Dog Show (Carnal Consensus #1)

I

SATURDAY MORNING was just as fine like a coffee and cream matched, with a pair of toasted bread joined together with a slummy feeling of butter and sugar in between. Sipping his cup of coffee as he held it against his parted lips, James felt refueled and relieved from feeling drowsy and knocked off his sleepyhead. The taste of coffee and cream submerged down to his taste buds through his throat. His growling tummy suddenly calmed down when the pieces of toasted bread loomed in, filling the starving space in his stomach that lately or earlier only filled with air that made it growled and crumbled. Looking for something to process and digest.

The floor to ceiling sliding glass door at their dining room gave access to the greenery outside. Which was their gardens his mom had sculpted and created before James' parents decided to have a divorce. His mother left after the divorce and married to a German national seven months after the divorce was finalized. James was the only son and Emanuel Vasco and Ludivina Perez Vasco. His father Emanuel Vasco had considered James as a blessing when he was born. And as the only child and son, after Emanuel and Ludivina Perez Vasco got divorced, Emanuel decided to take custody of their child. Which was James Loyd Vasco.

The divorce was a devastation to some part of James' life. Because it took place when he was fifteen — and that was three years ago. He was in his third year in highschool when his parents decided to. He talked to each of them —- his parents — to convince them to give each other and their married life and their relationship a chance. But it was hopeless when both parties had ran out of feelings for one another. Trying his best and feeling hopeful that he could make his parents stick together for good, James went to talk to some of his teachers — asked helps and advices from them. But none of them rendered help, because James' problem was dealing with family matters. And even the guidance counselor of their school had her hands up in dismissal.

Sooner, James had given up and accepted the bitter reality that nothing in this world could last a lifetime. And one of that was his parents' relationship.

"Do you like the coffee I prepared for you?"

A calm and charming voice of a woman in her early thirties fazed James from his trance. It was Sonya, his stepmother —- his father's new wife. She was Emanuel assistant manager at the milling company.

Emanuel worked as a department and production manager in a wheat milling company. The company offfered —- or pirated him — a good salary level when he was working at another milling company for pig and chicken and other livestock's food. After he received the offer, he resigned end left the old company he was working at then accepted and transfered himself to a bigger one. A company that could help him comply with his daily means. And that was after he and his wife Ludivvina got divorced.

His low salary was one of the reasons or factors why Ludivvina left him to marry a German national. Emanuel's income was not enough for her expensive lifestyle. Going shopping with friends and hanging out during weekends with family and relatives was the lifestyle Ludivvina knew. Although they were married and had a child — which was James —- still, Ludivvina stuck into a life which she was used to when she was younger. Marrying Emanuel, she thought her life would be prominent and converted to a noble stage. But Emanuel was just a manager in a production department, not a company owner.

Snapping back to reality, James molded a sneer in the corner of his lips as he faced Sonya. The coffee Sonya mixed up truly tasted good, and James could not lie to it. "Yeah! I do. And thank you for your effort." What else can I say?

Actually, serving a good coffee was one of Sonya's expertises. Although she was kinda oblivious with it, it definitely catched and caged her husband's emotion, Emanuel Vasco. But to Emanuel's son, James Vasco, a good coffee every morning didn't get his compassion apparently. Not because he didn't like Sonya for his father, his mind was trapped to the dream or illusion that one day his parents would be reunited. Asking himself randomly whenever the residual of the devastating event preoccupied his mind, James got no answer yet just fell into bewilderment.