PARALYZED: Us Against The World

Lambert.

As I walked in, I could see the half glass of whiskey on the table made of glass. Dad was drinking, surely he was.

The smell of whiskey in the house was definitely choking me. I've always the smell of alcohol and dad gives me more reasons to hate it.

As mom walked down the stairs, her outfit suggested that she was going out for a function. All covered in this glamorous gown made from an Ankra fabric. It's been a while since she wore something like that.

It looks like the one big bro got for her. Mentioning big bro makes my emotions go through some kinda feeling of mood swing.

"Back already?" She asks.

I node which suggest the yes.

"There's food in the kitchen. Heat it in the microwave so it's warm enough for you to eat."

"Okay."

I stare at dad from where we were. He was busy in his small office in the house. Piles of paper flooded the place.

"His busy as usual." Mom says as she joined me to gaze at him.

"The career man!" I could sense the annoyance in her talk.

"Anyways, don't forget to check up on your brother." She says rubbing me by the head, then gives me a bear hug before shortly after stepping out.

As she reaches the door, she stops, still backing me she says
"Try not to fight with your dad."

I stood just there for a while looking at  him through the little opening at the door. The door wasn't properly shut.

I went upstairs to my room to change my uniform before head down to the kitchen to have lunch.

As I took off my shirt, I stood by the mirror side. I could see myself in it. My shirt had this paint stain on it. It probably got stained the time I was busy arguing with Esther earlier. That girl was something else today. Both of them where. First, stalking me and then lying.

" I'll give Chioma to have it all cleaned up." Chioma is actually the house help around here.

I ain't gonna say she's a maid coz she's actually more than that. She does the cooking, cleaning and pretty much almost everything around here. The only thing she doesn't do is cleaning Edwin's room. She's permitted to touch anything and everything but not anything that belongs to Edwin.

Mom does the cleaning when it comes to Edwin.

You know sometimes I wish I was the one in the coma and not him. I know it's not fair to say he receives more love and affection than me, but that's what it just is. Dad's been clear about that.

I don't even remember the last time dad noticed me around here. The only one who tries to  notice me around this house is mom.

Dad prefers talking to Edwin despite knowing he's unable to respond back. I'm not even sure he hears what he even says.

-

I don't remember the last time I felt the feeling of affection from him. I can say mom feels the same way towards him.

If they're not fighting over me, they're both fighting over unnecessary issues. 

They was this one time mom wanted to end things clean by putting an end to the marriage. She thought about filing a divorce. I was in support of that. She ended up not pushing through with the whole thing.

Her justification to the whole thing has been she not wanting us to grow up without a father. She's been through that and she knows how it feels.

I'm old enough to handle the pressure that will come after a divorce. I'm already 16. Not having a father around will be better than having one that doesn't even notice you, at least.

The real reason she's refused to push through with the divorce is because she still loves him. Love, the only reason I'm still going through this shit hole.

All he cares about is this political career of his nothing more.

You know, it's a sad thing to have the career dad than the family dad.

Sometimes I wish to be like those kids who have nothing but a complete family. No food on the table but at least everyone gets to laugh their way to bed.

I'm that kid that can get everything but still has nothing.

-

I'm done changing. I wore a black hoodie shirt and a regular black short. I guess I was on all black.

Chioma was already busy putting everything cooked into the freezer for preservation.

"Wait." I rushed to take the put she just put inside the freezer put.

It was egusi soup. It's a continental dish we eat around here.

"Your back from school?" She asks.

"Yes." I was busy transferring the quantity of the soup I wanted out of the pot to another ( to the one I wanted to put into the microwave for reheating).

"I didn't notice when you came." She says.

"Should I help you heat water for gari?" She says already putting water into a kettle.

I node as I leaked the my fingers. My hand accidentally got stained with soup. Rather than ransing all that great stuff off, I prefer leaking it. The tongue does a much more perfect job.

It took a while to get everything set and ready, but it was worth the wait. Chioma joined me in having lunch she too hadn't eaten yet. She was busy all day, with laundry and cleaning. It's not easy work she does everyday around here. Mom knew the task at hand when it came to doing house cleaning around here that's why she hired her.

The pay she gets for her services around here is really good. Dad isn't bad when it comes to treating his staffs and those around him well. But the kinda treatment he gives to his staffs and those around is different from the kind he gives to us his family.

Honestly, it's been nice having her around. Though sometimes the house gets really quiet despite having her around, at least there's someone to talk to around here.

After she was done with her lunch, she leaves me to myself and heads down to the sitting room to clear dad's whiskey bottle and the glass.

A/N

[After going through this chapter, I can say that I'm a work in progress].

{This one and maybe the next five to come ain't chapters. I just felt like giving him a voice of his own. He's been echoing too much in my head, I just have to tell his story.}