Ecstasy

Chapter 24

Tyson:

"Tyson!" I heard her voice yell up the stairs and my fingers paused on the guitar strings. The A minor chord cut short. "Tyson honey, if you want any dinner you better come down now."

I held my breath and waited.

There was a beat of silence, before, "Tyson? Are you okay up there?"

I smiled. She was so predictable.

"Yeah," I called back. I unlocked my door and walked to the landing.

Sarah stood at the bottom of the stairs. Her brown fringe was plastered to her forehead with perspiration and her cheeks were flushed. A tea towel was slung over her shoulder.

"Do you want any casserole before your father eats it all?" she asked.

"Yeah," I answered. I walked down the stairs.

"You look sick. Are you okay? Your eyes are all red." She grabbed my chin and turned my face side to side.

"I'm fine. Really." I said.

"Okay, okay!" she said. "When was the last time you washed your hair? It looks like a birds nest."

I shook my head and stepped back, patting my hair back down. She laughed.

"Alright!" she said. "Let's eat."

I followed her into the kitchen. Frank sat at the island bench, a plate of steaming food in front of him. In Sarah's presence he had upgraded to a glass of rum instead of the bottle. It was almost filled to the brim. He ignored me as I sat down beside him–his eyes were attached to the small TV screen sitting on the opposite counter. Sarah placed an overloaded plate of beef casserole in front of me. I picked up my fork and started to push the food around my plate. Sarah stood watching me.

"Okay boys, I've cooked two trays of lasagne and put them in the freezer, so you're set for dinner for the next two weeks. Also the casserole you're eating is in the fridge and must be eaten by the next week or it'll go off. The fridge and pantry are stocked." She paused, "God, it's hot in here."

She stepped up to the sink and opened the window over it. Almost immediately, a breeze of cool air flew into the room and the second I took a breath I erupted into a coughing fit.

"Smoke too much, boy?" Frank's comment was so mumbled with his mouth full of food I almost missed it.

"What?" Sarah asked.

I spoke over her as I regained my voice. "Yeah, like you and that rum old man?"

"Inside voice Tyson." Sarah's firm voice stopped me from any going further. We had to settle for glaring at each other.

Sarah patted my back, "You were just choking, that's all."

Frank scoffed, and mumbled something under his breath.

He stood and said, "Thanks for the dinner Love, and the food for the week. You're too good for us, Sarah."

He got that right. He didn't deserve any of this. He turned his back, grabbed his glass of drink and walked out. Five seconds later the TV from the living room joined the sound of the little one in the kitchen.

Sarah sighed. I turned to her and she smiled a half–hearted smile. I tried one back.

"I'm going home, you be careful okay?" she said, her voice back to its light and soft tone.

I nodded.

"Oh I almost forgot." She took her wallet out from her purse. She pulled out a fifty and started to pass it to me. I shook my head.