The Boy in the Basement

Home Coming

The small black bird with red wings ambled about the hot asphalt, picking up any morsel he could gather. The faint song of his partner floated down, calling to him.  His wings fluttered as he responded with a tune of his own, knowing he would be with his love momentarily.

A slight rumble reverberated beneath his feet as his head lifted in curiosity. The vibrations grew stronger as awareness settled in; a yellow mirage appeared in the distance.  The black bird pivoted to the side, and as it got closer, his wings took flight, returning to his love once again.

The squeal of the yellow bus echoed in the cul-de-sac as it came to its destination, followed by a hiss as the doors sprang open. Robert stepped out, setting foot on ground he had not touched in 3 months.

His time away was quite enjoyable, he was sure, but he couldn't pinpoint a specific moment at camp that stood out to him. His memories of his time away seemed all a blur. But alas, he was home, and he was glad to be.

The streets were unusually quiet for a late afternoon.  Typically, Mrs Johnson would be tending to her yard, or Theo across the street would be working on his motorcycle, but not today. My how things have changed while he was away.

Robert gathered his bags and headed towards the door. The one thing he was sure of was that his stomach was rumbling and ready to be filled. 

He reached the door and grasped the knob, but it didn't move. He tried again, and it still stayed in place.

"MOM!  I'm home!" He called out, receiving no response. "Mom!!" He pounded three times on the red door, hearing the sound call back to him from the inside.

With a huff, he set his large bag down and rummaged through his backpack, relieved his Mother slipped a spare key into the side pocket. As he entered, the door peeled open as if it hadn't been opened in the 3 months since he left. The sunlight pierced through the particles floating in the air.  The silence was deafening, and the home was filled with a thick musk.

"Mom, I'm home!" He put his bags on the chair and looked at himself in the mirror as he ran his fingers through his hair.

"Mom?" He paused, then shuffled to the foyer, placing a hand along the wall and peeking into the living room. There was his Mother, sitting in the white chair facing the wall opposite him, staring straight ahead, hands on her legs.

"Mom?" he whispered.

No answer.

He minced through the threshold, walking around his mother and turning to face her. He called to her a fifth time, and this time she responded. Her head turned towards him as if in slow motion. Her face was pale, her eyes were empty. No makeup, and her hair was unkempt and her clothes tattered.

"Honey.  Your home"

"Yes, Mother. Are you okay?"

"Yes, of course. How was your day today?"

Puzzled, Robert answered "I've been at camp all summer.  I just got home"

"Oh yes, of course, dear." She stood up with an exaggerated smile across her face. "I barely knew you were gone.  Are you hungry?"

"Umm yeah, I'm starving," He said, not knowing what to make of her last comment made so nonchalantly.

She led him to the kitchen, arms stiff to the side, as if she was marching in a military parade. She walked to the cabinet and stopped in front of it. A half second later, she lifted her arm and opened the drawer, bringing down a glass. Robert reached inside the refrigerator and handed her the half-gallon of milk. She opened and poured it into the glass.

"Make sure you don't eat too many cookies before dinner. You'll spoil your appetite, sweetie. Besides, you're fat enough already, dear."  She stared at him, grinning as she poured the milk without releasing her look or smile as the milk overflowed and began to spill all over the countertop.

"Mom, what are you doing? You're spilling it!"  He grabbed the milk out of her hands. "Go sit down mom, I'll clean this up."

"Aww, dear." She put her hand upon his cheek. "You were always such a whiner". She turned and walked toward the wall. Stopped, and just stood in place, staring at it. A ping of uneasiness flushed through Robert as he heard the back door open. His sister Jacqueline entered with a bouquet of balloons.

"Hey Squirt, look at what Anthony gave me," She said in a high-pitched voice from behind the balloons. A voice drenched in enthusiasm. She put the Balloons on the kitchen island as she reached for the refrigerator door and stuck her head in.  "Did you have a good time at school today squirt?"

"I wasn't at school; I just got home from Summer camp"

"Summer Camp, huh? I didn't notice you were gone." Jaquelin closed the refrigerator door and shot out of the kitchen to her room. Robert looked at her but only caught a glimpse of her leaving. He was puzzled; he'd been away all summer and didn't get to see her smile. His big sister always had a beautiful smile. But then again, It's been a long time since he's seen her face.

Robert was fast asleep when he heard it. It was the faint sound of someone crying. He lay in his bed staring at the ceiling, listening to the sound.

Was it his mother? His sister? He pulled the covers off him and stepped out of bed and crept out of his bedroom, walking down the hall, navigating each step.

The crying was getting louder. He stopped in front of the basement and put his ear to the door. He focused, but although a hum distorted the sound, he could hear someone down there, crying and mumbling. 

He reached out,  grasped the doorknob, and twisted it. The door opened, and he entered. He stepped down, and the crying got louder. The wooden planks creaked with each step. It was before he reached the bottom when he saw him. It was a little boy, around his age, facing away from him, crying into his hands.

"Hello?" Robert said, careful not to startle him.

The boy was wearing a blue shirt, two-toned, light blue on the torso and dark blue on the sleeves, and a pair of khaki cargo shorts.  Robert could see he had sores on his legs as if he had been stung by a hundred mosquitoes.

"Who are you? What are you doing here?" Robert approached while maintaining his distance. Seeing a strange kid that you have never seen before in your basement was bound to make anyone nervous, and Robert wasn't taking any chances.

He decided not to get his mom, even though the thought had run across his mind.  "Are you ok"

The boy turned around and wiped his tears, and answered in a low voice that quivered with every syllable.  "I just need to disappear for a while"

Robert took a step closer.  "Why? Are you in trouble?"

"I'm always in trouble." The boy said as he sat on the floor, bringing his knees to his chest, rocking back and forth.

"Do you want me to call your mom?"

"No!  No." The boy shot up to his feet, a deep frown chiseled into his face.  "Don't call her, please"

"Ok, ok", Robert said as he patted the air in front of him.  "I'm sure she is worried; my mom would be if I had disappeared."

"Your mom would be worried?" The boy said, slightly envious.

"Yeah, of course"

Tension from the boy's shoulders subsided slightly, and Robert wondered if the boy's Mother would even care at all.

"I'll ask my mom.  In the morning,  She'll know what to do.  You just stay here for the night.  I'll bring you a pillow and a blanket."

The boy nodded his head. Relief settled in as he laid his head.