A T R E U S
"Tray-Tray?" My sister called, poking at my once sleeping form.
"What do you want Galina?" I asked her still half asleep.
She dropped onto the bed next to me, her hand slapping my back as she sprawled out
"I'm bored." She said playing with my hair.
"Well go bother someone else." I said to her. Her gentle caresses lolling me back to sleep.
"Mom and Dad are busy, when are they not. Vera is sleeping and waking her up is like waking up a bear from hibernation. Odessa is with one of her flings and I don't want to have to see that again." She said to me, before tugging a little too hard on my hair.
"Shit, okay I'm up." I said to her sitting up from the bed. She wrapped jumped on my back at the last second holding on tightly.
I walked to the bathroom with her on my back not at all fazed. She rested her head on my shoulder as I brushed my teeth quietly.
I think she feel asleep.
I walked from my room and down the grand staircase to the kitchen. It was the weekend and it was a family rule that we would spend time together in the same house on a weekend.
I set her down on the counter questioning what she wanted to eat.
"Pancakes." She said excitedly grabbing the pack of strawberries from the refrigerator.
"Pancakes it is." I whispered grabbing the pan from the hook above the island to create her a masterpiece.
My grandmother taught us how to cook, because my mother burning down our kitchen is not something we needed or wanted. My father knew how to cook so he took up the responsibility most of the time or we would just make something ourselves.
It was never an issue to any of us honestly because we grew up that way and it was normal.
Half way through the preparation as Galina and I bickered back and foward Vera decide to greet us with her wonderful presence. Not the sarcasm.
"Why the fuck are you two so loud?" She asked, grouchy as always. She walked to the refrigerator back to us.
Galina mocked her words, scowling as she rested her chin on her hand that was propped up on the counter by her elbow.
She leaned to the side nonchalantly as a steak knife flew past her head and stuck into the wall.
"You're so predictable Vera." Galina teased. This was a normal thing in this house, there were knife holes in nearly ever wall in this house.
"You're so predictable Vera." Vera mocked, ruffling Galina's hair as she passed by. Galina slapped her hand away hard, Vera stopped in her tracks looking to Galina.
The two of them started going at it in the fucking kitchen. Rolling my eyes I continued to make the pancakes, I had to make sure they didn't burn.
"Why are you fighting in the kitchen?" My other sister asked her twin and Galina sitting on a barstool, enjoying the show.
They didn't even answer as Vera pushed Galina off of her and onto the floor throwing a punch at her face.
"What are you doing?" My mother finally made her entrance.
Her voice stopped Vera short as she looked up slowly, eyes meeting my mother's. Galina pushed her off of her standing from the floor and grabbing a plate.
"Didn't I tell you about fighting in the kitchen?" She asked calmly.
"Yes you did." They answered her, simultaneously.
"Then what is it that you were doing?"
"She started it!" They both shouted at the same time pointing at eachother.
She stared at them for a long minute before her eyes settled on me and she smiled.
"Tray, they have you working too hard." She said to me, pushing my hair away from my forehead.
"Mommy's boy." Galina whispered to me as she stacked her plate high with pancakes. Vera snickered lightly at her words filling her plate with pancakes.
"You're just jealous." My mother said to them, walking over to the coffee machine.
"Yes I am. Why can't I have that kind of affection from you." Galina whined stuffing her face with pancakes.
"With you crawling into my bed throughout the night, I would think you had enough affection." My mother said smugly, smirking at Galina's eyes widened slightly.
"And don't you laugh Vera." My mother teased. Vera quieted instantly, smile wiping off her face.
"Here." I said handing my mother her food. She smiled at me taking the plate from my hands.
"Thank you love."
"Where's your mother?" I here my father ask my Vera and Galina, as they walked to the dining room. My mother's eyes widened before she shook her head at Odessa and I, silently entering the pantry and closing the door behind her.
"Where's your mother?" My father asked me, looking out the kitchen window to the garden.
"I'm not sure, haven't seen her all morning." I answered him, avoiding eye contact.
"She's in the pantry." Odessa answered wickedly.
He smiled at her walking to the pantry. As he opened the door his smile grew wider as my mother took large steps back, further into the pantry, a wide smile on her face as she shook her head at him.
"Why did you leave?" He asked her, taking large steps forward for every one she took back.
"I was hungry." She answered him.
"I could have made you forget about your hunger, my wife."
As she opened her mouth to speak he quickly rushed over, picking her up and throwing her over his shoulder. She could have easily get down but she was clearly enjoying it.
"I don't need another sibling!" Galina shouted loudly as they walked past the dining room.
-
I sat on the lounge chair by the pool watching as Vera swam gracefully in the pool from end to end.
Odessa dropped down in the chair beside me in a bikini, her tattoos on display. We all had a significant amount of tattoos ourselves, but we all had one constant, the intricate family tree with all our names on it.
She pulled put a cigarette lighting it up, taking a long drag then offering me. I shook my head not in the mood for that taste in my mouth.
My family was very functional, we all understood our wants and needs and never question it. When I told my family I didn't want to be apart of the illegal side of things they didn't object.
Vera was always the killer, she was the most brutal of all of us and she got the Mafia. Odessa didn't want all of that responsibility so she stuck to just hacking and the occasional kill or two. She had recently opened a few casinos in America.
Galina was a whole different story though. She wanted to be in the mafia but not as the boss though. She wanted to kill and fight so she became the assassin for the mafia.
"You had to smoke in front my room didn't you." Galina said to Odessa dropping into the chair beside me.
"Huh?" Odessa question completely lost. The house was no where near here.
"The wind is blowing your nicotine smoke right into my window." She said to us.
"I could've sworn that was fumes from a blunt when I walked past your room." Odessa said to her, eyes glued to her twin.
"Touche." She admitted accepting the smoke from Odessa.
"Why don't we switch Galina?" I asked her as they passed the lit cigarette over me.
"Why?"
"Because the two of you are too unpredictable and I don't need a cigarette burn on my chest." I said to them.
"Stay there little brother, we would never do such a thing." Odessa said to me passing the cigarette over me again.
"Where's mom and dad?" Vera asked as she walked up to us picking up the towel from the end of my lounge chair.
We all shrug in sync.
She huffs at us dropping into the chair next to Odessa. Eyes widening, speaking of parents, I pulled out my phone quickly.
11 o'clock.
"We should go inside now before mom shoots us like she threatened when we were late for lunch last weekend." At my words they all sighed loudly, getting up from their seats, because my mother's threats are never empty handed.
"I was just going to get my gun from the cereal box." My mother said to us as we walked into the kitchen, her back turned to us, as she dug through the knife drawer.
"What are we eating today dad?" Galina asked pulling the shirt she had gotten from the living room over her head.
"Steak." His one word made my mouth water. My father was an exceptional cook and his steak tasted like a million dollars on a plate.
Odessa hummed in appreciation grabbing a plate from the cupboard. Mom finally turns to us holding up 6 steak knives.
"You all keep throwing my steak knives and now we are missing nearly all of them."
"Sorry mom." My sisters said in unison, not at all sorry.
My mother grunted in response to their apology, walking away to the dining room.
"Bring the plates Vera." She said loudly from the dining room.
Vera listened diligently carrying the plates. I followed behind her taking a seat at the table next to Vera.
My father walked in the room resting the asparagus and mashed potatoes in the middle of the table. Galina walked in with the steak and Odessa had the wine.
When we were all seated my father allowed us to eat.
"How was your week?" My father asked us, leaving the floor open for any of us to answer.
"I got a 98 on my physics test and I got shit roaring drink the same night with Carmen." Galina answered nonchalantly.
Carmen was our cousin, Nolan and Ilya's daughter. Her and Galina were inseparable since birth and went to the same college together.
"Very good." My mother answered her eyes glimmering in pride.
"I won 5 million at the casino." Odessa said.
"Why don't you sound happy Dessa?" My father asked her.
"Because I won 8 last week." She said exasperated. My mother chuckled under breath, shaking her head.
"I killed three bastards this week because they wanted to play disrespectful." Vera said next.
"Were they new or old?" My mother asked.
"New." She huffed out defeated.
"I knew those new recruits were nasty." Galina said shaking her head.
"Well their gone now." Vera said shrugging her shoulders.
"What about you Tray." Galina asked.
"I got a partnership with Dariya Verlice." I said to them.
"What did she look like in person? Carmen told me that she was walking sex on legs." Galina asked leaning forward on the table.
"I suppose you could say that, yes." I answered her honestly.
"You're such a virgin." Galina said falling back into her chair.
"I'm not a virgin." I argued. My sex life was basically non existent and j never saw it as an issue. I lost my virginity on a drunken night in college. Only when I woke up the next morning with a horrible hangover did I realize what happened and to top it all off it was a bet to sleep with me. It never bothered me totally because I couldn't remember anything and people make this virginity thing a big deal when it really isn't.
After college I went straight into the firm, since I already had an internship there. With everything, I never made time for sex or one night stands. I could've, honestly, but it just wasn't my thing.
Odessa snicker across from me mouthing the word 'virgin', teasingly.
"Leave my brother alone." Vera said to them throwing her arm around my shoulder making have to lean down slightly so she could reach properly.
"Let's not shone his incapabilities." She continued, she wasn't even on my side. Odessa and Galina burst out laughing raising their hands to high five Vera.
I glared at them, continuing to eat my steak. This is what I get for only having sisters, to top it all off two of them were older that me.
"Laugh it up." I said to them.
"You know we love you brother." Odessa said to me.
"Yeah yeah." I smiled at them as they laughed hysterically at what they thought was my misfortune but really, it wasn't.
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