Amity {A Friendly Relationship}

Chapter 1: Troublesome Past

"Momma?" Elester said, pushing the gate to the back garden open to see his mother staring out past the roses into our neighbors yard clenching onto the dirty blue trowel in her hand as if it were going to run away. "Momma?" he said again, inching forward.

He remembered the conversation his father and mother had a week ago.

It was dark outside, "It's better to plant when the sun has gone down, it's less hot outside and the lanterns light up the garden beautifly, don't you think Honey?"

"Yes dear," his father would say "whatever you say." before going back inside into his study.

Elester reached out to grab his mothers arm, "It's late momma and really cold outside lets go back in dad made a curry." Before he could even say another word he felt a cold painful cut cross his face.

Akari wasn't thinking straight when it happened; she was spacing out again like she did often. The last thing she could remember was watching the neighbors dog run inside when its owner called for it, "Runa!," rung through her ears, "Come Runa!" The next thing she knew she felt a hand on her arm and she was pushing it away out of fear forgetting about the sharp trowel in her hand. She pulled her hand back and heard the scream of her son, looking down to see the blood dripping down his face.

"Elester!" She screamed horrified at what she just did, "Kei! Come here quickly!" She said as the back door slid open quickly.

Kei had been in the kitchen setting the table waiting for his wife and son to come back in from the garden when he heard a scream that sounded too much like his son. Panic went through his mind as he rushed outside to see his wife hold his son's face and the trowel thrown to the side. "ELESTER!" He screamed, running up to him, pushing his wife to the side, and picking him up to bring him inside.

"It was an accident! I swear it was!" Akari said following her husband and son inside his screams echoing in her ear like the dog's name.

"Runa! Runa! Momma- AGH! Runa!" It echoed, "Come Runa! Come! Come!" She put her hands over her ears and went to the floor

"STOP IT!" She screamed "I'M SORRY I SAID I'M SORRY IT WAS AN ACCIDENT SO STOP SCREAMING ELESTER!"

"HE'S HURT AKARI HE HAS THE RIGHT TO CRY," Kei exclaimed, confused by his wife's behavior. "What had gotten into you." he said putting his son seated on the counter running the warm water and then going to his wife.

"STOP IT! STOP IT!" she screamed over and over before passing out from exhaustion.

"What the hell," Kei said, turning back to his son whose screams mellowed down into a soft cry. "It's okay Elester, let's clean you up."

"Is momma okay?" The young boy said looking down at his mother on the floor, "I didn't mean to scare her and she didn't mean to hurt me, I'm sorry dad."

Kei looked at his son confused and he continued holding a towel to his face, "Why are you apologizing? Elester none of this is your fault, look hold this on your eye I have to go make a phone call." He said walking away.

Elester couldn't help but feel responsible for it all and hopped off of the counter and walked over to his mother, kneeling down next to her, "I'm sorry momma, it's not your fault, I'm sorry momma."

"Elester?" she mumbled waking up. "Elester..." she paused. "Get away from me...you brat."

"W-what?" Elester stuttered. "Momma I'm sorry." he said, reaching a hand to his mothers face only to get it slapped away.

Akari didn't know why but she was angry at that child, at this point she didn't view him as a son. She didn't understand why and she didn't want to. "GET AWAY FROM ME YOU BRAT! YOUR NOTHING BUT A BRAT YOU'RE NOT MY SON SO GET LOST!" Akari screamed, reaching for the boy's neck.

"AKARI" Kei screamed running in with the paramedics and an officer.

The next moments happened all too quickly for Elester to capture. The two paramedics rushed him and his father out and took him to the hospital. His father later told him that his mother was taken away by the officer and brought to a psychiatric ward.

His father stayed with him in the hospital until he was released the next morning. There weren't any bad injuries, luckily but he would have the scar crossing from the top of his right eye to the nearly bottom of his left cheek for the remainder of his life. His father reassured him that it looked really cool and it would be nothing to worry about. But he couldn't shake the thought of his mother off. Her face that night and words she screamed, he was confused and frightened, would he ever see his mother again? What made her go all mad on him?

"Dad?" he muttered sitting across from his father who was sitting in his study filling out papers, "Will I get to see momma again soon?" he said, hugging the neck of his guitar.

It had been 2 months since his mother had been taken away, his father often visited her but refused to let Elester come because he often told him "If I let you see her she may get mad and hurt you again and I can't allow that." Then he would storm off into his study and leave Elester alone. "Elester, why do you always persist on seeing that lady." he ordered, "She has done nothing to try and see you in the last 2 months has she?" He sat there waiting for an answer, none was going to come, "No, exactly, she hadn't even asked if you were okay the night after she left that scar on your face, Elester."

"She didn't mean to Dad." Elester said, now standing up. "It wasn't her fault!"

"Enough of this Elester!" Kei stated, "Get your things and get in the car you're going to be late to guitar practice." His father had signed him up for lessons to keep him from going to see his mother. His father always had reasons to keep him from her.

Elester had pulled his bag onto his shoulder and started walking out the door. "When did you become so cold?" he said before walking out.

Kei sighed before walking out to follow his son to the car. "Are you ready to go?" Kei said starting the car engine.

"Mhm" Elester mumbled

"Look Elester," Kei said, looking in the rear view mirror to see his son's face. "It's not that I don't want you to see your mother, I just don't want you to get hurt."

"I know," Elester said, staring out the window watching the tree's pass him. "I'm sorry dad."