One Way Bridge

Long walks

"Where  are coming from young lady? " mum's harsh scold welcomes me. Anne is perched up on a couch watching Gossip Girl.
"I went for a walk." I lie. At least partly . Shoving my hands deeper into the pockets of my coat.
"What kind of walk takes six hours ? " she barks at me .
"Long ones." I mutter under my breathe .
"Point is mum and I were worried sick about you Sam . " Anne finally decides to speak up . She looks completely drained.
"And you missed your sister's dinner rehearsal. " Mum adds.
"Oh,shit." I curse . I completely forgot .
I rush over to Anne and throw my arms around her .She lets me for a while before she pushes me away so fast I land on the floor. Mum glances at her. She is standing so stiff before me. I look from Anne to mum and they both have the same posture . Stiff as statues. Both their breathing rates are fast and strained .
" Are you two okay?" I ask getting up.
" Yes, we  just had too much to drink,didn't we mum?"
Anne replies though it sounds like she is fighting with her words and trying her best not to snap me in half rather than giving a calm explanation .
"Yes ,we did. " mum sounds the same.
"How bout you go up and get changed while your sister and I set the table." She speaks behind clenched teeth.
"No, I want to help." I object because that is my job at hone every evening since I was a kid . I try to take a step forward but they both shout in syn,
"No!"I stop in my tracks and glance weirdly at them both.
" okay.."I sigh.
" I mean I can do it today . I really don't mind." Anne offers me a strained smile.
"Yes, and besides you look tired." Mum adds. Since when did she care? I finally give up and decide to walk to my room . May be I was still hallucinating.
 
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I return downstairs after taking a long hot shower and safely placing the bracelet that Raphael gave me in my drawer. I will just where it tomorrow .
The dinning table is set but mum and Anne are no where in sight. Strange. They are always the first at dinner. I shrug it off and sit by myself . I could  smell the pork ribs from my room which was only a sigh that I was starving.
The two finally come out from the back yard and sit down with me. I serve my food and start eating in silence .
"You were with that boy from the mall?" Mum asks but I can tell it isn't a question.
"His name's Raphael." I correct her shoving a fork full of lettuce into my mouth .
"It doesn't matter." She retorts.
"I don't want you anywhere near him."Her words just crush me.
" No, he did nothing wrong!Anne tell her." I bang my palm on the table standing up. Both Anne and mum are startled by it.
"May be Mum is right this time , Sam." Anne supports mum.
"What ?Are you crazy?I know I missed your rehearsal but that doesn't mean you should turn against me!" I yell at her in disbelief.
"It's not about me."Anne groans.
" It's always about you. "I crock ,my voice breaking in the middle of my speech as tears start to roll down my face. I always thought she was different from mum but now I knew I was wrong and it hurt. Almost as much as the moment they told me dad died.
" Sam ,you are overreacting . We just don't think he is a good influence on you," Anne tries once more to convince me .
"Crap!You don't know shit about influence. You have no idea what it feels like to be 10and fatherless. You don't know what it feels like to have no one to talk or run to when you get beaten up in the bathroom because you are not as good as your sister or as influential as your mother so don't you dare preach to me about bad influences.!"
"QUIET!" Mum yells at the both of us.
"You are not seeing him again. period!"mum announces her final verdict.
"Then neither will you be seeing me again." I replying running out of the house through the back door.
"Sam! Sam!" Anne calls out to me before mum says,
"Let her go. She'll be back."
I groan. No I won't . Why couldn't they understand anything I felt. Why couldn't they see that I was merely flesh and blood ?Susceptible to nervous shock and heartbreak .Why did they treat me like I was moulded out of titanium and not dirt like the rest.
It reminded me of a quote ,
From dirt you are created and to dirt you will return.

I wanted to return to dirt now. I really did.