Gone forever?

Chapter 6.

Once I was finished gathering stuff I walked back to the house and went inside. When I stepped inside I smelt the smell of meat cooking. I saw that Marco and Jonah were gone so I went to Jonah's room and found them in there playing a board game. 

"Hey I'm back." 

Marco turned around and smiled. Jonah just smirked at me. 

"Why are you staring at me like that, Jonah?" I asked him.

 Marco turned around and whispered something in his ear. Jonah nodded and smiled at me. I walked back into the kitchen and looked at the pot on the stove. It had chunks of raccoon meat in it. 

I saw that Marco had cleaned off the chop board. I put the stuff I gathered from the woods on the board and started to cut up the food into tiny pieces. 

"So what type of food did you gather?" Asked Marco. 

"Carrots, Celery, Blue berries, Straw berries, and nuts." 

 He nodded and thought about something. 

"What are you thinking about?" 

 "Do you have any seasoning?" He asked me. 

"Ya why?"

 "Cause I was thinking we could make some stew." He said while staring at me. 

"Ya that would be good." I opened up the cabinet that had seasonings in it. He walked over and picked out four seasonings.

 "How about garlic powder, salt and pepper, and oregano." 

"Ya that'd work." I shrugged.

 He smiled and helped me chop up the carrots, nuts, and celery. When we were done we put the stuff in the pot along with the raccoon and let it cook.

 I looked up at the clock. It was already 6:00 and still no sign of my mother. It was starting to get dark outside. I saw Jonah sitting at the kitchen table looking out the window watching for her. 

"Do you see anything?" I asked him.

 He turned around and saw me and smiled. 

"No not yet." He frowned. 

I smiled and kissed the top of his head. 

"Don't worry, she'll be here soon." I reassured him.

 I got up and walked into the living room and sat down next to Marco on the couch. 

"So... while we wait how about we get to know each other." 

I shifted in my seat and I looked at him. His brown eyes were looking around the room and I smiled in response.  

"Okay. What do you want to know?"

 "How old are you? Or just tell me about your family or your childhood." 

He looked slightly uncomfortable and I chuckled in amusement. He sent me a confused look and I just shrugged it off before replying. 

 "Alright, I'm 12 years old, about to turn 13 in three weeks. I have always lived in this house and in fact both me and my brother where born in this house. We never have been down to town, and my dad left me 6 years ago." I told him.

 I felt my eyes water as I spoke of my dad. Those last words he said were permanently stuck in my brain forever. A part of me wonders where he is today, the rest of me could care less if he was even alive. Sounds harsh but he walked out on us with out even a goodbye or a reason. 

Marco noticed me trying to hold back the tears and put his arm around me. I laid my head down on his shoulder and cried. 

"Hey its okay. My mom left me when I was little. My dad goes out every night and comes home drunk. Ever Since my mom left my dad, he's never been the same. He's the one that is suppose to have a job, but I have one instead. And I'm only 13."

I lifted my head and stared at him. He wiped away my tears with his thumbs. I smiled at him. 

"Looks like both of our childhoods suck." I said while laughing.

 He started to laugh to. Just then Jonah walked in the room. 

"Sami, I'm hungry."

I looked at Marco and then back at Jonah. 

"Well I guess I can check if the stew is ready." 

I got up and checked on the stew and sure enough, it was done. I took out three bowls and filled them up with the deliciousness.

 I took the strawberries and blueberries and mushed them up together and put it in the freezer. By the time that dinner will be over, I can pull the frozen berries out of the freezer and put them in the blender and make ice cream.

 I sat back down at the table along with Jonah and Marco. We ate the stew  in peace, the only noise being the sound of the spoons hitting the sides of the bowls.