Bree raced up the front steps of the small brick house. She had been worrying nonstop about Bonzo since this whole mess started. Bree knew he was terrified of his inner zombie and even more afraid of hurting others.
Bree knocked on the door and waited anxiously for someone to answer. This was the first time she had ever came to his house. Usually if they had a date Bonzo walked to her house or if it was a double date, they would swing by and pick him up on the way in Addison or Zed's car. That was the only reason she even knew where his house was.
Bree heard the click of a lock and the door swung open revealing a stern-looking older woman. Her hair was grey with a tint of green, pulled back in a tight bun. Her face and hands were wrinkled with age but her brown eyes were sharp and alert, studying her warily.
"Raz ig ga? (Who are you?)" The older woman asked.
The older woman's tone was gruff making Bree nervous as she tried to process what was said. Thankfully she was used to Bonzo's quick tongue and had been listening closey enough to catch the phrase, despite the older woman's thick accent.
"A-Ag Breeska. (I-I'm Bree.)" Bree stuttered out. "Ag grazu zee Bonzka. (I came to see Bonzo)"
"Az gruman goro zek zombie? (A human who speaks zombie?)" The older woman questioned, narrowing her eyes. "Ru grahzu zee Bonzka? Goreez? (You want to see Bonzo? Why?)"
Bree didn't understand why this woman was staring at her like she had done something wrong. She didn't even know who this woman was.
"Ag greh gazu goza vi agru gutzig. (I just want to know if he's okay)" Bree explained.
The older woman raised her eyebrow in surprise. She studied Bree a moment before turning to face the staircase behind her. "Bonzka! (Bonzo!)"
"Gozig!? (What!?)" Bonzo's voice called back.
The older woman huffed. "Zrea az gruman agdeh zror! (There's a human at the door!)"
Bree heard heavy footsteps above them then Bonzo came down the stairs. His eyes widened in surprise when he saw her. "Breeska? (Bree?)"
"Bonzo." Bree sighed in relief. "I came to see if you were okay. I didn't mean to cause any problems."
Bonzo turned to the older woman and whispered something in her ear that Bree couldn't hear. The older woman nodded, flashing Bree another wary look before disappearing into the house.
Bonzo took Bree by the hand and guided her upstairs. Bree stared at the line of pictures on the wall and realized they were all of Bonzo, starting with him as a baby and ending with his senior photo.
He led her down a narrow hallway to a small back bedroom. The walls were covered from floor to ceiling with paintings Bree assumed Bonzo must have made himself. There was a small desk and above it a cork board with papers containing sheet music, poetry, and short stories pinned to it.
"Wow." Bree breathed. "So this is your room?"
"Za. (Yeah.)" Bonzo nodded, sitting down on the bed and patting the space beside him.
Bree sat down and began to fiddle with the hem of her skirt. "Bonzo, who was that woman downstairs?"
"Ag Graza." Bonzo replied.
My... Bree sighed as she tried to think of what the word Bonzo used ment. She had never heard that term before.
"I don't understand." Bree admitted. "I'm sorry."
Bonzo pointed to the cell phone in her hand. "Grag ag juz zig? (Can I use that?)
Bree nodded and handed him the phone. She watched as he unlocked it and went to her photos. Bonzo scrolled through the pictures until he came to the ones Bree had taken at Christmas. It was the first Christmas Bonzo had spent with her family and she wanted to always remember that moment.
Bonzo pulled up the photo of them standing with her parents. Her father had his hand on Bonzo's shoulder and was smiling proudly. Her whole family had been so accepting, even her traditional grandparents, her Nona and Popi, had welcomed him with open arms. Bree smiled, everyone loved Bonzo.
Bonzo pointed to her father first. "Zaba. (Father)" Then to her mother. "Zaza. (Mother)"
Bree nodded in understanding, repeating the words. "Zaba and Zaza. Father and Mother?"
Bonzo smiled and nodded. "Za, Zaba et Zaza. (Yes, father and mother.)"
Bree watched as he scrolled over to the next photo. It was of her Nona and Popi laughing as Bonzo juggled the candy canes they were going to hang on the tree.
Bonzo pointed to her Popi first. "Graba. (Grandpa)" Then to her Nona. "Graza. (Grandma)"
Graza. Bree's eyes widened. Now she understood what he had been trying to tell her. "Graba and Graza, grandpa and grandma. That woman downstairs, that's your grandma?"
Bonzo nodded. "Ag Graza. Deh Zaza et ag Zaba. (My grandma. The mother of my father.)"
Bree sat quietly as she took in this new information. She realized she didn't know anything about Bonzo's family. He never talked about them.
"Bonzo?" Bree's voice was soft. "Where are your parents?"
Bonzo's body tensed at the question and the room became suffocatingly quiet. Bree slipped her hand into his and gave it a reassuring squeeze.
"If you don't want to tell me, its okay." Bree assured him. "I won't make you."
Bonzo opened the drawer on his night stand and produced a picture frame. He placed it in Bree's lap before pointing at the people in the photo. "Zaba, Zaza, et ag. (Dad, mom, and me.)"
Bree smiled as she studied the photo. Bonzo couldn't have been any older than four. He sat in his mother's lap with a big smile as his father stood beside them.
"You mother was beautiful." Bree complimented. "And you look just like your dad."
"Ag zo. (I know)" Bonzo replied, staring longingly at the photograph. "Ag greez zeg. (I miss them)"
"I'm sure you do." Bree replied. "I can't imagine not having my parents around."
"Ag grag zis. (I was six)" Bonzo admitted, taking the photo into into his own hands. "Ag grezerg Zaba zerk. Zrea grumans agzet. Agru graz zorch. Fire. (I heard dad yelling. There were humans outside. They had torches. Fire.)"
"What happened?" Bree asked quietly.
"Zaba drozig zu zozig agru zoff. (Dad tried to scare them off)" Bonzo explained. "Ag zozig agru, zu grut. Agru zreg deh zorch. Deh fire gred. (He did scare them, too much. They dropped the torch. The fire spread)"
"The house caught fire." Bree realized. "You and your mom were still inside."
Bonzo nodded. "Zaba grazu gret ag. Agru gret ag agzet. Agru zek agzu zret. Agruzek agru ro zazig grak. (Dad came to get me. He took me outside. He said to wait there. That he would be right back)"
Bree's heart dropped, she had a feeling she already knew what happened next. "They didn't make it out, did they?"
Bonzo shook his head. "Zon, agru gra'zon. Agruza goreez Graza gra'zon grezt grumans. (No, they didn't. That's why grandma doesn't trust humans)"
Bree pulled Bonzo into a hug. She felt awful that he had gone through that at such a young age. Bree thought back to the day Bucky and the Acey's had brought out the spirit sticks to scare the Zombies. She wondered if there had been more to his reaction than just a natural fear of fire that day.
"I'm so sorry Bonzo." Bree whispered.
Bonzo rested his head on top of her own as he hugged her back. "Ag gra'zon zongro agru, Breeska. Agru grag zu aziget. Ag zozig greezon. Gar agzek Graza, drozon grumans ig zongro. (I don't blame them, Bree. It was an accident. A joke gone bad. Like I told Grandma, not all humans are bad)"
"Is that what you whispered to her downstairs?" Bree asked.
"Za. (Yeah)" Bonzo nodded.
"Bonzka! (Bonzo!)" His grandma's voice called from downstairs. "Agru zree grog! (It's tea time!)
"Grazu! (Coming!)" Bonzo called back before turning to Bree. "Grazu gron agz? (Want to join us?)"
Bree wrung her hands nervously. "I don't think your grandma would want me to."
Bonzo took her hand, flashing her a warm smile. "Gret agru grog zet agru zag garziga greh guzo ag. (Give her time and she will love you as much as I do)"
Bree smiled. "Alright, let's go have tea then."
Bonzo pecked her lips before taking her hand and leading her downstairs for tea.
Author's Note
Here's part 2. Have a good weekend!
-Meloetta246