Chapter 1
"As long as memory does not fail me. I should be able to give a full account of it all . From the very first day till now, give or take."
"Well, shall we begin then?" The soothing voice of the woman from one of the most renowned gossip centers who call themselves journalists sitting across from the table, I know fully well the tactics of a woman trying to get what she wants.
"Yes please" i finally replied.
"I shall be recording and taking notes if that's okay with you" i don't know why she is asking but I nodded. She gave me an affirmation and I start to speak.
"I believe I was sixteen years old, innocent and naive, or I'll rather say dumb and fragile or vulnerable or just plain stupid... On a Sunday...
01. The arrival
I had zoned out as I always did during mass but after three years of routine that never changes, everything becomes a loop of torture to you, as it did to me.
I didn't even hear a single thing from the very beginning to the end, I delivered the flesh and blood to the alter and bowed to him. My father. The priest ordained over st. Maria. I turned away and let the service go on as always. As usual. I closed my eyes and let my mind wander nowhere and everywhere. As I heard the bell jingle, I let my eyes sweep through the pack of wolves that commit themselves to the alter for a taste of His blood and flesh... Again!
As if expected, my eyes traveled to the door and it opened, the brown boots were the first thing I saw, with a white shirt. Well dressed and clearly not from around here. He sat at the farthest pew and took off his hat. Blonde hair, he straightened his hair backwards with his hands.
He didn't move a single muscle until the very last soul evacuated the building after all the necessaries and unnecessaries.
"Father?" I turned around as if just noticing him. So did my father.
"Have you come to confess, my son?" My father asked him. His demeanour hard to describe. I didn't fail to notice his chuckle.
"No father but rather to have another discussion with you, shall we?" My father gestured that I went in to continue with my life. This is the last I saw of him that day... At the church. I went away to take off my clothes and change to normal cloths and head home.
When I got home after the not too long trek I met him, this man in my living room, sitted with my parents and sister, discussing. I frowned upon my entry, it felt as if i brought a certain bore to the family.
"This is Jedidiah, my only son and first child" my enthusiastic mother announced. Always happy to have someone in the house, I can't really blame her, all her life was a very boring one.
"Nice to meet you Jedidiah, I'm Victor" Victor, that was the first time I heard his name, the first time I heard someone say his name, the first time I heard him say his name.
"Nice to meet you, you are not from around here, are you? " I asked, trying to take off my shoe.
"Don't be rude Jedidiah, this isn't a good way to welcome a guest" my father corrected as he always did. I think I must have gone into shock at the way I responded.
"A guest, a man, I mean a stranger we do not even know, and you welcome him into our home? How generous of you father"
"Don't mind him, he's a difficult child sometimes " my mother said trying to soothe the air. He chuckled again.
"I think he's just being cautious and protective of his family" I rolled my eyes and went to a corner chair in the room, my emotions were everywhere, too young to matter, too old to not be useful...I hated my life in a nutshell. I couldn't over express that.
I picked up a book and started to read, tried to read but I must have dozed off because the next thing I kbew, my dad was howling my name at me.
I groaned just as politely as a groan could be .
"Help Victor with his things, he's going to occupy your room for the time being" my father announced
I felt everything in me flare up and then I cleared my sleepy throat before voicing out my disregarded opinion
"No, I refuse. It's not even worth it for only me, and you want two of us in the same room. No." I saw a little tear form at the corner of my vision.
"If it's okay, I can just stay here overnight and tomorrow, get lodgings somewhere else, the last thing I want is to inconvenience Jedidiah, please..."
I scoffed at his words, at how they disgusted me
"This is my house and if you intend to stay under my roof, you'll do as I say. Now pack those bags upstairs to your room" my father threatened and I obliged without a single complaint out of fear of him hitting me.
I didn't come back down that night for dinner, I wept like a stupid boy for as long as I could and then dragged myself to the corner of the room, with a little foam mattress I used to nap on hot days at the backyard. That was it for our first encounter.
________________
"I was a stupid child wasn't I? " I asked the reporter who was so lost in her writing but she only raised her head to smile at me.
I laughed softly and asked again.
"I wouldn't say that, you were young and your emotions were everywhere, I'd say" she replied
"What you say doesn't say doesn't matter, it's my story, it's what I say that matters. No?" Once again she cleared her throat and started with a smile.
"Yes of course i understand that, I just..." I decided to cut her off
"I think that's enough for today, any other day" she took a deep breath before replying me
"I have a few questions to ask "
"Keek em till the next time we see"
That was the end of that day also. The emotions were making me snappy and I hated it. Once again, I was that young stupid boy.
