Mirror

Seashells Seashells

Where we love is home - home that our feet may leave, but not our hearts- Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr

He liked school, for some weird reason. It gave him sort of goal, something to work towards. Breakfast at his house-as always-was close to non-existent. He opened his fridge and found nothing but a half finished Mars bar. Idunu could complain about her parents all she wanted but at least they were there. His dad worked as a businessman, a job that forced him to travel a lot. Not that he minded. His mother more or less just stayed at home or went to the gym with her 'buddies'. How she could go to the gym and gain weight at the same time was something that continued to mystify him. Lately, though, she had been absent lately, maybe she was sleeping over at one of her friend's place. Michael didn't mind being alone, he just hated feeling lonely.

He reluctantly grabbed the chocolate bar and walked towards the door, going through the mental list in his head to see if he forgot anything.

"Micky", a weak voice called from behind him at the bottom of the stairs. He turned around to meet the face of his mother, her voice sounded odd though. She looked weak and tired, she had bags under her eyes. Her cheeks looked thinner and smaller. He was surprised he was just noticing these things but then again, she had been away for some time. Where had she even been?

"When did you get home," Michael said, in a shocked tone. "What's wrong, are you okay?"

"Come, sit down," She said in a barely audible voice. "There's something I need to tell you"

They both walked to the sitting room, Michael's school bag immediately forgotten. On the way, he had to carry her for some of the way, she was so weak. After some effort, they both managed to sit on the long sofa in the middle of their large living room. He loved this sofa a lot. Not because of the size or texture but because it embodied everything he loved. This was the sofa in which his dad carried him off from, when he fell asleep as a young child. The same one his mom had given him his medicine on, when he had Malaria a few years back. The very same one that both his parents had sat down with him and consoled him when he lost the school spelling bee. This single sofa, a meaningless piece of furniture, was everything he had lost and wanted back: home.

His mother's breaking voice broke him from his reverie.

"Micky," she said in the way that always managed to make his heart break. "I've been going to the hospital for a couple days now and there's something wrong"

Michael's heart started beating, this was one of his greatest fears. No, this couldn't happen.

"What is it?" Michael said, barely concealing the already forming tears.

"They found a tumour in my left breast, and I'm going to be admitted today," she said with tears in her eyes, reaching to clasp her son's hand. "I have cancer."

Michael's head spun, the world seemed to tip on its axis. He couldn't believe this. Cancer was something that happened to people on TV and John Green book characters. It was definitely not something that happened to his mom. Before he could even react to this news, his mom grabbed him by his shoulders, propping up and putting his bag on her shoulders. The effort seemed to aggravate her situation but there was this look in her eyes. A look that Michael hadn't seen since he was seven years old. A look that could only hope to encompass the love a mother had for her son.

"Go to school and make your father and I proud, the hospital details are on the table," she said as she placed her hand on his cheek. "I know, we've all been distant lately but I promise that we love you"

Michael wanted to say something, he began to try to speak but his mother was already pushing him out the door to get the bus. He wanted to let her know he loved her too but looking back at her at the door, he knew she already knew.

He closed the door behind him and left for school but he couldn't hear the laughter of his mother and her now visible friends. She had wanted to go away for a while but she didn't want to seem selfish and self centred, so why not? She would come back two weeks later and tell him she was miraculously cured or some other excuse. Michael couldn't even know that his mood was  just a product of a cruel, cruel joke. 

School as usual was okay, the usual gleam it had was gone, though. It felt like a part of him was dying along with his mother. He was sitting in English class when his teacher asked a question. It was a reference to the assignment he had done last night and he quickly raised his hand and answered it correctly. After a while he noticed that Idunu was staring at him. She was a really nice girl and he loved hanging out with her but there was this look always on her face. She always looked like she had gone through hell, he just wished she would share her burden for once.

She told him there was something in his teeth but he knew she was just doing that to distract him but nevertheless, he played his role. Perfectly.

Lunch was one of the few times Idunu actually enjoyed, and since she enjoyed it, so did he. He was on the way to the cafeteria when he saw a poster describing bullying as a cancer in the school system. He didn't know how but his heart just shattered into a million pieces, and his memory of the morning came crashing down on him like a house of cards. Instead of going to the cafeteria, he made a bee line straight for the toilets, avoiding the glare of anyone in the way. He rushed into the toilets and locked himself in the cubicle. He had never cried like that before in his life.

He stayed there for hours, it seemed. By the time he even thought of Idunu, classes had probably already started. He rushed into his next class and he met Idunu's cold gaze and gave her a signal that he'll explain. After school, he met Idunu and asked her if he could walk her home.

On the way, he was in front of her, walking and then he passed the corner. What he saw made him backtrack in confusion. But he knew he had to protect Idunu from whatever that was. But, God, that girl was as stubborn as...something incredibly stubborn, he really hated similes.

Idunu was nice and all, but she had so much going on in her life that she barely had any time to listen to his issues. He always listened to her when she opened up but for some reason, it was always a one-way thing. He just wished that she could pull through whatever was going on with her.

It was funny, though, even ironic. He was surrounded by so many people, yet he had never felt so alone.