We All Fall Down

Chapter 18

John

I woke to loud crashing noises in the kitchen. Rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I looked over and squinted at the clock. 6:09 am. Part of me wanted to believe that she was actually going to attempt to make breakfast, but I knew better. I rolled onto my side to look at Ben. His mop of blonde hair shot out in every direction. His mouth hung open letting out a rattled snore, while a bony arm draped over the side of the bed. Ben is five years younger than me but more mature than anyone I knew.

I had known for a long time that our family was different. We didn't have any strange religious beliefs or traditions. That would have been easier to explain. We lived a middle-class life like most everyone else. However, one evening when I'd had my friends Mickey and Roach over, they'd asked whose room was across from mine and Ben's. Roach hovered in the hallway, eyeing the pinks and oranges.

"You never told me you had a sister!" he'd grinned.

"I don't. That's my mom's room," I'd replied, flicking the lights on and tossing my backpack onto my bed.

"Your mom's? Your parents have different rooms?" Mickey asked, his brows squeezed together in confusion.

"Don't yours?" I'd replied as heat crept up the base of my neck. Humiliation throbbed in my ears as they both shook their heads no.

I knew that other moms didn't start ripping their wallpaper down because there were 'spies' between the seams. They didn't throw expired vienna sausages on a plate for dinner if Dad wasn't home to cook. Mom claimed the seventies were all about change and freedom. Our maid, Delores said the only thing that was noteworthy about that time, is that mom completely lost her mind.

In the weeks leading up to my eighteenth birthday, I'd felt a sense of calm. I was escaping. I'd gotten a scholarship. Roach and Mickey planned out a road trip to celebrate, and of course, Roach made sure we had girls coming along. One girl in particular that I'd wanted to get to know better since the moment she moved to our school. I made a point never to date. Dating eventually meant meeting each other's parents.

But that summer, I would have a full week before my adult life began. A full week away from my parents, away from responsibilities. I heard my mom call out for my dad who apparently was not coming, because the next thing I heard is, "John! Please come give me a hand!"

She hadn't cooked in years, and I knew she was already overwhelmed with the task, so I stretched and tossed a pillow at my brother to wake him up. Ben grunted and threw his covers back. I contemplated leaving before anyone woke up, not wanting to face the difficulty of saying goodbye to my brother, but I decided he deserved better. I would miss him.

We shuffled down the dim hallway, shielding our eyes against the bright lights as the kitchen came into focus. The little bit of optimism I'd felt just moments before, immediately drained from me. She had found and placed all breakfast items necessary and placed them on the counter. However, they were filled with nail polish bottles and were surrounded by every other item that formerly filled the cabinets and drawers. Ben and I stood there in horror as we both understood we would be late for school.

"Happy birthday to you," Ben grumbled under his breath and scratched his head.

She yelled from behind a mound of cutlery and cans of beans. "OH! It's your birthday?!"

I gave her a tight smile and lightly elbowed Ben. It was better that she hadn't remembered because now...

"I'm going to make you a cake!" She jabbed her finger at me. Her eyes were wild, her smile too big as she whirled around, knocking things over that crowded the countertops.