the pain before she left for good. Jun hadn't picked up a book after that for 7 months, he didn't sleep, barely ate or talk but he never really talked in the past anyway.

His Aunty grew more worried each passing day but didn't address the boy, after all, she knew the one thing he didn't. His Mother was dead.