Son? Did Messy Sippy say that? It's not a big deal for me, though it's a little bit uncomfortable since I haven't been called that way for so long since my mother passed away. I'm also curious why she would say that if she is not officially married to my dad. As far as I can remember, they just met a month ago at a bar.
My mother once told me that to love a girl is to know her inside out. From how she treats others to her deepest secrets, I decided not to enter into a relationship with a person I just met. It will only hurt me to love someone who will leave me in the end for some personal reasons. That shall be applied to my father as well, but it seems like all he wants are physical needs.
I walked out of my house and gave them an opportunity to continue what they were doing. I didn't care if they would kill each other since they were already dead to me a long time ago. I realized how true it is that there are just people who are alive, but they won't make us feel like they do exist.
I will focus on my studies instead. I don't want to stay with them forever. I told my friend that I wish to travel abroad, to go to Germany, and start a new life where no one knows me.
Kiko's mother, Mrs. McBald, is sitting on her wooden rocking chair on the front planked floor porch of their house, facing out to the dusty street. In contrast to Kiko's size, she looks thin as her bones are visible. Maybe it is an effect of being a hardworking mother, or maybe it is because her husband always hurts her? Their situation is woeful, but I don't want to step beyond that boundary.
"Good day, Mrs. McBald," I greeted her politely and asked, "Is Kiko still here?"
"Ezekiel, is that you?" She slowly pronounced every word as she gently rubbed her eyelids that she could barely open. She was trying to recognize my handsome face, but it seemed like she couldn't.
I don't really know how my friend could make those jokes, regardless of his family's situation. His mother has many health problems, though she is still young, as they were just the same age as my mother.
People come and go, so Kiko should spend more time with his mother instead of causing more trouble, or else he will regret it later. Based on her situation, I can say that Mrs. McBald won't last longer. If I can only do something, I'm just a mere lad who's trying to survive on his own.
"Yes, Mrs. McBald, I'm Ezekiel, your neighbor. I just want to ask if my friend Kiko is still here," I repeated.
"I'm sorry, Ezekiel, I can't recognize you easily. I'm having glaucoma. Just go inside the house. Kiko is still eating lunch," she replied.
I feel great sympathy for Mrs. McBald because she is gradually losing her sight. I don't know why they didn't consult a doctor. If I can only bring her to an optometrist, I have already done it. But I don't even have enough money for my school projects, so how can I help her?
I'm only relying on my mother's savings. Edward doesn't really care if I starve and die from hunger. He always prioritized his own vices and that woman. I can say that he's an irresponsible father.
How I wish my father wasn't him. How I wish I had a more carefree life and didn't have to work hard to survive. How I wish I was born into a wealthy family. I've been asking myself why life is so unfair.
Kiko's father, on the other hand, Mr. McBald, may be a grim man. It's woeful to see his wife in this condition, as if she caught all the punches from him. Those bruises are always present on her skinny body. But I can't judge things without evidence.
Immediately, I went inside Kiko's house. I saw many beautiful paintings hanging on the walls. I can say that his father loves to paint. Every time I visit here, I notice a new masterpiece. Kiko told me that his father studied fine arts, but he didn't manage to get a degree for some reasons that I don't know.
I haven't seen Mr. McBald. Perhaps he's gone to work. He's always been a hardworking father; as Kiko told me, he's doing everything to send him to school. I'm kind of jealous of him, though he never showed any appreciation for his father's hard work.
When I entered their dining room, I caught Kiko wanting to engulf the whole roasted chicken that was innocently nesting on the plate.
"Hey!" I exclaimed before he could perform that sinful act. "Be careful of your health!"
Kiko looked back and saw me walking towards him. His face grew red with embarrassment as he avoided looking at me. He just stood up and covered the undressed chicken with a bigger bowl. He then went to the sink and washed his hands.
"How did you get inside?" Kiko asked. He sounds like he didn't want me to get there, or maybe he's just annoyed that I stopped him from eating his chicken.
"We are friends. Don't you trust me? And there are too many questions to ask, but why are you asking me that?" I sat down on the chair beside the table, trying to behave myself.
"I was just trying to see what your reaction would be, and I found out that you're not even bothered. How about... what is the answer to our test later?" He changed the topic.
Kiko and I have been friends since we were young. We always play together and make trouble together. I almost know everything there is to know about him, and he also knows almost everything about me. He knows even the size of my hidden pleasure.
I remembered the time when Mrs. Saura's dog chased us. There was a fence that we had to struggle through. How I miss being a child again who doesn't care about anything as long as I can play.
"Don't worry, dude, I will give you the code for our test later so that you won't get an Easter egg again." I chuckled, but he remained serious.
"That's inappropriate!" Kiko remarked. "You don't really have to do that, because it will cause big trouble if our teacher finds out. But if you insist, then I'm willing to accept it." He turned off the water tap and walked towards me.
"You're good at pretending that you don't want it, but you must know how to hide it so that our teacher won't punish us," I reminded him.
For me, cheating isn't allowed unless someone catches you. So if you want to cheat, you should do it professionally, or else you know the consequences. I'm not an honor student, so I don't know how it feels to be at the top. I'm always at the bottom.
"It's fine if our teacher caught us cheating, because you'll be involved." He chuckled like a demon. "But don't worry, dude, I'm your friend, and that won't happen."
We immediately went out of the dining room. Kiko asked permission from his mother, saying that we would be going back to school, but it seemed that his mother didn't hear him.
"Mama, I said we're going back to school now," Kiko repeated, but his mother was just sitting there on the porch while looking down at the rugged floor.
Without anything else, the boisterous friend of mine became serious upon seeing his mother, who looked flabby as if her soul had left her body.
Kiko raised Mrs. McBald's jaw and looked at her puckered face. Kiko became more emotional when he saw that his mother's eyes were both shut, though it was still early for dormancy.
Kiko stared at me with brooding eyes. Something slowly streamed down his cheeks when the thought turned into reality: his mother was at rest and at peace. Silence wanted to prevail. In the meantime, I could only hear the pounding of my heart.
"Mama!" Kiko suddenly screamed like a child.