Skeletons

Sineas woke up ten minutes earlier than his alarm. He hurriedly took a shower, put on a black t-shirt, blue jeans and his white Nikes. He rushed downstairs and went straight for the kitchen. Aunt Janice had beaten him to it.

'Your breakfast and lunch is ready, son,' she told him as she stood by the sink wearing her running tracksuit. She had obviously woken up and taken a shower before him. Her hands were clasped neatly underneath her chin, a grin flashed across her face. 'Sliced bread with avocado spread and left over Coca-Cola for lunch,' she added. 'And I threw in an extra slice just in case it wasn't enough.'

He smiled awkwardly and dismounted his bag, one band at a time. 'Thank you, Aunt Janice.' He snatched the lunchbox from the table and headed for the door.

'And breakfast?' her grin asked him before he had made it past the kitchen exit. 'Rotto Pop cereal,' she added.

He looked over his shoulder. His favourite cereal had been poured into a bowl and a tumbler of milk stood faithfully beside it. The temptation was strong. 'Thanks, but…I'm not really hungry,' he said.

She dropped her shoulders and sighed heavily. She walked out the kitchen and stood between him and the door. They stared into each other's eyes for a while.

Finally, she said, 'Sin. You do know that last night was an accident, right?'

He gave a silent nod.

'I could never hurt you.'

'I know. I know, Aunt Janice.'

'I just want you to have a normal life like the rest of the kids. Make friends, go to college, get married and start a family of your own.'

He gave her a weak smile. 'Aunt Janice, I know.' Another moment of silence.

She sighed again then reached for him. She embraced him, tenderly. After about ten seconds, she released him.

He stared uneasily into her eyes. 'Aunt Janice?'

'Yes, my boy?'

He rubbed his fingers slowly, his eyes darting left and right without rhythm. 'It's been…It's been more than eleven years since I last saw mama.'

Her eyes narrowed fast. 'So..?'

'I just thought…' he shrugged, 'I was wondering if I could go see her tomorrow on Saturday?'

She wanted to say something. She tried. Her mouth trembled for a moment. Finally, her expression relaxed. 'Sineas, you and I both know that she is in a fragile state. You know very well what she is capable of.'

'Aunt Janice, I was six when she beat me. Just six years old. I'm sure I'll be fine this time. Besides, I'm pretty sure she has recovered by now.'

She shook her head violently. 'Sin, Sin, my boy do not be deceived. Time changes people, sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worst. Your mother could have fallen with the latter.'

He shook his head as well but in denial. 'Aunt Janice, I know my mother. At least from when I was six years old. I doubt after what she did to me she would react violently towards me again.'

Aunt Janice waved her hands, 'Sin, my boy, I'm sorry but this cannot work. It can never work…'

'Why are you so much against this?' he asked her. 'This is my mother, Aunt Janice. My mother and your sister, so why won't you let me see her?' There was more silence as the two stared at each other. Finally, Aunt Janice raised her hands. 'Fine, my boy, fine,' she said.

A grin began to develop on his face.

'But I'm going with you,' she added before she walked past him.

'Of course, Aunt Janice, of course!' He was overjoyed. He opened the door and ran towards the street. Within seconds, he had vanished.

'And how are your assignments coming along?' Mr. Regwizini asked his students during the Math period.

'Fine, Mr. Regwizini!' most of them responded. Most of them of course excluding Sineas and Clarissa.

Clarissa was sitting somewhere in the middle of the room, a mile from Sineas.

'Sineas? Clarissa?' The teacher had noticed that they were the only ones who had not responded.

Sineas mumbled something.

Clarissa cleared her throat. 'Fine, Mr. Regwizini,' she answered.

Mr. Regwizini folded his arms and sat on the desk. He looked unconvinced. 'And do you mind…sharing with us what you have so far?' he asked Clarissa.

She looked deeper into the book in front of her.

'Sineas?' The teacher turned his eyes to Sineas, hoping to get a clearer answer from him.

He made a guilty shrug with his shoulders.

Mr. Regwizini adjusted his spectacles. 'Is that supposed to mean something, Mr. Murphy?'

'We haven't started it yet,' he mumbled.

Mr. Regwizini leaned in. 'I'm sorry?'

'It's still a sketch,' Clarissa interjected, boldly staring into her teacher's eyes. 'We're still in the blueprint phase but we've got it all mapped out,' she added throwing what she must have hoped to be a persuasive smile.

Mr. Regwizini engaged his arms deeper. He raised his shoulders. 'All this time I gave you and all you can offer me is a sketch?' He dropped his shoulders.

She maintained her bluff, 'It will be finished by Monday, sir. I…We promise.'

Mr. Regwizini stared at her. He still did not look convinced. He finally got up from his desk, disengaging his arms at the same time. He said, 'I hope so…for both your sakes. In case you forgot, Monday is the due date for that assignment and…' he frowned suspiciously, 'I see you're not sitting side-by-side as you usually do,' he noted looking at them in turn.

The entire class shifted in their seats to look at the two. The gap between them was immense. They too looked as curious as Mr. Regwizini.

'Trouble in paradise?' he asked.

'No, sir,' Clarissa and Sineas replied at the same time.

During lunchtime, making his way towards a table, Sineas noticed that Clarissa was still wearing the look she had during the entire Math period. It lingered between anxiety and meditation. He sat two tables to her left. The table between them was vacant. She had unpacked her lunch bag probably a few minutes before he arrived. Slowly, he unpacked his lunchbox and seconds later, he had begun to wolf down the avocado slices and the leftover Coca-Cola from the previous night. Taking a long sip, he was reminded of how awkward and eccentric the night had been. Thinking about it almost made him wish he were dead.

As the minutes ticked away, no one joined Sineas at his table and no one joined Clarissa at hers. No one even occupied the table between them. Sineas kept sneaking glances at her. He hoped that she would at least return the favour. A positive gesture was all he wanted. It was what he needed in that very moment. Not for once did she even look at him. Her focus remained entirely on her lettuce salad as if it was the only thing worth giving attention to in the whole world. Sineas could no longer take it. As if moved by some supernatural force, he finally decided to make a move.

He grabbed the remnants of his lunch and walked over to her table. He was careful not to sit too close. At least a cautionary distance.

She did not notice him. She continued to eat. Sineas did the same, occasionally staring at nothing in front of him but at most times, his eye would wander towards her. The process continued for at least ten more minutes until he finally stared at her one more time. His mouth trembled.

'I'm sorry,' he said.

She was now wiping her hands with a handkerchief. 'For what?' She kept her eyes on her hands. She looked unconcerned. Withdrawn.

'I think last night I must have made you feel uncomfortable,' he confessed.

'You think?' she said dashing the napkin onto the table. 'Sineas, I don't know what is going on with you, but your room…the atmosphere I felt in there was just too…' she looked aside, '…awry. Never mind the cold temperature. There's a certain air in there…in that room that could make exorcists consider a different profession.'

'Atmosphere?'

....