My name is Allain Desir, and I was born in the United States in Nevada State. Nevada state is located in the western united states.
Oregon borders it to the northwest. I was brought up in a family where conflict was like our daily meal except for my mother, who tried to show us some love.
“Wake up Desir. wake up”,Every day in the morning my mother woke me up at 5:00 ‘o clock.
The school was just some kilometers away though my mother did not like the idea of I walking to school. She was afraid of losing me However, she had another reason as to why she wanted me to be taking the school bus. She had read a story, ‘Unless Guilty,’ a story in which a young Secondary girl and boy were raped, and it took an eternity for the family to heal from the trauma. Momma feared such a similar fate happening to me.
Things were no different that Tuesday. I heard my mom’s voice from a distance away. My eyes were heavy and itchy with sleep, and I did not feel like waking up. I was not interested in attending school. “Allain, you will get late. In 15 minutes the bus will be here. you have to wake up fast, The cold breeze made me open my eyes. I stared at the mother with a creepy face. I didn’t want to go to school that day, especially after what I witnessed between mom and dad. I needed to stay at home and watch over my mom. Mom did not get my message. She was completely fine. I did not know how she had managed to pull all that happened behind her. She was determined to see me on my feet preparing for school.
Though I wanted to ask about dad, I felt shy and weak. My question would hurt the mother and revive memories of what she went through. I was pretty sure she had slept on the couch, where she was crying before I slept. I decided to let it go though it was not easy.
I had nothing much to prepare. A quick shower and a small pie of breakfast were enough for me. It was all I needed to have done before six. Otherwise, I would miss the school bus. I dashed out of bed for a shower. Mom had set everything in the bathroom, and my work was just to bathe. It was our daily routine. From Monday to Friday, the school days. And while I was bathing, my mother would prepare breakfast for both my dad and me.
By the time I finished bathing, breakfast was ready, but something was amiss. Dad had not woke up yet. He was still asleep and snoring like an angry pig. Neither mother nor I knew what was going on in his room, but we hoped he was still okay. Probably an oversleep. Or a mere hangover from the illicit brew he had consumed.
“You are not late dear,” mother commented, “Don’t eat in a hurry” she had noted I was swallowing without chewing. I slowed a little bit and focused on her. I had to ask about dad. Why was he not eating breakfast with us?
“Is dad still asleep?” I asked cautiously. The question surprised mom. She could not tell how I knew my father was at home, whereas I was asleep by the time he came unless I was not.
“Yeah. He is……………………….” whatever mom wanted to say didn’t come out. Instead, she exclaimed in disbelief as dad walked out of his bedroom, vomiting. He clung unto his stomach as the mixture of water, undigested food, and liquor found its way out through his mouth. He looked to be in pain. Mom rushed to him for help but him despite being in pain; he didn’t need any help.
“What are you doing? I don’t need any help. Didn’t I tell you not to go? Dad’s statement confused mom, however, this proved his point. and he did not want us in his life.
I realized I wasn’t dreaming the previous night. Mom didn’t argue with him. She came over to me.
“Brush your teeth. The bus is here,” mom said to me. It was then that dad realized I existed. looks at me and says nothing.
I didn’t say anything to him though I wanted to ask him one question. Why was he doing that to us? To his family.
Mr. Kim was the teacher on duty that week. He was a good teacher unless you crossed paths with him. He could get brutal at times, and he was crazy in giving punishments.
“Good morning Mr. Kim,” we greeted him after alighted from the bus.
It was another day of learning new things. We were excited and happy to be at school.
“Allain,” he called.
“Yes Sir,” I answered and stood my ground. The rest of the pupils walked into their classes.
“Did you tell your father?” he asked. I trembled immediately. I had forgotten about the message I was to pass to dad.
“No,” I said, shaking my head, “Am sorry. I kind of forgot”, I added. Mr. Kim looked surprised too. He knew me well, and I was the kind of person who never forgot to pass messages. He looked at me with a stern look that convinced me he was deciding how many strokes to give me.
“Okay Allain. Escaping some canes from him was a miracle. He never allowed any maladaptive behavior to go unpunished. Never. But fortunately, he had set me free. It was strange, but I had won the battle. However, I feared how I would concentrate in class. My mind was still on dad and mom. The fight I saw and the hurting words I heard dad howling at mom.
“I don’t want to find you here tonight,” ones warned Stacy, “Or else, you going to see the real side of me,” he added. Stacy listened silently as the words sank into her heart. She thought she knew Jones inside out. But, she was wrong. The Jones she knew was fake. He had his real side, which she had never seen since they met. And he had started to show it. How unlucky!
He walked out of the house as if he had done nothing. To him, everything was normal and okay. He was happy with that typet of life. It was what he wanted.
“Hello… Good morning Sir… Am sorry I cannot make it to work today… Something came up and I need to work on it as soon as possible”, Stacy informed her boss, who understood and gave her leave.
Am sorry … it’s okay…. I am here if you need any help.?
he asked.
“Not really. I appreciate your concern though.”
As the call dropped dead, Stacy didn’t know what to do. Her happiness had changed within a day. The person she loved most was breaking her heart. Hurting her feelings. She couldn’t tell why but she knew Jones wasn’t the same anymore. He was unto something, and whatever he was up to, it wasn’t good at all. She didn’t like it.
She thought about having a word with his mother, but it was too early to complain about her son. He had done it once though he had threatened her. She decided to give it more time and hope he’d change. All the same, she needed some advice from someone she could trust. Her best friend, Anna.
However much I tried to concentrate in class, I was poor at it. I was completely off in most lessons, and teachers noted the change. They had a big reason to worry about their brightest kid. No wonder they summoned me into the Staffroom during lunch.
“Hi, Allain,” Madam Shayne, who was the religious teacher, applauded me. The rest of the teachers focused their attention away from their meals unto me. I felt frightened to be the focus in that staffroom. I didn’t know what to say to Shayne, and so I kept quiet.
“Is everything okay? Are you feeling well?” she asked me. I nodded. I was okay. She didn’t look convinced.
“How’s your mother and father? Your parents?” she asked again. Memories of dad slapping mom crossed my mind. I blinked my eyes and frowned my face. Shayne was keen to note my behavior. The other teachers saw it too. By the time the memory evaded from my mind, I had sold everything out. The teachers had a hint on what was going on. I finally nodded that everything was okay but too late.
“Thank you Mariah. Enjoy your lunch,” Shayne dismissed me. I ran out of the staffroom, hoping they’d not summon me again.
“You were right Mr. Kim,” Shayne uttered a minute later, “It has to be with her parents,” she added.
“Yeah. I figured it out in the morning. And I think it is the dad. I have a feeling,” Mr. Kim commented.
“We will figure it out soon. At the moment, let’s keep an eye on her”, the deputy, Mr. Richard, gave his opinion. They all agreed with him. Time was all they needed. Besides, time is money. And like they say, money is everything. Isn’t it? In the evening, when I went home, I found my mother packing with red shot eyes, a clear indication she had been crying the whole day. As soon as I arrived, my mother informed me that we were leaving the house, and that’s how conflict led to my parents separating and later divorced. This led me to be brought up by a single parent.
