Becky's Doll

Ezra

Ezra's POV

When Paige got pregnant with me during her college days, she hastily suspended her studies to be a doctor and persisted Savio to marry her. Savio who was also a medical student, was unsure about this unexpected arrival of his baby but finally succumbed to his girlfriend's wishes. With their parent's financial support, they moved to a cosy two bedroom house, where I spent my childhood days.

When Paige felt sudden contractions on her belly before the completion of her pregnancy term, she hardly suspected it could be the arrival of the baby. By the light of an oil lamp and on the hard cold bare floors of her bedroom, my mother brought me to the world all alone with no support or medication. The parturition was complicated, even if my mother had lost the feeling in her hind limbs for a long term, she had safely delivered me to the light.

I was unique from the day I was born. Unique in a sinisterly manner. Unique in such a way that they called me 'the demon child'. My birth was marked by the death of my grandmother, Paige's mother. Of course, it wasn't suspected at first.

My mother had to go for physical therapies to retrieve the feeling in her paralysed legs for years but she never blamed me for her retardation. Even if my parents suffered from prolonged financial crisis, they kept me happy and satisfied. Savio had busted his bank account to arrange pompous celebrations for my first birthday party . If not for the blood gushing dead body of Savio's sister splayed across the front lawn, the party would have been even termed as ravishing.

These deadly repercussions that followed every year on my birthday went unnoticed by Paige and Savio Matthews even if these deaths shocked them, until the whole of Paige's family were wiped off in a car accident on their way to celebrate my five year old birthday at our house. They became highly suspicious and after a week that followed my five year old birthday, they took me to a place somewhere hidden in a forest. My memory of this place is vague and unclear but I could never shake off the dreaded feeling that seemed to drag my five year old heart down to my belly. They left me in the backseat of the car, asking me to pretend to sleep while they left to meet a hooded man who was waiting outside.

I tried to genuinely fall into sleep but it never worked. The muffled voices and what sounded like Paige's sobs kept me wide awake and my ears perked up. As a five year old, I couldn't make out what they were talking about. But I can never forget the shadows that fell over their faces and the tightness of their lips. Paige had been crying. Their whole demeanour had shifted to something dark and threatening. I pretended to be asleep in the car as I feared to open them and stare at their unrecognisably twisted faces.

Throughout the journey back home, Paige kept on chanting," I can't do this. I can't do this." Savio Matthews clutched the steer tightly until his knuckles paled whenever she uttered this chant in an emotionless monotone.

On my sixth birthday, Savio's mother died due to a sudden heart attack. This time the death didn't seem to surprise my parents. They kept on staring at me with an undistinguishable emotion lingering in their eyes, and the uncut strawberry cake laid on the table. After that day, they treated me differently. No, they didn't ignore me. But showered me with more love. My mother would kiss me lovingly each night and morning. My father would tell me bedtime stories about zombies and racing cars. I didn't mind the extra luxurious love I received from them.

Even as a young kid I couldn't help but doubt the genuineness of their love. I always felt uncomfortable when my mother would embrace me or when my father would watch me eat the ice cream he had bought for me. The only person, I loved and was loved by, was my grandfather, Savio's father. He was bedridden with a severe pulmonary disease. Every night he would argue with my parents for me and even through the thick walls of my bedroom, I could hear their loud shoutings.