It Was A Whole Thing | Herophine

Long Live

My palm sweeps over the countertop, collecting years of dusts from the marble surface. My eyes roam the kitchen in its entirety-in it's barren, cobwebbed, rusted entirety-and feel a pang of nostalgia. This kitchen used to be bright from the light that would stream through the sun roof and the large windows. This kitchen used to be bouncing with laughters and banters between me and my siblings whilst mum and dad stifle their amusement. This kitchen used to be brimming with drunken high schoolers on weekends without the parents.

But now, you can't even tell that there's a sun roof somewhere above my head because it's been darkened by years of dirt. The windows are in just as bad condition. Actually, the entire house is as my feet take me out of there and to what used to be the living area of our Texas home.

My siblings and I all went to university in England, leaving mum and dad. They only moved back to England after dad retired from his job. They stayed with Mercy's family in Cornwall until they both passed a few months ago-mum of a heart attack and dad following short of a month later. He died peacefully in his sleep. We already knew how much they loved each other but they proved that to us all over again.

After their death, we learned that they never actually sold this house in Texas. We unanimously decided to sell the property because none of us were planning on moving all the way to the US. Although we weren't born in this house, we spent majority of our preteens and teenage years in Texas, so we reckon we'd come back one last time. Maybe do a little reno to up the market value of the property. Or just check if there are things we wanted to keep-photo albums, family portraits, things with sentimental value for our family.

"I am not wasting my entire summer in this shithole, dad," Ace grumbles as he takes his Airpods out and stuff them into his pocket. He pulls the white cloth draped over the sofa. Dust floats everywhere, making him cough and sneeze a few times before he plops down on it with a displeased sound.

I don't blame him. I wouldn't have dragged his ass here if I had a choice. I was sixteen once and I know how shit it is to have a whole summer planned ahead be quashed by the parents announcing that no, you aren't doing any of those things and instead you'll be spending it with them in a small Texan town, cleaning their childhood house before it gets put up on sale. Okay, maybe not exactly like that but same shit, different story. Whatever. Point is he's sixteen, he doesn't want to be here.

"Dad," Ana squeaks, tugging at the hem of my shirt. I look down to find her eyes staring up at me-wide and scared. "There's no... ghost here, is there?" She whispers the word ghost as she asks me of this, her eyes moving around the place.

"There isn't, love. Remember what I told you?"

She nods, her eyes still wide meeting mine once again. "If I can't see it, it doesn't exist," she supplies.

"Except for..?"

"Air and God."

"Good girl." I ruffle my six year-old daughter's hair and beam down at her before turning my attention back to her brother. "You can complain all you want, Ace, but you're not going anywhere. You're underaged; you can't fly back to London on your own."

"Mum-,"

"Don't," I warn him, my voice lowering as well as my eyes. We stare at each other for a moment before I clear my throat. "I'll show you both to your rooms and we can start cleaning there. Your aunt Mercy will be arriving tonight and your Uncle Titan, midday tomorrow."

"Will our cousins come with them?" Ana asks hopefully.

"No, love, sorry. Aunt Mercy sent Maya to summer camp and Dan and Max are going to Spain to visit their mum's family," I explain.