The Ruins Of Us

Jack and Jill

Do you know the story of Jack and Jill? How she pushed and pushed until he tumbled down the hill. There is little reason known for why she did it, maybe it was all fun that had simply gotten out of hand.

Or maybe, just maybe, it was a product of a love that festered into an anger so large that she could barely control herself. Perhaps that's why she tumbled straight after him, pushed by an unknown force, she could've caught herself but with her brother always there, was it really all her own strength that held her upright. I thought much on that tale, one found as I sifted through the abandoned book stores we would come across.

I read it to Tilly every night until she turned six and became far more interested in the 'big girl' reading I was absorbed in. But nothing about Jack and Jill felt childish, and I believe Tilly will one day understand as I did that violent night. I found it hard on nights like this to think my brother akin to the desperate boy who sacrificed his clean hands for our sakes. Bloodied hands had built our home from the ground up and on this Sunday, they seemed to be stained an even darker shade of red.

My mind tended to wander during our weekly game night, my brain thinking too hard and too unguarded to prevent those memories from slipping through the cracks.

"Take a chance Jake! I can read it if you like!" Tilly perked up, her body already stretching across the board as she picked up the card. She nearly knocked over her own piece, a small plastic unicorn from a toy she once had.

"I can read it myself Til" Jake sighed.

"But I'm brainy, you're not" she giggled.

"Oh really? And who told you that?" Jake investigated, Tilly's eyes briefly flickered in my direction.

"Oh uh... no one" she shrugged.

"Yeah yeah, sure alright, what have I got?"

"You... You've found twenty p-pounds between the sofa cushions, collect from the banker" she read aloud, her disdain clear as she pulled a crumpled twenty from the box (a rarely seen, real monopoly note, not just one we had drawn).

"And I'll take that" Jake's smiled as he pinched the money from her fingers.

"Taking money from a child, have you no shame" I tutted.

"Hey, I'll take what I can get in this economy", a burst of laughter escaped my lips, the irony not being lost on me.

"It's not like you need it, you've monopolised the whole board nearly" I gestured, making him completely acknowledge the knick-knacks we made to represent the houses and hotels.

"It's not over until it's over, don't be a sore loser"

"I'm just saying, winning against a nine year old girl and me isn't that much of an achievement"

"My, is Olivia Howard finally admitting to her own stupidity?" he inquired, his gasp completely sarcastic in an attempt to pull a string of giggles from Tilly.

"Anything to make you less of a sore winner, is a win in my books"

"Hey, I think boasting rights are deserved after maintaining a streak for this long"

"Well one of us was actually allowed to get past secondary school so..."

The living room fell into another hour of chatter, our jaws and cheeks aching from a night of play. Jake had suggested this soon after everything had become stable, reminding us that just surviving wasn't an option.

For the rest of the evening, as predicted, Jake and I finished off the game as Tilly began nodding off, becoming broke quickly after reading Jake's chance as if a curse. It was soon after that I forfeited and crowned Jake for another week.