The Sokolov Family (Completed)

Chapter 16

16

Steven had come second in the two hundred meter race, he had come second in the shot put, third in javelin and I gave up monitoring any of the other events he took part in. Mum hadn't, she followed him around making sure that he gave no indication of the fact that he was better than the others.

Sofia sat with me in the stands smoking up the admiring glances from the men that would pass. I was looking out for Brian and I hadn't spotted him until he popped up with his friends to have a look at Sofia. When he spotted me looking at him, staring at what he believed was my aunt, he threw a snarl in my direction and rushed off.

'I saw that. Who was he?', Sofia asked.

She had been looking in a different direction, so I was unsure that she was talking about Brian.

'Who was he?', she asked turning to me.

My mouth went to explain that he was just a boy that I didn't get on with at school, but nothing came out and instead my bottom lip started to vibrate.

Sofia put her hand on mine. 'Don't start crying now, everyone you know is here'

'I'm not going to cry', I stammered out and I wasn't until she suggested that I might.

'Out with it', she said sternly. A complete change in character to the person who had been sitting there flirting with every man that passed by.

I wanted to lie, but for some reason I didn't. 'He's a bully and a drug dealer and I think I should kill him as our next victim'

My voice started to rise as I spoke and Sofia put her hand on my leg to calm me. I looked around, but no one gave any indication that they had heard me.

'Listen to me very carefully', she said leaning towards me, 'our feeding issues aren't your's. Leave you father to deal with that. This boy is obviously giving you some trouble and we all experience some during our younger years, but that's all it is. These challenges make you a better person, just stay away from him. One day I'll tell you about how difficult my childhood was'.

I looked at her and smiled. I also felt the weight of my decision to kill Brian fall away from my shoulders.

I relaxed in my chair as Sofia put a comforting arm around me and pulled me close.

It was ten minutes later that I saw Maureen rushing up to where I was seated. I introduced her to Sofia and Sofia seemed pleased to see I had a friend.

'I got you into a race', Maureen said excitedly.

'I told you not to'

'I know. But I didn't think you meant it'

'What is it?'

'The three legged race, with your mum', she paused and looked around, 'your mum is here?'

'Yeah, she's with Steven, but I'm not sure she'll want to do it'

'She'll have to now', Maureen grinned. 'Let's go find her'

The three of us only took a couple of minutes to locate mum. Maureen had seen mum before, but had never actually been introduced to her.

I let Maureen explain about the race.

'....it's the three legged race and it's starting in a few minutes', Maureen conveyed such excitement, mum couldn't refuse.

Reluctantly, mum joined me at the starting line, where my left and her right leg were tied together. We lined up, until the whistle was blown and we were off. Mum was strong and agile, being a vampire, I wasn't. As a result we never found any rhythm, instead we found the ground four times over the fifty meter track and every time we fell mum burst out in fits of laughter. I laughed with her. Her laugh was infectious and Maureen and Sofia who ran along the side were laughing too.

We came in last, but at the end mum gave me hug, like no other I had received from her and later that night when I recalled the moment I realized that it was the first genuine hug I had received from her.