HOUSEWIFE

Eldest Son

Everybody had gone mad. After Mom died, I couldn't help but think that everybody had gone mad. My Mom had always been a kind mother. Too kind, too soft. I think it's because of Dad. When I was a kid, Dad seemed so kind. When he wanted something, he would talk to my Mom softly, with a sweet smile on his face.

'Could you make me some coffee, dear?' Some soft sweet talk and my Mom would always comply.

I didn't know when it started, but one day, Dad started shouting at Mom. He would shout when he need something, or when he complaints about something. His shout is deafening. I think that's why he couldn't listen to Mom properly. Dad had gone mad. I hate him, but I hate Mom more. Why did she just take it? Why didn't she fight back? 

My resentment grew. I remember the first time I snapped at Mom. Mom always asked me to watch Leon when she went out to get Justin. One day, I went out to play with my friends one day, and left Leon all alone in the house. Apparently, he broke a vase and hurts his hands. Mom was furious when I got home.

'You're older! You should take care of your brother!' She said.

I snapped. 'I have my own life! You don't get to tell me anything!'

'Orion! I'm your mother!'

'Well maybe you should've taken better care of your sons!'

Mom backed off. I won. From that point on, she always took Leon out to pick Justin up. Who know that It was really easy to shut her up? I felt great that day. It was as if I could do anything I want. No one can tell me anything anymore. This is probably what Dad felt. He was amazing. I was amazing.

Then, Mom died. During her funeral, I was....confused. I thought I would be happy. The weak woman was finally gone, I never have to worry about her again, I should be happy. Instead, I felt empty. Like someone had taken a big chunk of my chest. I kept staring at her face, all dolled up inside the coffin, without blinking. In the end, my eyes got so dry that tears came out.

My little brothers seemed to turn a little mad after Mom's death. Leon became obsessed with Dad. He believed that Mom didn't just jump to her death. He said that he house told him that Dad had pushed Mom. On the other hand, Justin had gone quiet. I thought it was normal, until I saw him smiling creepily one time.

Grandma came only three days after the funeral had ended. I was excited. I thought that everything would go back to normal. I wouldn't have to clean my dishes or vacuum the house anymore. I was wrong. Grandma was more annoying than I imagined. She complained after every little thing we did and didn't do.

'Put away your shoes!'

'Why haven't you taken a bath?!'

'Do your homework!'

'Stop lounging around! Do something!'

'Everything will be different today! From now on, you'll be cleaning your own room.'

That was the last straw. 'I can't do that! I've got practice!'

The high school basketball league was coming up and the team had been practising non-stop. I was exhausted. I shouldn't be bothered by all of this. I looked at my father expectantly, hoping that he would say something. He didn't. I was irritated. I still cleaned my room though. It was a minimum effort, but Grandma wasn't happy at all. She even went as far as saying that we didn't clean our room at all.

'I'm hiring a maid,' she said, the moment Dad stepped into the house.

Today, a maid finally comes into our house. Her name is Bella. She's only a few years older than me. Grandma says that she's a temporary maid. Turns out, she can't find a maid she liked. Coincidentally, her friend's granddaughter was looking for a part time job, so she hired her.

Bella is beautiful. The first thing I notice about her is her eyes and hair. She has clear eyes and long flowy hair, both as black as the night. On the upper left of her lips, a beauty mark was visible. She is slightly shorter and smaller than me, but from her legs, I can tell that she did some training.

Bella's presence is a delight. Grandma stops complaining, we didn't have to clean our own rooms, and there are new menus for the dinner. Everything is great, except for one thing. Dennis seems to cry more. It's probably because a new stranger is at home. 

Finally, the league is starting in a week and everything gets hectic. My routine is basically, wake up, go to school, practice, go home, and sleep. During this time, Bella's support touched me. She really goes out of her way to make  my lunch. She always packed me two lunches, two balanced diet lunches. Since she was only temporary, she was only supposed to come at 10 a.m, and goes home at 6 p.m. However, she always comes early only to make our lunches.

Meanwhile, Grandma seems to act different. She, who used to be so content with Bella's help, now looks so tired. She doesn't style her hair anymore. Dark circles appear below both of her eyes. She look old, really old and tired. She stops searching for a real professional maid. Something seems to burden her.  

'With God as my witness, I swear. I swear that there's something with this house!' I hear her complaint to father one night. 'She's there! She's out to get us! She wants revenge!'

'Mom, calm down! Who are you talking about?'

'Your wife! She's going to kill us, Arthur!

He laughs. 'Oh don't be ridiculous! She's already dead!'

'Listen to me, Arthur!'

'Mom! You're exhausted! Please! Rest up.'

I think of nothing of it. After all, tomorrow is the first game of the league. The moment I wake up, I immediately get ready and goes to the basketball court. The first match of the league. Everyone, including me, is nervous, but we manage to pull through. Although we are losing in the first quarter, we come out as the winner. 

I come home with a big smile. The cheers of our friends as we scored, still rings in my head. Our first win! We are so excited, I think that we are going to win this! Despite my happiness, the house feels gloom. The light seems dim, the air feels humid, even the wallpaper flowers looks darker. Not only that, the house is empty, which is weird.

'Grandma?' I try to call her. 'Bella?' 

As I climb the stairs, a sound tickles my ears. It's the sound of water, raining into the bathtub. I notice the bathroom door is open. It's around 6 in the afternoon, so Grandma is probably bathing Dennis, but something is different. I...can't hear anything besides the running water.  Curious, I go inside.

'WHAT THE-'

In the bathtub, Dennis is still sitting inside his baby bathtub, unmoving.

'DENNIS!' 

I frantically pick him up, but the sensation is so weird that I freak out and drop him. He is cold. His body still feels like a human skin. However, it's so limp that it feels more like a bag of flesh and bones. I fall to the ground and starts screaming. I scream so hard that I feel like my throat is going to give out. Then, Grandma comes in in a panic. She takes one look into the bathtub and covers her mouth. I look at her in shock. My heart is beating so hard, that I can't hear my thoughts. I take a deep breath and try to form words. Any word. 

'You did this.'

Grandma exits the room in a hurry. Thinking that I have to do something, I gather myself and run for the phone. I need to tell someone. As I exit the bathroom, Grandma screams. Her scream is followed by the sound of something heavy hitting the floor. I run to the stairs, where Leon is standing. He is shaking while looking down the stairs. I hurry to him and look down as well.  

On the bottom of the stairs, Grandma laid on the floor. Below her, a puddle of blood is growing larger and larger.