Hansel and Gretel

Breakfast and a Swing

Hansel

        When I wake up, the sun is streaming through the window and directly into my face.  'Odd.  Gretel usually gets me up for gambling earlier on our off days.'  I get off the bed and stretch.  I look up at the top bunk and go over to wake Gretel when I notice that she isn't there.  As I pull some clothes out of the drawer I whisper into the oddly silent house, “Maybe she went to the store...  She hasn't been waking me up like she's suppose to recently.  I wonder what's up with that.”  As I pull my shirt on, I exit my room and walk into a rare sight.  Rosea is sitting at the table in the kitchen eating a small bowl of dry grains and yogurt.  That one snack would have cost me a whole week of textile factory wages.  “So I see you're finally waking up, lazy boy.  You should be out doing something productive, but instead you lay inside all day do nothing.”

        As she's lecturing me I glance over at the antique clock hanging on the wall.  9:00 A.M.  I bet she hadn't been awake for less than thirty minutes, and the thought fills me with anger.  I open my mouth to say something I would regret, but right when Rosea is about to get a mouthful of sarcasm, I feel a large hand close around my shoulder.  “Good morning, son.  I trust you slept well?”  Father...  I couldn't talk back to Rosea with him around.  “Of course, Father!  I hope you slept well too.”  “Well I'm glad to hear that, son.  Would you like to go out to breakfast with Rosea and myself?”  The way his voice sounded, I could tell it wasn't a request.  “Of course, Father, but I think Rosea might have already eaten,” I say this as I gesture at Rosea and her bowl.  “This is only a light snack.  I was feeling a bit peckish,” I can hear the hostility in her words and I feel Father's fingers tighten around my shoulder in warning.  “Well now that that's settled, you should go wake Gretel.”  “I'm sorry, Father, but Gretel isn't here.  I guess it'll just be the three of us this morning.”

        After we gave Rosea an hour to prepare, we left for the Restaurant District.  It was a twenty minute tram ride to the West Side of the city, but the ride felt like hours in the awkward silence.  When we finally got there, we went in the nearest breakfast restaurant.  We were seated in the black section and Rosea nearly left then and there.  But Father finally calmed her down and we placed our orders.  I had a small french toast, Father ordered a sausage biscuit, and Rosea got the most expensive thing out  of all of us, a large order of pancakes with extra syrup.  While we ate, Father tried to hold a conversation, but neither Rosea nor I were having any of it.  The silence was icy between us.  She knew that I knew that she was wasting money on purpose.  She should have taken the hint when Father and I both ordered small.  She was the reason Gretel and I had to leave.  The only one at the table who didn't know was Father.

        When we got ready to pay, I pull the fifteen notes I needed to pay out of my pocket.  I wait while Father pays for their check.  I see the look of pain on his face when he pulled out his billfold and almost didn't have enough to cover it.  We ride home in the same silence that we came in, and when we get home Gretel is still out.  “Thanks for letting me go with you guys, I had fun.”  I don't really want to talk to them, so I turn and head toward the tram again.  It's only noon now, so I head over to the Entertainment District where my favorite thing in the city is.  When I get off the tram it's 1:00 PM and the sun is starting to bare down on me.  I veer over to the Theater to see what's playing, but it's just a RomCom, so I walk on.  My walk leads me to an old abandoned park.

        Gretel and I used to come here all the time with our mom.  Back then, it wasn't abandoned.  It was shiny and new and children crawled all along it.  But now everything is rusty.  All the kids nowadays are at home playing video games, but I make it a point to come to this park as often as I can.  I sit down on the rusty swing set and push.  I swing and remember my mom and the good days.  Mother was always so nice and warm.  She was killed when I was five, so I don't remember a lot about her.  I remember that she looks exactly like Gretel.  I remember the way it felt to be loved and cared for.  I swing for a while, getting higher and higher, letting my head fall back so I can see the sun when I go up.  I swing like that for hours.  And when I finally have to leave, I vault off and fly away.  But my mom isn't here to catch me.  I hit the ground, hard.  I just sit and stare at the rusty swing, still swaying, and I cry for my mom.

        After a few minutes, I pull myself together and start walking back to the tram.  I pass by the Theater just as it lets out.  I see Gretel coming out at the very end of the line, hand in hand with Erick and she looks happier than I've ever seen her.  She whispers something to Erick and I see him laugh while he leans down to kiss her.  I'm happy for her.  I think she may have finally found someone to love.