AshezOne

I walked home from school. The sun was shining so madly as if he did have the intention of burning down everything exposed to him. Sweat sprinkled down my scalp to my brow. Oh, how I hated over-sunny-days. I hated it more when I had to go home on foot, like I did at the moment.

I’d been walking for a bout half an hour it seemed when suddenly, out of nowhere, a kid bumped into me. I, wasn’t being prepared, fell down on my butt (“Ouch!”). I felt the heat of the sidewalk on my bare hands and my butt which was, thank God, covered by my uniform.

The kid didn’t say sorry. He didn’t even bother to look at me, as though he had just bumped into a goddamn lifeless, emotionless object. He ran away laughing out loud, holding a plastic soccer ball in his dirty skinny arms. Behind him, a group of dirty skinny kids running after him, yelling, shouting, and laughing without even glancing at me who was still down on the sidewalk staring at them like an idiot. Seconds after the last kid (the smallest, the skinniest, the baldest and looked like the dumbest of all – the kind you’ll bully all around) passed me by, I got up on my feet (“Children!”), cleaned up my hands, left elbow, and my uniform from the dirt, and continued my trip home.

Just when I grumbled about how ignorant kids these days are, I saw, about two yards from me, a couple of kids standing in front of a house, giggling. The girl couldn’t be older than 12. I knew – my sister at home was 12 and she looked just about the same age as the girl did. However, the boy, I thought, must be around 14 or 15. The boy pinched the girl’s nose and the girl, a little shy, giggled. I rolled my eyes and sighed. Then the boy whispered something in the girl’s ear, the girls giggled again (gee, what’s up with the giggles?) and they kissed. Kissed! On the lips. In front of what seemed like the girl’s house where everyone who was walking on the sidewalk could see them.

Oh God, what a perfect trip I was having. First the heat, then the kids, then these love birds. I should really kick my brother’s butt for not picking me up and driving me home. Wait until I saw him – that scum.

I finally got home after 10 minutes walk from the love birds scene. I was wet with sweat, tired and in a very lousy mood when my 7 year-old brother bursted out of the front door. He was crying and running and screaming as if he was chased by a ghost. But it was worse than a ghost, he was chased by my youngest, 5 year-old sister who was holding one of my father’s golf stick and eagerly trying to hit my brother.

I grabbed a hold of her and carried her on my arms. Apparently my sister thought I was getting on her way cause right after that, she started hitting my back with the golf stick and pulling my hair with her free hand.

“No! No! I don’t wanna be with ya! I want Garry! I want Garry! Put me down! Down! Cory stinks! Stinks!’ she screamed.

I dropped her down on my mother’s feet. She looked so furious, you’d think I had just cut off her scalp.

“Shut up, will you?!” I scolded.

“What’s wrong? Why are you shouting at her, Cory?” asked my mother.

“Ma, why did you let her play around with this?” I said, holding up the golf stick.

My mother looked at me for a fragment of seconds then answered, “I didn’t know she had it with her.”

“Well, she was beating Garry up out there with this.”

“Really? Did you, honey?” asked my mother softly to my sister who was sobbing on the floor.

I sighed loudly. “Ma, it’s not the right time to show your maternity. You should do something about her. She can’t act this way forever.”

“You’re so fussy, Cory!” shouted my 10 year-old brother from his place in front of the TV and PlayStation.

“You should do something about him too,” I snapped.

“Honey, I’m busy enough dealing with Jesse,” my mother said. Jesse is my 3 year-old brother, the youngest monster in the house.

“Then stop making babies! Isn’t seven enough?”

My mother looked nervous all of a sudden. Her cheeks redden when she said, “Come to think of it, I have a news for you.”

“Just don’t tell me you’re pregnant again,” I said with superfluous emphasizing on the last word.

“Actually,” my mother said timidly. “I am.”

I dropped my jaw. I stared at her in disbelief.

I supposed she knew I didn’t like the news because she continued, “But it’s going to be the last one, honey. I’ve talked to your father and the doctor. It’s okay. This is going to be the last one. I promise you.”

God, seven. Seven monsters in the house and she thought it was okay to have one more.

It was my elder brother who walked in and brought me to my senses. “Anything wrong?” he said, looking at the horror on my face.

“She’s pregnant,” I said briefly.

“What?” he said, his jaw dropped.

My mother smiled nervously, I could see guilt on her face.

1:38 PM 3/21/2009