Between The Bear And 2 Snakes

Reprogrammed

"Hi dad!"

My dad was sitting outside, on the porch, when I approached him from inside. The aroma of fried goat meat filled everywhere and it brought a smile to my face. Such a beauty. I took it all in before I walked over to him and dipped my hand inside his plate. He knocked my hand off a shot me a look of disapproval. I just gave him a wry smile.

"You've never allowed me to take any meat from your plate. Not even once. All my life. Maybe when I was small, you would allow it but since I knew my left and my right, you've never allowed it. Can you break that record today?" I said as I rolled my eyes.

"No." he replied coldly as he took another huge chunk of meat and dug into it while looking me in the eyeballs.

"OK" I said as I walked down to the space in front of the house. "That's why mom is my favourite. She won't say no to me"

I knew my dad. Words like that hardly work on the man. He's as tough as a nail and cold in character when he decides to be. He was everything I could ask for in a dad but he had his way of teaching me that I can't get everything I want to get. Denying me access to any chunk of meat in his plate was one of the ways. I still think it's a weird way of teaching me that. I mean, this man bought me bicycles and video games and everything children my age wanted at the time. But it was the little things that he used to teach me that I can't have everything.

I expected him to ignore me and he did just that. I heard footsteps behind me. Mom was coming out from inside with a plate of hers and she had a piece of meat in her mouth already. She was chewing and enjoying herself. I knew she wouldn't say no to me.

"Let me go ask my favourite parent." I said as I walked over to my mom who moved her plate to the side and avoided me as well. I was surprised. She has never done that before. I assumed she was just teasing me and I approached her again with my hand toward her plate and she brushed my hand off.

"Mom?"

"You shouldn't be here" she replied as I made another attempt to reach her plate. She stepped outside and I followed her.

"This is my home and I live here. Where else should I go?" I asked still confused.

"You don't belong here anymore" said my mom and then she pushed me down the porch except that I lost my footing and started falling into a ditch. The ditch wasn’t there last time I checked. I was falling with my face up to the surface and I saw my parents looking into the ditch emotionless. I was gripped by terror as I managed to look behind me but it was dark and I could see nothing. I braced myself to hit the floor hard but it never happened. I opened my eyes after a few seconds.

The sun was too much on my eyes and I tried to shield my eyes from the sun with my left hand but someone gripped my hand.

"You're injured. Don't do that" said the voice. I tried to make out who it was but my sight was so bad and I felt very light. I dropped my hand and closed my eyes. I opened it again and I was back at the hospital. This time, my hands and legs were chained to the bed with Mr. Pio standing right above me. He pulled out a cigarette, lit it, took a drag and started walking down to my lower body. I looked down and realized that I was stark naked. He took another drag, and then proceeded to place the burning end of the cigarette stick on my exposed penis. I screamed and lifted myself off the bed and I found myself on the floor with a loud thud.

The impact woke me up. I opened my eyes and someone was squatting over me. My sight was still bad but it was beginning to get better. I managed to make out who it was in front of me. A male figure, wearing a green shirt and black jeans. I focused my gaze on his face but I couldn't recognize him. He stood up and walked back towards a figure I couldn't make out as well. I heard whispers and I turned. There were people surrounding me. I started panicking. I attempted to stand up but I still felt pain OK my chest and I still felt heavy. I dragged myself to my feet anyway and looked around. I was in a large hall but before I could make out any other thing, I felt lightheaded and I landed hard on the floor. I was out again.