A slow fall

Chapter 39 - Caleb

    Adam linked my arm as soon as we stood up, quickly manoeuvring me through the crowd as the church slowly erupted into polite small talk. The sun was peaking out behind gray clouds, trying but failing to claim the sky. Adam only stopped walking once we were beside our parents car, going as far as to duck beneath the windows and out of view.

He wasn't successful. "You do realise people can see your big fat head?"

"Hey-"

"And," I gestured to myself, "all of me." He yanked me down beside them—covert mission number two.

"Now, we hide."

"Maybe I'll just start shouting. 'Ladies, he's over here'" When I began pointing at him to emphasise this, the fighting began. Elbows ended up in faces, knees taken to the stomach, and our attempt at silence was completely forgotten about.

"I tap out. I tap out." Adam was puffed from where he knelt above me and from the corner of my eye I could see his arms held high in the air, a gesture of victory. When he took too long to move, instead claiming aloud his awesomeness, I turned until I could reach him. The element of surprise worked in my favour and we were wrestling once more, the gravel stones on the floor leaving imprints on our skin and scuffing our clothes.

Our happiness was short-lived. 

"Boys," dads voice was as harsh as ever, "What are you doing?"

"Get up right now." Mom hissed from beside him.

As we stood, I noticed the small crowd we had drawn, faces a mixture of amusement and disgust. I looked at Adam, saw the wide grin on his face and thought maybe it was okay. When my brothers were here things felt easier.

"In the car. Now."

They left no room for argument, all but shoving us into the backseat as they claimed the front. The pastor's wife Mary stood at the front of the crowd, concern etched deep into the lines of her face. Mom said a few parting words which appeased the crowd and her enough for her seat to be claimed. Dad drove off almost immediately. I watched as his grip tightened on the steering wheel, his hands ringing the leather so tight I swore it would crack beneath his grip.

"What was that?" Mom waited until we rounded the corner and the church was out of sight.

"Sorry." Me and Adam said in unison, one full of fear and regret, the other barely hidden amusement.

"That's not good enough. You're grown men, you shouldn't be behaving like children. It's embarrassing. What will people think of us now?"

I wanted to plead for their forgiveness, tell them we'd make amends and repent for the mistakes we'd made, but Adam spoke when the words failed to reach me. This time he did sound apologetic.

"We really are sorry mom. We just got a bit carried away, we didn't mean any harm by it."

Despite her previous anger, Adam's words seemed to soften her slightly, enough for her to turn back towards us, the heat in her voice turned down a notch. "I understand, but you can't be behaving like that. Especially not outside of church. It's disrespectful."

"Sorry mom." We both said again, and while she wasn't satisfied that seemed to be enough for now.

"Okay, let's forget about it for a bit. It's Adam's only day here and we need to celebrate." Her pointer finger tapped against her lip as she thought. "How about we go for lunch, hm? There's that new cafe people are talking about that's opened just outside of town. Maybe we could try that? What do you say Tony?"

Dad didn't speak, just let out a grunt as he manoeuvred the car in the direction mom spoke of. The atmosphere stayed tense the whole journey. Adam tried cracking jokes, and sometimes mom laughed, but that was it. I tried, but I felt heavy again. That darkness always precariously on the edge closing in just a bit more.