6~Strange Existence~i

Luca was only a boy of thirteen.For a child who was clingy and clumsy,he was mature inside for a thirteen year old.The family he had to return to has disappeared.That would make any child breakdown, But after going through that near-death accident ,he saw everything differently.His fear of death vanished.He was no longer scared of death unlike his past.

He used to wake up from nightmares ,which his family left him, he was sinking in sticky black fluid that covered everywhere,engulfing him in the darkness which somehow made him unable to talk.He would wake up at night,panting,searching the bedside table for some water to calm down.This was the most vulnerable moment for him.He would sob,thinking of death,afraid of his parents feeling loneliness.His parents despair was only a part of the reason.The main reason was something else.

He wanted to confide in his parents about the nightmares,but always got cold-footed when he saw his frail mother. She had frequent fevers, sometimes not even being able to get off the bed.She was a beautiful lady,wonderful mother but a sad wife.She worked as a librarian when she was young and was full of vigour and vitality, but after Luca was born, due to some complications during birth, her health deteriorated.She stopped going outside.The image of Mrs Carter on every inhabitant of the town was that of a lovely lading sitting by the fire on winters,reading a book or knitting a scarf.

Mr.Carter was what everyone saw as an ideal man.He was optimistic,funny and an absolute social butterfly(which is a quality absent in Luca).He made boring dinner parties fun and was good at his work.

But he was not a good husband and a good father.

He neglected his wife who needed his wholesome support and his son who needed his presence.He chose work instead.It was a way to escape the problems in the family .He didn't hate his son but didn't have the bond a normal father-son had .He wanted to resent his son for making his wife sick but couldn't. It was probably because the same blood flow through them.

It might be because he was didn't want to see his son but Luca was sent to a boarding school when he was nine, a child.His mother cried a fortnight making her health condition worse. Luca, of course was unaware of his mother's situation and simply thought the decision was made by both the guardians.

Luca was quite the opposite of his dad.He resembled his mother more.Her gentle nature and the inability to hate people without a reason was simply there in him.He felt more closer to his mother than his dad

It was uncommon to see his dad being in dad mode with him.Luca felt like his dad was a stranger since they rarely saw each other.They didn't even speak to each other and Mrs Carter was the messenger .

And that didn't made it any better