Rugged To The Core

Chapter 74

Song for chapter: Hold Back The River By James Bay

Abel

     The sound of approaching footsteps riveted his gaze to the entrance of the kitchen where he found his mother donning her robe. She had one hand against the doorframe, the other tucked into the pocket of the robe.

You shouldn't be up...

"What are you doing?" She enquired.

Abel turned to literally look down at the counter where a tray sat. "Well, I made you breakfast..." He stretched a hand to show her his work. "Tea, eggs and bread."

Silence.

"I don't feel like eating that." She said.

Ouch...

Try not to think of all the hassle you went through to prepare it...

"Oh okay..." He responded, lifting the plate with one hand.

He walked to the bin and tilted the plate, letting the contents fall into the dirt. Unfortunately, the plate slipped from his hand and fell too, crashing in bin. Abel couldn't tell if it had fallen by accident or if he'd been so angry he'd thrown it himself.

Ah, fuck it...

"I'm sorry about the... plate." He uttered, backing her as he approached the tray. He picked up the mug and made to empty it in the sink but she stopped him.

"Ah-I'll have the tea."

Abel stopped himself from emptying the mug and turned to look at her.

~*~*~*~

It was five in the morning, sun hadn't risen, it was still very dark outside. The generator was still on but most of the lights were off, all the chandeliers were off, only the coloured nights were on. However, it was still bright enough to see.

Abel found his mother sitting on the floor, by the side of the davenport, with the mug in both hands. From where she sat, there was a beautiful view of the outdoor swimming pool through the french doors. Abel crouched to join his mother sitting on the floor. He'd long taken off his jacket and was now in nothing but a white t-shirt. He was now barefoot too.

Silence reigned between them. Abel noticed how beautiful the pool looked due to the lights under the water that were on.

"I always wondered why we moved into a house like this." He expressed his distaste. "I mean, noone swims. I hated coming out back to see this. It just seemed a little too much."

"We didn't build the house. This is an estate, the pool was already here." She reminded him, sipping from her tea.

"I mean... you could've found another place..." He droned. "Okay, here's another thing. When Dad... died, we could've moved out too. This house is dark, it's like his presence can still be felt. I remember still feeling trepidation whenever I looked or had to walk in..." He turned to the left to point at the armchair situated by the french doors. The chair stood out like a king's throne. That had been his father's favourite chair, he hardly sat anywhere else. "... that direction. And then there's this senseless pool... We never used it." Abel hardly went out those french doors, it was too much. First he would have to pass his father's armchair and see him seated there.

"The old house was where I raised both you and your sister. And I had to say goodbye to that. When we came here, you were still my little boy, when your father died, I couldn't throw beautiful memories away like - watching you ride your bike at the front, having you sit on the counter whilst I cooked or having to introduce you to your favourite cartoons again right on this sofa. You'd literally become a child again, my child." She said the last two words so softly it warmed his insides.