The Withering Flower

Chapter 8: The Other (II)

Melody looked through the small window and saw a little person sitting at one corner of the room, facing the wall,  with his hands a little above his head tapping the wall in front of him. 

“What's he doing?” she asked the doctor.

“Honestly, i dont know. hes been sitting there at that same corner, talking to himself i guess. but when we press the sound button here to listen to what's happening inside we can't hear anything. so i told the hospital board about Jeremiah, and they came to a conclusion that Jeremiah's status may be more than autism. we think that Jeremiah might have more than just a psychological disorder.” the doctor stated.

“What are you saying? No, don't answer that!  Are you saying my nephew’s going crazy? or he's already crazy?” Liam asked furiously.

“Technically, I'm not saying that he's crazy, or mad. his ways are just not like how a normal person or kid would behave.” the doctor argued. Liam did not want to understand what was wrong with his nephew who was only eight years old. he did not want to deal with another sickness or death or pain or trauma, not today, not now, not when he's this happy for the first time in a long time. 

Melody immersed her entire surrounding in silence. she blacked out all sounds and every word that fell from their mouths disappeared. All she thought about was the little lonely scared child who was going through hell right now. He sat in the corner of the room, with only a bed, desk and a bowl of packaged toys to keep him company. The room was almost dark, and all she could feel for the child was pity, sympathy. without thinking twice about it, Melody darling gabriella krislo placed her shivering hands on the door knob, and slowly and quietly opened the door. Liam and the doctor were so immersed in their argument they did not even realize she opened it. but when she was half way into the room, a cold hand touched her skin.

“what're you doing Melody?” Liam asked.  “Where do you think you're going?” he asked once more. “We don't know what Jeremiahs capable of Melody,” he added.

“says the one who's trying to convince himself that the kid is not crazy.” Melody said.

“mel-...”

“he's just a child Liam. he can't really be capable of hurting someone…-”

“Actually he can.” the doctor interrupted her.

Melody rolled her eyes at her and continued speaking to Liam, “he's alone right now. He's sad, sick and alone. He's in deep need of care and love. Now I remember when that was me.  I understand what he's going through because I've been there before. Then I met you lee, and you gave me that care and love. nowi want to be there for Jeremiah. I want to help him because treating him like a criminal or mental patient  and these four cornered walls aint really helping him.”

“hmm.” Liam sighed and dropped his head. “You know Melody gabriella krislo, i wish i could change your mind but you are as stubborn as any of these children are. yet you're right as always mel.”

Liam let go of her hands and nodded for her to enter the room.. Melody gave him a smile, but it vanished slowly as she entered the room.she closed the door behind her, straightened her shoulders, closed her eyes, took a deep breath and stepped forward opening her eyes. She looked around the room. was Melody scared? Of course she was. I mean wouldn't you be? Was she having second thoughts about entering the room? well it's too late to change her mind now aint it. Melody moved closer to the boy in the corner. she moved to be able to see his face as he was facing the wall, then she saw his lips moving.he wasn't talking to himself, no. he was...singing. 

shocked? don't be. scared? don't be either. He's just the other child, the little lonely boy in the corner of the room.

Melody couldn't yet make out what the child was singing. she moved closer, he wasn't hitting on the walls for no reason. There was a reason, he was creating beats for the song he was humming. His voice was low but she was able to make out what he was singing as she moved closer.

“...born on a monday, christened on a tuesday, married on a wednesday,took ill on…”

The little boy turned his head when he noticed Melody around him. He immediately kept quiet. “you inter-in-rup, you int-inter-rup -ted me! now i- i  ha-have  t-to start all over ag-again. Whenwas h-he ill?! I have to kn-know when he wa-was ill!” Jeremiah 

stammered angrily. He stood up and avoided eye contact with Melody and had a frown on his face. Melody was scared, yes. but it was she who put herself in this situation, in this room. She could see that the child did not appreciate her interrupting him and he was even struggling to speak and stand stable.

Liam looked through the circular window asking himself if he did the right thing by letting her enter the room, ifhe should enter or wait to see what will happen. He did not want any harm to come close to either of them, especially Melody.  Unknowingly to him, Melody had locked the door when she entered. He tried to open it but to no avail. He searched for the keys with the doctor.  Melody was still inside with the boy and he could hardly hear what was going on.his looking for the keys distracted him from her. Then Liam heard something. something he did not want to hear. 

he heard…

                                (dramatic music playing.)