The Ritually Sinned

Saturday, December 12, 2009

Chapter 1-Misery of the households

As he slowly took the baseball bat and the mitt out of his closet, memories of his father slowly flooding his mind and intoxicating him like the smell of sweet corn bread fresh out of the oven which he smelling now. That sweet corn bread suddenly brought him to his peak as he wondered to himself why his mother was baking sweet corn bread with no obvious occasion As he stepped down from stairs he could smell the smell of his beloved sweet corn bread slowly diffusing into his big mansion that his dad left him, his brother and his mother to take care off.

He walked past the living room where small fragments of memories of his father slowly hit him. His father’s curly yet short brown hair that fitted perfectly with his calm oceanic blue colored eyes. He made a turn into the kitchen and saw his mother standing behind the kitchen counter faced straight towards him. He saw his mother sobbing with tears slowly running from her eyes onto her mothers old wrinkles chin. Her eyes were as red as fresh blood that seemed like it could set anything in sight on fire and her dark blond long hair was very messy. Tears slowly dripping onto the rim of the baking tray she used to hold the corn bread in the perfect square mould. It was at that moment when he remembered the last time his mother baked his favorite sweet corn bread she was also in a very emotionally unstable state with tears able to fill 3 dams and able to revegetate plantation in Africa. Without hesitation he went over to the plate that held the bread readily sliced and already cooled with strawberry jams in a small saucer placed next to an empty plate.

‘I knew you would come down that’s why I got Aunt Pearls jam already for you honey’ Daren’s mother said to him with a raspy tone, clearly trying to hide her tears and emotion from her eldest son that seem to have also tried to hide the fact that he knew his mother was crying but not why she was crying.

‘What is with the water works going on here? My bread is actually kind of soggy.’ He said to his mother without a slight glance at her.

He knew she was really sad or angry over something because she would never make it unless he hogged her or something really sad came up. To his mother the baking of the sweet corn bread was suppose to act like chocolate and its effects would help to relieve her sadness and tears when she was not feeling well. While his mother was trying to avoid answering the question, Daren munched down his slice of bread then asking his mother again the reason for her crying in the middle of a Sunday afternoon. She sighed in despair. She knew there was no running away from his son that was very determined in everything he did and everything he wanted from anybody. Not know if it was a bad point of his eldest son or a good point she answered him. ‘I just called your school to tell them that you would be away for a week or two to attend a funeral in KLL.’ She told his eldest son with a slow sigh at the end of the sentence.

Without thinking he asked her back with a shocked written on his face so clearly that it actually scared his mother white.

‘WHY??? WHO DIED???’

Daren’s mother pointed at a portrait of his grandmother that was lying on the top of a classical wooden shelf filled with ornaments and decorative handed on by his grandmother at the end of the kitchen. He fell back into his chair and was stunned by the news. He never thought his grandmother was ready to move on, he always thought she was a very strong person as she was still bugging his mother last week to go to Paris last week to pay a little visit to their long lost relative.

His mother continued. ‘Heart attack while she was asleep. Sad way to die if you were to ask me.’

Without a sound he walked out of the kitchen and turned into the hallway and stopped dead in front of stairs. He yelled out to his mother back in the kitchen still sobbing away. ‘Hey mum, do I still go to school today?’

‘Yea, you should but only for today you can choose to go to school or not.’

He slowly lifted his legs up each elevation and finally after 15 steps he reached the top floor. He went into his room and picked out a black long sleeve shirt that he thought would be good to wear considering his grandmother’s passing with jeans that he wore yesterday. He picked up his cell phone and wallet slide each in his jean pocket, he was ready for school. He made his way downstairs and told his mother that he was ready for school and automatically his mother walked over to her purse and headed straight out the door. Daren slammed his side of the car door after shutting the garage closed. He sat there quietly while his mother drove them to St Dove Albertine High School.

‘How is school till now Daren? Everything okay at school?’ asked his mother now clear of her tears of grieve.

He thought to himself. Should I tell her about Jassie Heng, the cute part Asian and Pilipino girl? Should I tell her that I really love her but can’t take any chance at ruining my friendship with her? His mind was flying all over Jassie’s lovely and calm Asian face.

He then replied ‘Everything is fine in school, doing my homework and not causing any problems to the teachers. Except for my Technical Math teacher, I don’t think likes me.’

‘Did you do anything to him?’

‘Did you complete your work?’

‘Don’t tell me you asked the question on Einstein theory or law or whatever it is.’ His mother questioned him like a police trying to dig for answers from a suspect except this is his eldest son.

‘I did my work and I did not ask him any question about the Einstein theory of gravitation mum not law. And no I did not rape him or anything, because he is really huge and has a huge “BO”.’ Daren answered with a slight laugh in his reply.

‘BO? What is BO?’

‘Body Odour. He smells like a train wreck and nobody cleaned the mess up for a year or two.’

‘That sounds bad honey. Anyway, just be good in his class and don’t let him get on your nerve. You are new in this school, so be good.’ Replied his mother as they reached the front door of the school.

Daren jumped out of the Toyota Prius his mother was driving, his almond colored hair was flying all over his head. He felt a cold chilly breeze blowing past his ear and heard the screaming of 10th grade girls after while one of them talked about her encounter with Edward Daniels few minutes ago in the library. Edward Daniels was the first person that Daren knew on the first day of his new schooling life here, since then they have been best friends. Edward being the out-going and handsome person manages to surprise Daren over the fact that they both had common interest in movies and games. Daren walked over to his locker in the locker bay that was located at the end of the school. With no change in status quo he dropped everything in his locker and walked away with materials for his first class. At that moment, Edward too appeared at the entrance of the locker bay. He glided quietly straight towards Daren as he smiled very casually.

‘Hey Daren, everything alright dude? I texted you just now but you did not reply.’

‘Yea, everything is fine but my grandmother is not.’

Daren took out cellphone and checked his inbox as he replied ‘She passed away this morning and I have to fly back to St Monic later after school.’

‘You serious? That’s awful. I am guessing that you can’t hang out later after school in Finnie?

‘Awh… You going to Finnie after school? I really miss the Ice Cream shake. Need some so badly!’

As they slowly made their way to Chemistry class in the dark hallway.