MAD LOVE

Chapter 29

***

"What is it?" the woman asked, rubbing her temples tiredly.

"A birdhouse! I made it myself!" The eight-year-old boy held it up in childish joy.

"Mark, spare me..." Shifting her icy gaze to her son, she continued: "Get lost. I'm not up for dealing with you and your stupid birds. There's no need to have these dirty creatures in the yard. They'll spoil everything, so if I see even one feeder, I'll burn it in front of your eyes... "

***

"What do you want?" A discontented, slightly drunken voice.

"Mom," the child said, voice trembling with approaching tears, "I had a nightmare again today. When will you get back? I'm scared and I miss you..."

"Oh my God," his mother interrupted, and the boy shrank back with fear from her irritated tone. "You're nine, Mark, and you're worse than a girl. Go wash up and calm down. We won't be here for another week. We'll get you something. And listen – stop calling for nothing and distracting me from more important things. The house is full of servants. Ask one of them to help you. I'm tired of you..."

There was a click as the phone was hung up on the other side.

***

"Do you like it? I drew it myself," the ten-year-old boy said with pride, showing his mother the still-life.

"We have no use for artists in our family. Better collect your thoughts and throw your daub in the trash..."

"Why do you say that? Is this how loving parents behave?" the boy asked, offended by her rude answer. He tried very hard and wanted terribly to please his mom.

"Do you have a terrible life?" she asked and before her son could answer, she continued: "Remember, Mark, love is for losers. Everything in this world is built on mutual benefit, and if you show weakness, you'll get trampled without anyone even noticing your whimpering."

The head of the family gave his relatives with everything they needed for their complete comfort, but the most important aspect was missing - love. The man was not up to dealing with the bickering between his wife and son, so he did not even try to get into their relationship, instead occupying a separate, neutral space.

Coming of age was a turning point. Everything good that the child saw around him was darkened and covered with thunderclouds. Darkness settled in his soul, ready to poison anything and everything. Mark envied his cousin who, despite occupying a similar position in the family, grew up with some kind of love; he hated the three bosom friends who stood behind each other like reinforced concrete slabs; he was sick of romantic couples being in love at every turn.

The young man ruthlessly destroyed his inner world, repeating his mother's mantra that love does not exist... He even agreed to a marriage of convenience, but exactly until the moment the headmaster introduced the whole class to a new student...

"Did you know that someone else was promised to me?" He said this in a hoarse voice and shifted his gaze to the ceiling. "Of course not..." he continued with an unpleasant smile on his face. "You aren't from our circle, and you'll never understand what it's like to marry not for love, but for the sake of profitable relationships between two families..." After a pause, he continued his monologue: "I hate my parents, but most of all, my mother. And then you, like an innocent angel, burst into my life and blew everything to hell, destroying the plans of my forebears." He burst out laughing, so hard and loud that soon he lost his breath, and he had to stop to take several deep breaths.