Mikey finally visited.
Mikey is my elder brother and the first issue of my parents. He's been absent in our lives since he turned eighteen and realised how adulthood was different from childhood and the lies that were being told then.
He never got along with Carmen, why? Because he thinks she's too submissive a wife to her husband who left his family to fight for his country. Mikey believed charity has to begin from home not to people who don't matter.
He was a troubled kid and I wasn't sure why. All I remember back then was him getting grounded severally and eloping with some girl to another state for weeks. At some point the police got involved because mum couldn't stomach the distress anymore, lucky enough he was apprehended and sent to juvenile for some months.
I guess it's the main reason he despises her till date. I mean he turned out to be a responsible guy with a comfortable source of income but he doesn't care about us, he doesn't mind if we're begging on the streets for crumps all he knows is that Carmen made his childhood miserable because of her inability to stand against her husband who ordered her to put him in juve.
I was never close with him though, he usually made mockery of me and scared the hell outta me. I cried then, I reported him sometime to dad who didn't take it likely, he got spanked and that was it for our wavering sibling-hood.
The day he left wasn't so memorable because he'd thrown down every bit of gadget we owned, raining curses at Carmen before jumping into his car and zooming off. That was the last we saw of him. Mum tried contacting him for years but nothing.
Jordan was still crawling at that time so I won't say he was of any influence to him then.
Now he's seated at the dinner table with his fiancee Dorothy. She's plump, like way too bulky for my liking. I don't wanna call her fat but she is. I never really tagged my brother as a fat girl lover. He used to date girls like Yvonne and Chelsea who were very conscious of their looks back in high school.
Mum is trying so hard to pretend she loves Dorothy who's a talker and doesn't know when to stop being nice.
"He told me how you guys literally forced him outta the house at a young age and that got him a chance to be better for himself. I mean if that didn't happen we would never have met right hun?" she nudges him with a wide smile. Mikey is obviously uncomfortable with the way his girlfriend or fiance is putting everything down on the table.
Mum clears her throat. "You guys met in college?" she sounds surprised, me too.
"Yes we did!" she pipes up interrupting him.
"Uh, Dorothy and I met in our third year and we got close"
"Oh honey, if you put it like that it sounds so basic, we literally fell in love after a week" she tells mum displaying her overtly long nails.
"I didn't know you went to college... You could have told me dear, you know I would've supported you no matter how little" she says gazing at him with emotions.
Mikey is uncomfortable, I guess he still doesn't feel like mum is sorry for sending him away, he thinks it's all a sham.
So my main point is why are they here then? Because I'm sure it's not to play house.
"It's nothing mum, I managed quite alright" that's him saying he never needed us.
Carmen nods, wiping her mouth. I mean she skipped work just for this moment and it's turning sore.
"Honey, will you tell them or should I?" Dorothy pipes, squeezing his hand, I roll my eyes in disgust. Why is she trying so hard? I mean we're just his family, not some rival shit.
"We're pregnant mum" Mikey announces dryly.
"Really?... How long dear" she asks Dorothy who doesn't hesitate to say two.
"Wow! Congratulations dear, you should do well to take care of yourself especially when it's your first pregnancy" she advises as a nurse who's been around pregnant women.
I feel mum's mood lighten. At least he still has some regard for her.
"Thanks mum, we're also planning to get married soon but we need your blessings"
"So soon?!!" mum couldn't help but ask.
"Are you trying to steal my brother away from me?" Jordan speaks up suddenly, with a challenging look at Dorothy.
She laughs hard and for a while everyone is waiting for her to end the silly laughter.
"Oh no hun, I'm merely joining your big awesome family. I insist I wanted to meet Carmen and get her consent before carrying on with the wedding"
Uh shoot me!! Why is she selling my brother out now? She's trying to be the devil's advocate here but Mikey is surprisingly putting up with her.
"Can I talk to you for a second privately, dear?" Mum says to Mikey.
They both go upstairs and I'm left with Dorothy and Jordan. Dear God she dare not ask me a thing because I swear to ignore the shit outta her, I pray.
"So uh... What's that name of yours again?'' She's staring at me.
"K_kendal" I mutter quickly disappointed in myself.
I excuse myself immediately, I can't stand her at all. I'm surprised Jordan has ample time for her because he shoots her with one of his astonishing questions while I climb the stairs to eavesdrop.
They're in his old room, the door slightly ajar that words can filter out and with the silkiest tone mum has never used on me before, she spoke.
"It all feels like you're still punishing me Mikey... You may deny it but that's the truth. Since you left the house I haven't been myself. I can barely sleep for four straight hours and it's bad for my health. I know you still hate me so much for the decisions I and your dad made then and I'm sorry... So so sorry hun"
"You think because I wanna get married to the love of my life then I'm punishing you, huh?... Mum get over yourself, this isn't about you or some stupid stuff you did back then. I've literally gotten over that. I'm here because Dorothy wants that, she grew up without parents and I have one at least. So meeting you would give her this comfort that while she goes through this pregnancy thing you'll be there to help" he says with gritted teeth.
I can hear his footsteps, like he's pacing.
"I just need you to be a mother to her and our child. I'm a busy man and may not always be around for my family"
"Then why rush to get married?... You guys would've made better plans of not having a child on the way until you're ready?" Carmen scolds.
"Is that what you're saying at this point mum?... I don't understand you. Dorothy wants that, she's ready to have a baby and so we'll have one. Its not like we can't do it ourselves but you're a nurse and mother, you're better at it"
"So you're hiring me for a nanny job then?"
"What? no, I'm not. I'm basically saying_"
"Saying what Mikey?... Saying what?!" Mum's tone is getting rigid, she's about to enter a scolding mood.
"All I hear from you is what Dorothy wants but what do you want? Trash that, what do you need?!! You come home after some many years just to tell me some nameless girl wants you to hire your estranged mother as a nanny because she wants to have children. We all can as well become servants in your home then. No, take your sister Kendal with you as you return!!" She scolds him.
"When did you add stupidity to your portfolio?... I knew you were stubborn and tenacious but not for stupid reasons. I can't imagine you abandoned us for so long. We struggled financially without your dad and you knew this all along. You're back and all you can offer is this?" She hiss and storms off, I get the chills when her eyes land on me on her way out.
Phew, that was deserving.
Mikey strolls out of his room and catches me outside. We're staring down on each other, we used to do that a lot when he was still around but this time it's different. I can tell he's a different Mikey from the younger version I used to know, the younger him would've toppled me to the floor by now for challenging him.
"You still into that queer shit of yours T-boy?" oh Man, he'll never let it go.
The time he heard Terri call me that name and thought it suited my personality because I didn't behave like his league of high class girlfriends.
I didn't respond so he continued.
"I thought as much, you still hang out with that boy?... London?" he asks, clicking his fingers.
"It's Landon, yeah I am" Mikey nods, squeezing his eyebrows in subtle surprise.
"You both still run for the championship game?... You know, back then it was your dream and his, then with the dance thing you loved doing too"
I squeeze my leg awkwardly. "Yeah... I don't anymore because of my asthma but Landon still does" I shrug.
"Ouch that's bad, I totally forgot about that." he pointed out.
"Yeah why wouldn't you? You left us since"
He's looking at me again with those predator eyes that used to scare me then but not anymore.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
I gulp and take my time to reply.
"Mum cried every night alone in her room, she reached out to you many times but you shut everyone out. You knew dad was never coming back home and that we struggled financially. We almost lost this house Mike! I get that you're angry our parents sent you off at such an early age but nobody's perfect, not you, not mum. It's been so long and you still bear such grudges against us"
"You really are clueless huh?" he spits with every bitterness.
I shake my head in disappointment, Mikey is so stubborn, I don't even get how he can make a family like that. Dorothy must be a fool to wanna be with someone like him.
"You were just a kid when everything happened Ken so I don't blame you for not understanding shit!"
"In as much as I was young then, I could still recall and understand lots of things that went down but they're all in the past"
"Then you must remember Prince?_"
"Mikey!!!" Carmen yells from the foot of the stairs. She climbs up in a haste.
"What are you trying to do now Mike?... Is this part of your revenge plan?" Mum is wiping uncontrollable tears that I'm surprised she's shedding.
Why does the name of my brother trigger such emotions from her?...
Damn Kendal you're so stupid, I mentally facepalm myself. Of course because he's dead. He died when I was very little. I could hardly remember him if not for incidents when he and Mikey bullied the hell outta me.
"I think she's old enough to understand everything now mum, to understand how her immediate elder brother died!" Suddenly Mikey is yelling, Carmen is yelling as well and Jordan and Dorothy are at the foot of the stairs watching with wondrous eyes.
"Mum?..." I call out but she's too busy arguing with Mikey so I yell louder than before and everywhere is quiet.
"What happened to Prince?" I croak. The words almost stuck in my mouth.
She's all jittery, she's holding me with quivering arms with that look that says I should trust her on this. But I really wanna know the whole truth, I wanna hear the whole story. It feels helpless being kept in the dark.
"It's your story to tell, not mine after all" Mikey interjects walking out of the scene with his supposed wife.
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