Dark Alley

Dark Alley

©2014

A.N.: I would like to dedicate this book to my family. Who keeps me away from isolation and who taught me to adapt the real world.

Prologue

I can still remember the day when I celebrated my birthday with a party for the first time.

I describe it as a miraculous day. No one in the family was working except for house chores. My mother wasn't fond of cooking, she had never cooked anything for the family until my birthday. She was preparing mashed potatoes with curry sauce, the one we used to take out every first Sunday of the month after we attend church.

I asked my mom whether she wanted my assistance or if there was something I could do for the party. I was worried about her being stressed out especially now that she is carrying a baby inside her for quite a long time. I can see my mom exerting all the efforts actually. Eventually, she laid the ladle on the pot of curry sauce and took a break.

Mom turned to me. She strokes my hair with her hands and said: "This is your day, how about you spend some time exploring the house or sitting beside dad?"

I nodded. Exploring the house was a bad idea, I wanted to tell her. We live in a very narrow apartment in a middle of two dark alleys which I never dared to pass whenever I get home from school. Basically, there was not enough space to be explored in our squeaking and antique apartment.

Mom kissed me in the cheek. Her sweaty palms were shivering and her blue eyes were shaking. It instantly got me terrified that I quickly pulled myself back. I never had an intimate contact with my mom for ages. She had never done that to me.

I ran towards my dad who was sitting on his favorite couch in the living room. My dad, as usual, was listening to jazz from our old turn table. The turn table and Dad's vinyl tapes were the most expensive possession that we still had. Dad insisted on selling them. He used to tell me that he'd never give up on them every time my mom cries in front of him every night enumerating the lists of debts we had to pay.

If only I could do something.

"Forster your guests are about to come," I heard mom said. "Let's not be rude and let's prepare."

My Guest? The first thing that popped out of my mind were the greedy and intimidating faces of the kids at school. My stomach twisted. I didn't remember inviting one, not even Sally - the nicest girl in my class, because if I did, she would've still turned it down, in a nice way.

I ran towards my room. I ran fast that my foot hit the rusty plywood of the staircase leaving a permanent hole in the stairs. I hid in my room for a long time. I could hear the car engines turning off from downstairs. I peered through the window and saw a new Volkswagen parked in from of our gate. Clearly, my parents did not invite any kids from my neighborhood. I continued looking outside. My parents were outside to greet the two grown men who were leaving in their car.

Not wanting to be rude, I stood beside my parents outside and greeted the men with a nod. I wrapped my arms around my mom's hip, I may have mentioned about how rarely we give each other contacts, but this time, I wasn't frightened about her sudden intimacy, but rather, I was frightened about the men who couldn't stop looking at me.

"Mom who are they?" I asked. My hands were shaking and so was my whole body but my fatal limbs froze. Mother held each sides of my shoulders with her palms, the warmth of her hands seemed to calm me down.

Mom didn't answer my question.

"Is he the one we'll be taking?" The taller man asked, he was tall and muscular, maybe twice as tall as I am and maybe a hundred times bigger. I look at my mother as she slowly nodded to him.

"Perhaps you may want to stay over for dinner," Mother replied. I felt intrigued with what the man recently asked her, and how she seemingly ignored it. "You see, Marcus and I hadn't spoken a word about your plans for our son. Perhaps, you want to explain to Foster the things we couldn't."

Mother tilted her head down and looked at.

"Mom what's happening?" I whispered. My eyes teared up.

"Shut up you little twat!" Mom whispered back, enough for me to only hear it. I thought for once, she wouldn't give me the stare of an evil lady. This is how my mom calls me every single day.

My father was the next one to face me. I beg him not to leave me but all he did was ruin my hair by shaking his hand on my head as he says, "You'll be alright."

The men agreed to have dinner with us inside. They didn't eat even a spoonful of mashed potatoes on their plates. Mom was busy talking to them. They were talking about me. It wasn't as if there was something interesting about me. Mom kept giving hints of laughs but the men were drop dead scribbling on their notes and kept asking questions. Dad however kept himself busy leaving and coming from his seat to the turning table to adjust the jumping tracks.

After dinner, my parents didn't mind going outside as the men where leading me inside their car. They didn't bring anything with me. No clothes, stuffed toys, or anything.

"Fuck those parents," I hear the man said to the other man who was starting the engine. We left in the evening. That was the last day I existed in the outside world.