Chit and Jake

Jake

As we rounded the corner onto my street I tried to look anywhere but at Chits imploring gaze. He was watching me, not in a creepy way, just in a worried way. Neither Chit nor I liked it when either of us was keeping things from the other. The secret about his real name, which he'd kept up until middle school, was something which had left me feeling very betrayed and untrustworthy. At the time I often thought things like; 'Why couldn't he tell me earlier?' And 'Were we not as close as I had thought?' He'd known my name was Jacob since preschool, so what was the difference? To this day I still don't know, but I've almost let it go. Chit once said,'All in good time, okay?' to me in year four, how he was so mature at that age still astounds me.
"Jake, you're okay though right? There's nothing wrong? Nothing's bothering you? Is everything between you and your mum okay?" Chit said slowly dragging me out of my thoughts.
"Yeah. No. I don't know. I'm just...yeah. You get me?" I said, confusing even myself but to my surprise Chit replied with a small, simple "Yeah... I do." We continued to walk in comfortable silence all the way to my front door, neither of us bothering to fill the space with pointless words.

As we walked towards my house we glanced towards each other with panicked expressions before the front door swung open violently revealing an excited, bubbly woman. A wide grin stretched across my mother's face as she enveloped us in a bear hug squealing, "My boys!"
"Mum, can you just. Ergh. Let go of us." I grumbled as Chit laughed.
"Hey, Mrs Dalton." Chit greeted warmly as my tactile mother released us from her clutches.
"Oh please, call me Sarah." She chuckled, inviting us in with a simple wave of her hand.
As we walked into my house, Chit smiled at the abundance of photographs of us decorating the brightly coloured walls, almost as if he were lost deep in the memories. Mum being the sentimental person she was, meant that there were never a shortage of photos around the house. Although the year had only recently begun, there were already at least four recent photos of us loitering on the walls.
"Dears! Do you want some cookies? They're fresh out of the oven!" Mum called happily from the kitchen.
"Uh, no thanks mum. We're right." I replied but after seeing Chits devastated face, I reluctantly made my way to the kitchen with him following close behind.
"Ah, Jakey! Did the smell get to you? Couldn't resist?" She replied ignoring the deep scowl embedded on my face.
"These are delicious Mrs- I mean, Sarah!" Chit exclaimed joyfully. Well wasn't he the little kiss ass today? In truth they were terrible. Well, for me anyway. Chit loves mums Jaffa cookies, I however despise them; they were dad's favourite. Turning, I started to head out of the kitchen towards the large spiral stairway which led upstairs to my room.
"Going up to your room so soon Jakey?" Mum asked sadly.
"Yeah I am. We've gotta do that homework for Mrs Jackson tonight otherwise she'll skin us alive. You coming Chit?" I asked, doing everything possible to keep my mother from holding us captive in the kitchen. She was trying to keep Chit and I in 'family areas' so she could keep an eye on us. It's ridiculous, she really should trust us by now.
"Yeah, you're right. We better finish that off." He replied as he followed me up the staircase to my room. The overwhelming scent of Jaffa cookies following us forced flashes of old, now painful, memories of my father.

"Hey daddy! Look what mumma made! Jaffa cookies! Our favourite!"I exclaimed like the over excitable four year old I was. "Hey! Daddy?"
"Oh. Uh, yes son! Sorry, daddy had some business to take care of. Now, what was it you were saying...oh yes! Jaffa cookies." Dad replied, seemingly in a trance. Lately daddy hasn't been looking well...I'm worried about him.
"Jacob. Come here; bring the cookies with you out onto the decking."He begun with a frown firmly planted on his face as he turned his back towards me to head outside.
"O-okay!" I replied reaching for the cookies which I almost dropped as I followed him outside, blissfully unaware of what would come next. As I neared the man I idolised and admired an unusual musky scent clung to him strongly.
"Now boy, you need to understand this, before nobody's left to tell you." He breathed in deeply as a hint of anger flared within his gaze. He grabbed me roughly by my shoulders, catching me off guard as he began shaking me as he ranted and raved slowly growing in volume as he spoke.
"Don't be weak. Be strong. Be someone everybody fears. Fear is how you control people, how you make it to the top, it's how you become successful. Be the man pushing people around instead of the person being pushed. Stand up for yourself in life and never fail to discipline those who wrong you. You don't need friends; friends are people you tell secrets too, people you trust with every part of your being, they're people you depend on. Friends and family are every mans greatest weaknesses. Family is something you need in order to be claimed as successful but always keep their location and routines private, besides you don't need one until you're at the top of the corporate world. You must never depend on others; they'll only hurt and betray you. A lone wolf is the type of man you want to be son."
Listening intently to the great successful man that was my father, I absorbed every single word that left his mouth like a sponge, soaking up what was my first piece of life advice from him. From the kitchen we could hear mum and her girlfriends obsessing over how adorable and innocent I was and complaining at how their kids wouldn't wear nice clothes or anything pink and would always go outside and get filthy and get into fights. Dad heaved a deep sigh and put his head in his hands. Dad begun shouting, he was angry now. "Why the hell am I the one stuck with a fag for a son? Why are you acting so girly boy? Tell me! Why have you got your hair so long and why do you like dressing 'properly' all the time? Why don't you like getting dirty and playing sports? Do you wish to make a mockery of this family you indecent little boy? Why do you wear these stupid headbands to hold your hair back just cut it off if it's that much of a bother! Start acting like a man. You are one so be one for Christs sake! At this rate you'll be seen as gay; a faggot! Is that what you want?! Well too bad that's not happening! We are a good Christian family with good Christian values, you hear? God did not intend for homosexuality and those who are anything but straight are going to hell! You understand? Do you want to go to hell? Lose the girly shit boy, you'll ruin my reputation. Do you wish to soil our family name? Do you want to be a disappointment? I'd rather a stupid moron then a prissy boy like you for a son! What a disgrace you are!" He paused to take a breath and just as he was about to continue momma burst out onto the decking with rage filling her entire being, flaring from her nostrils and seeping from her eyes. My vision blurred as tears welled in my eyes as the truth of what father had said hit me.
"Josh! Have you been drinking!? What in heaven's name have you done to our son?!" She screamed throwing her arms around wildly but managed to calm herself down before turning to me and saying, "Jakey...it's okay. There's no need to cry."
"Jesus Christ Sarah! No it's not! Stop babying him like that! How will he grow up?A gay? A mummy's boy? Is that what you want? To raise a stupid faggot for a son? Grow up!"
"You know Josh you're a lovely person until you start drinking!" Mum retaliated, still shouting. My vision cleared as my tears fell. Dad's expression changed from angry to hurt after hearing mothers comment.
"Jakey, please go up to your room. Mummy and Daddy need to have a chat but I'll be up as soon as we've finished." Mum said gently wiping away my tears and wrapping me into a warm, love-filled hug. Turning away from my now silent parents I headed up to my room. As I sat on my bed I could still hear them arguing and see them from my window. I don't know why I watched, but I did.
"Honey..." Dad began, calmer now.
"No. Don't you dare 'honey' me." Mum shot back angrily.
"I'm sorry...I know I'm drunk and you're mad but I do love you. Really I do." Dad placed his head in his hands as he said this, but not before I glimpsed the look of fear which flashed across his face.
"What about him Josh!? Do you love Jake?" Mum asked expectantly, a glimmer of hope in her eyes as she turned to face her husband.
"I could never love trash as low him. But I truly do love you with every part of my being. Sweetheart, you complete me." Dad admitted blatantly, crushing any chance of redemption.
"If you love me then don't drink again. Start paying attention to our son, in a good way. Be home more often. Go on family trips with us. Eat dinner at the table. Please Josh?" She pleaded, trying her hardest not to do anything drastic.
"Yeah...okay. I'm sorry gorgeous. Our son needs to man up though." Dad agreed as he rose from his chair and tentatively wrapped his arms around mum.

OoO
Authors note: Italics are a flashback