Dinner
Brooke Jayne let out a sigh of relief as she sat down into the living room couch.It had been a long day of moving boxes and she finally felt at peace.Moving to a new town wasn’t easy, especially since this was her 17th time moving into an apartment with her Mom and brother.
“Brooke, there’s still a box outside,“her mom said unboxing a cardboard box on the counter.
“Mom,I already did my part, can’t Steven do it,“she questioned feeling exhausted.Her brother was no help and was just on his phone all day,while everyone else was helping.
“Steven, bring in the extra box,“her Mom added making her brother fuss and put his phone down.A small smile broke out on Brooke’s face as she leaned back in the couch.She felt at peace,but she knew it wouldn’t be for long,since she had to start a new school Monday.
She would be starting her senior year and she had just returned from summer spent in Jamaica,the island in which she was born on.But now she was in Canada,with a new life for the 17th time!
Sometime pass and all the boxes still weren’t unpacked,Brooke held on to her stomach as she felt hungry,but they had bought no food yet.Steven was sitting outside on the porch and their mom had sent Brooke for him, since she had a problem nailing the cupboards.
“Steven,mom needs you,“said Brooke.But she soon stopped when she noticed that her brother had her phone in his hand.
“What are you doing with my phone?“she asked quickly rushing over to him and grabbing it from his hands.But Steven was putting up a fight.He wouldn’t let go of the phone and continued tugging at it.
“Mines dead, I just wanted to play a game.”
“I don’t care,“Brooke murmured trying to take it away.But her 10 year old brother had such a tight grip on her phone that when he finally let it go it slapped his sister in the eye.
Brooke held on to her left eye as she looked down at her brother,who was in shock but soon ran away laughing.
“Get back here!“she shouted angrily
“Steven am not playing!”
“Mom!”
Pocketing her phone,Brooke pushed open the front door and entered her living room only to see her 10 year old brother, crying to their mom.Brooke couldn’t help but scoff as she held on to her eye.
“Brooke,what did you do to him?“her mom questioned rubbing Steven’s back.
“Me?“she asked in disbelief pointing at herself. “Look what he did to my eye,“she added removing her hand.
Her mom didn’t get to chance to reply because soon an alarm went off on her phone.Picking up her phone and checking her watch she soon started gathering some things to go in her hand bag.
“Alright, it’s 3:30 we need to get going”
“Where?“Brooke inquired staring at her reflection in the vertical mirror.Her afro curls were tied back with a purple handkerchief that match the purple skirt she was wearing.
“Your skirt matches your purple eye,“her brother commented when his mom seemed distracted.Brooke rolled her eyes but she hardly could since she was in pain.Her left eye looked puffier than usual.
Their mom picked up her handbag and the house keys. “Mom,where are we going?“Brooke questioned frustrated.
“Sally invited us over for dinner, remember my childhood friend from high school, its like a family dinner thing with her kids”
To Steven everything seemed well all he cared about was food,but to Brooke this was a nightmare,she now had to go to someone’s house with a black eye.Like some pirate who finally took their eye patch off.
“I don’t want to go,“she cried taking a closer examination of her eye.
“Brooke,we have no time for games,we are already late, let’s get going,“said her Mom pushing her two children out the front door with her following behind.
Closing the car’s front door,Brooke soon arrived at the brightly colored house that belonged to Miss Sally,it was more yellow than the sun.Unlike their beige colored apartment.They didn’t need a car to get to Sally’s house,it was a 5 minute walk from the apartment.
But her mom was a bit of a showoff as much as Brooke felt bad thinking it,she knew it was true.Her Mom didn’t like Sally and her rich family feeling like they were better off.Even though they actually were.
“Brenda!“Sally greeted excitedly as Brooke’s mom stood at the doorstep.“what a nice surprise,“she added smiling.
“We just finished setting up the apartment and then I remembered that Sally invited me for dinner,not that I didn’t want to come or wanted to avoid your insults,“Brenda smiled patting an overly excited Sally on the shoulder.
That flew right over her head,Brooke thought to herself.
Miss Sally soon peered behind Brenda and saw Brooke and her brother standing at the door. “They have grown so big,how beautiful,“she smiled opening the door wider.
“Please, do come in”
Brooke removed her shoe and was left in her socks and dragged her little brother back to do the same.She had nearly forgotten about her eye and how much she wanted to face plant her brother in that very moment.
They entered the living room and sat down before a table that was filled with a lots of food, chicken,rice, vegetables and fruits.As soon as Brooke sat down she could hear her stomach growl.She quickly looked around hoping neither Sally nor her husband heard it.
They hadn’t started eating yet when her mom asked “Oh Sally, where’s the kids?”
Sally laughed “Kids, he’s in his room”
“I only had one kid dear,“she said proudly as if having more than one was shameful.Brenda smiled a fake smile as Sally called for her son.
“Kai?“she called out but got no response.
“Kailand?“still no response.
She turned to Brenda and smiled “Sometimes he’s on the game,so focused”
She soon got up from her seat and headed for the upstairs leaving her awkward husband to just stare.
“So?“Brenda began “I just wanted to say Mr.Choi thank you for inviting us once again,the dinner that you have prepared looks really lovely,“she smiled.
“Your welcome,a friend of Sally’s is a friend of mine,“Mr.Choi replied.
Suddenly out of nowhere Steven said something,that would leave Brooke face palming forever and Miss Brenda with a lifetime of embarrassment.
“Mmmm,the food looks delicious,we are only here for the food since we were starving back home,“said Steven with a smile.
Both Brooke and her Mom shot him a surprise glance and his Mom just rubbed his head with a smile “He’s so silly at times,“she laughed through gritted teeth.“so funny”
Mr.Choi chuckled and nodded that he understood. “Kai was like that,so talkative, couldn’t get him to shut up,“he laughed looking back at the stairs.
“Here he comes now,“he added.
Soon the chair across from book slid out and someone sat down.Brooke glanced up and realized that it was their son.His black hair was center parted and he had brown almond shaped eyes just like his parents.
Brooke found herself staring and the boy soon looked up and was startled by her stares.She quickly looked away and down at the plate of food before her.
“So this is Kailand,“her mom said in a smooth tone.Kai stretched his hand out to her and greeted her. “Very nice to meet you Miss Jayne”
“Just say Brenda,“Brooke’s Mom smiled then turned to her kids. “This is my daughter Brooke and my son Steven”
Both Brooke and Steven waved and it was now time to eat.During the whole dinner Kai kept staring at Brooke,she wondered what he was looking at, surely she wasn’t that beautiful.
But then she remembered about her purple eye.Feeling embarrassed she quickly looked away from Kai and held her head down for the rest of the dinner.The day had been a disaster and it was all Steven’s fault.
Brooke layed down on her back staring up at her ceiling,it was a Saturday night and Monday she would be off to school.Her mind reflected about the dinner she had at Miss Sally earlier and how Kai had smiled a little when she held her head down in embarrassment.
She soon found her self smiling back at the memory.“Why am I smiling?“she grumbled taking up her pillow and blocking her face.
“He was just staring at my stupid purple eye,that made me look like a monster”
Removing the pillow she sooned turned off her bedside lamp,as she hoped for sweet dreams and for Monday to never arrive.
