A Little Ray of Sunshine

Ch. 1-His Day

Shiaa

Team cursed, looking at the wall clock. It was 7:00 a.m. He jumped out of the bed and dashed to the bathroom, while bumping his right little toe against the dressing table on the way. It took almost 5 minutes for him to finally get dressed. He buttoned his shirt, while frantically searching for his socks. Rummaging through the pile of clothes that lay scattered in his room and in the wardrobe, he finally managed to find a white sock, but the other piece was missing. "Ah! There it is," Team finally found the missing piece under his bed after about 10 minutes of searching. The space between the ground and the bed was very narrow, so getting under the bed to find the sock was obviously a bad choice. Team looked around and finally grabbed an old tennis racquet that lay in the corner of his wardrobe, using it to take the sock out.

After dressing up, Team checked himself in the mirror and sighed. "How can someone look this ugly in a school uniform?" He mumbled as he fixed the white shirt that he wore. It was big enough to fit in another person besides him, because according to his mother, Team only has one year of school left and he could use the same uniform until then. The blue trousers that he wore were lengthy that he had to fold it near his ankle to prevent it from dirtying. "Team, are you planning to come out today?" he heard his mother shout from the living room. But, Team was not in the mood to answer. After minutes of struggling with his necktie, he finally gave up. "As if the things strangling me aren't enough," Team muttered, while shoving the tie into his pocket.
He knew that today wasn't his day right from the moment he woke up. He missed the morning jog with his father, which meant his breakfast would be cut to half for today.

Team's father was a swimmer during his high school and college days. He even participated in many competitions at the national level. But, an unexpected injury cut short his stint. His father was overjoyed when the Team was born. He wished for his son to continue his dream. So, Team was made to jog from a very young age and had a strict diet to maintain his fitness. He also had to join swimming lessons, both private and at school, that he detested. He almost drowned in the first week and later had nightmares about it. Team even hugged his mother and cried, hoping she would find a way out for him. But, his father was adamant and asked the eight year old to "man up," whatever that meant. From then on, the posters of various superheroes that adorned the walls of Team's room were replaced with those of famous swimmers. Team's father hoped that his son would feel motivated if he saw those posters the first thing in the morning.

Team loved tennis at some point, the only thing that piqued his interest in his monotonous life. So, he had secretly joined the school tennis club. But his father soon discovered the tennis racquet that Team had bought with his pocket money and he saw the angriest version of his father that day. After that, the boy never touched the racquet, except for grabbing something from under his bed or the rack. As he grew up, Team gradually became the black sheep of the family. He had no choice, but to go on with his swimming lessons. However, he was often blamed for doing it out of force, when swimming wasn't even his interest in the first place. He also sucked at studies and whomever he met always compared Team to his younger brother, thus adding to the 16-year old's misery.

"Team, what are you doing there?" he could hear his mother's voice, this time angrier. "Coming," Team mumbled before taking the red school bag that lied near the dressing table. The next moment, his eyes grew wide and he cursed under his breath on seeing the thick green piece of paper that lay on the table. The bold black letters beside the school emblem at the top of the paper said, "REPORT CARD." He looked at the grades printed on his report card and sighed. Out of 100, he had scored below 60 in each subject and the lowest score was for Mathematics, 38. Most of the questions asked for the exam were from geometry, the portion that he hated the most. The boy knew that he was about to face death today, either at the hands of his parents, if he showed them the scores, or at the hands of Mrs. Sequira, if he didn't get the card signed. Well, getting killed by Mrs. Sequira is better, he thought and shoved the card into his bag.

"Oh mae, please sign the report card for me. I forgot to show it yesterday. I have topped the exams this time as well," Team's heart stopped at the voice of the little devil of a younger brother he has, squealing from the living room. This brat! I am legit dead now. Team so wished that the ground would swallow him at that moment.

He waited for another five minutes, before opening the door to his room. He couldn't sense any movement in the corridor to the living room. An eerie silence lingered in the air, the kind that gives you chills just before a ghost jumps in front of you in horror movies. Team sneaked into the living room, wishing for his mother to be in the kitchen. But to his utter disappointment, she was there at the dining table serving breakfast to his dad. What's with those stares? Team looked towards the sofa at his right, where his brother was sitting, all dressed up, his head buried inside a book titled, "How to Be Successful at a Young Age?" As if all he's doing now is not enough to pull me down.

"Mix," Team whispered. But his brother didn't respond. "Mix," Team called again to which the younger lifted his head and looked at his elder brother. Mix, three years younger, was similar to Team in appearance, but their similarity ended there. The younger had better brains and was well behaved, according to their parents. Mix raised his eyebrows, as if questioning Team. "What's happening?" the elder boy asked, pointing towards their parents. "They are fighting again. Don't ask me why, because I don't know, " Mix answered and went back to burying his head into the book.

The parents' fight was a usual scene in the morning. The brothers were kind of used to it. But this was the first time the parents were limiting themselves to cold stares. Usually, there would be a war of words. Team usually feels hurt every time his parents fight. But, today, he feels blessed. He could at least escape from showing them his report card.

The parents were silent the whole time at the dinner table. Team felt the need to escape as soon as possible, and tried to shove the boiled vegetables and rice down his throat as fast as he could, while choking in the process. His mother glared at him and placed a glass of water in front of Team that he gulped down in hurry. "Why are you rushing so much today? There's still time for the school bus to come," his mother said. Team just nodded his head in response and turned to meet the angry eyes of his father. Team looked down immediately and continued eating.

"Why are you acting weird today?" Mix asked as Team ran towards the door to wear his shoes, his brother following him. Team didn't respond. Idiot! I would have smacked him on the head right now if our parents weren't watching, he thought.

"Bye mae, bye phorh," both brothers called out in unison. The father didn't respond, while their mother looked at them and nodded her head. Team sighed in relief. One disaster averted, he thought in his mind and turned to leave, but had to stop in the tracks the next moment he heard his mother's voice from behind. "Team, what about your report card?" she asked. Team could feel his heart almost pop out of his chest,  as he turned to look at his mother. "I..I didn't get it. Mrs. Sequira was on leave. May be I'll get it today," he lied, while crossing his fingers. "Ok. Go now or you'll be late," his mother said, as she closed the door. Team sighed for the second time in five minutes and walked towards the bus stop.