The Unknown

Part 1

I

Thanksgiving has always been the best way that could gather my whole family around a table. In an atmosphere full of joy and intimacy, we surrounded a roasted turkey in the dining room in my house. Conversations between all the chairs took place mixed with loud laughs. Family gatherings are meaningless without discussing the happy moments and memories we all experienced together, and according to my simple observations of the spoken words between my visitors, I can tell proudly that we are a very happy family. When everyone has finished his dish, I didn't find it strange to find myself the only one still sitting on the table chewing the last bite of the meal. I guess these extra 20 kilograms I had were because I am a gluttonous person who never gets full. My wife Elizabeth discussed this matter with me several times. It's always embarrassing to look to someone's eyes accidently while eating to see him looking at you disgusted or surprised from the monstrous way you are eating with.

 It's the thanksgiving of 2019, and it's only four days away from my twenty-seventh birthday. My wife considers my birthday the most important day of the whole year. More important than our anniversary, and even her birthday. She always prepares for this day without telling me about it, however, I know her enough to guess what present she would give to me before it shows up. I joined the rest after lunch in the house garden to continue these series of unfinished speeches. I sat next to Elizabeth, holding my cup of iced tea. It was the first occasion that my house fit over 20 persons–not counting the annoying kids that burn my nerves. It was a quite responsibility to host this number in my new house. The first visits leave the longtime impression about any place, which I did my best to try to make it good. It was only our first month in this place, so I didn't have a chance to rectify the garden from the nature's annoying elements. I didn't find it odd to hear the chirping frogs or the sound of crickets coming from different corners. Small animals and insects always annoyed me, I don't fear them anyway, but it wasn't a good day to show this in front of this crowd, not today, not here. After my tea, I felt full that my eyelids were heavy, and I believed that the chair I was sitting on would be where I sleep tonight. I fought this feeling and stretched myself where I sat. 

My uncle George was talking to his daughter Hollie, discussing her marriage date, obviously. She was going to be married to their neighbor, Jack, in three weeks. She excused him to refill her tea cup when my uncle laid his eyes on me, and his whole face expression was altered in a heartbeat. He looked at me in terror before standing slowly from his chair. I looked at him with inquiring eyes while putting the cup on the table. He walked towards me in the slowest of steps. I started to feel this is not a joke anymore. 

"Cody, don't move a muscle" he told me slowly.

 "What is it?" I asked.

 "I said don't move a muscle, and whatever happened don't look at your shoulder" he continued.

My wife jumped from her place next to me and everybody ran to stand behind my uncle. I felt terror sneak into my veins, besides I couldn't breathe normally. I felt a great power of curiosity moving my neck and eyes to know what's so dangerous that's on my shoulder. I couldn't bare it after all, and I looked to see a small snake writhing on my shoulder. I gave a cry while throwing it away from me in a spontaneous way that I wasn't aware of. My uncle chased the snake and smashed its head with his boots. When he came back they all looked at me to make sure I was alright. I could tell from their looks at me that it was more terrifying to me than those when they saw the snake. They found me standing in wet pants falling my last droplet or fear I have to make a small yellow bond between my legs. My feelings were confused at this particular moment. I was still terrified, and I was embarrassed. The kids came to join the dramatic scene that no one gets to see in his life, and some of them started laughing. The majority of my visitors excused me to leave to avoid their existence in this moment. Some beat their children while dragging them to the gate. The crowd kept shrinking till there wasn't anybody but my wife who stood next to me patting on my shoulder. She drove me inside to the bathroom and I was absent minded that I didn't know what happened after two hours of my shower. I joined my wife in our room. 

"What happened, Cody? You don't fear snakes that much. I even started believing you don't fear anything at all." She said.

"No, I don't fear snakes, not a bit, but I think I have a good explanation for that" I said

She stretched herself on the bed as a sign of curiosity and will to hear all I got.

"I will tell you why did that happen. It was back in 2005," I started.