The Death of a Bachelor

Chapter Twenty One

It was that time again.

Everyone currently sitting at the Hammedatha dining table did so in thick ominous silence, their eyes fixed on one particular action. It was an action that had been done four times already, and since the fifth had begun, no one had moved from their seat. Their doom would arrive in one go when the last action was completed.

Of Kieran, Aaron, Joshua, Raymond and Aira, Raymond's reaction to the current action was the most horrified, and Aaron's the calmest. They all went through this sickening experience every three months, but none except Aaron was used to it.

And when Alyssa had disappeared after their lunch and reappeared carrying it, they knew it was time. Time for..

The Chugging.

The said current action was Alyssa, who stood between Ray and Kieran, pouring it into Ray's cup. It was known as the elixir of life, but it's appearance, smell and taste did not do justice to its name. For it was no magic potion, but a dandy mix of muddy brown and manure green, with small specks of yellow here and there. No one knew what those were.

And as she poured it, it came. The slimy green chunk of herbal fibre whose plopping sound into the cup made Ray gag, whimper and turn his head away.

At last, Alyssa placed the emptied can on the table. She clasped her hands, her grin sinister as she said, "Your grandmother sends her love."

"This is not love but massacre!" Ray cried. "I would not doubt your mother's affection for us if she atleast told us what is in this slop!"

"Elixir," Alyssa corrected, nonchalantly.

"It is worse than facing the executioner's axe!"

"It is an elixir."

"It smells worse than Joshua's feet!"

Joshua glared to his right, at Ray. "Don't drag my feet into this."

"How can I not when this chunky swamp soup is the only thing that beats the stench of you feet?"

"You little-!"

"Enough," Kieran boomed, before Josh could choke Ray with his hands.

All siblings turned to him, and an eerie silence blanketed the room as they waited for him to utter the words.

"The time has come," Kieran said, and everyone wore their 'brave' faces, although there was a slight twitch in them here and there.

Aaron smiled at this. He had been taking concoctions most of his life unlike the others, so the elixir didn't really faze him.

Kieran's steady eyes darted to each of his siblings.

"Hands on," he commanded, and they all took hold of the filled cups infront of them.

Aira's eyes were fixated on her cup as if daring the concoction to come at her, but her lips were scrunched upwards to her nostrils in an effort to block the pungent ordor.

Kieran flicked his gaze around the table again, and issued another order, "Hands up."

They all raised their cups at once.

Kieran made sure they were all doing so before giving the last order no one had been looking forward to,

"Chug."

And they put their cups to their lips, closing their eyes tight as if that would relieve the bitter, slimy, chunky taste of the fluid as it went down their throats in gulps.