Where Boys Fear to Tread
Normality
They were up early for school, they usually were, it was peaceful in the house so early. A ritual libation of coffee to greet the morning sun, to ward off the yawns that came from yet another sleepless night. Jasper had yet again another rough night, Conor rushing to comfort his brothers heaving body, laying his hands on him, stifling the screams.
Milk was poured over the cereal in their bowls by Conor, with a thankful smile from his brother, his hands tucked neatly in his lap. Conor sat down at the kitchen table, across from the mirror image of himself and lifted his spoon up to his mouth.
"I'm sorry again about last night, I didn't mean to keep you up." Jasper said through his eyelashes, head bent down to his cereal.
Conor's lips curved at the sides. "You know its ok, I don't mind, its..."
"What I'm here for, I know," Jasper finished, remnants of past conversations flowing between them. He took a sip from his coffee, Conor knew he drank It to keep him up, to keep him away from dreamland, though they both knew it didn't do much good for anything else.
A thump from a neighbouring room made them alert in their seats, footsteps getting closer. Conor's eyes closed in a silent wish for her not to be coming to the kitchen. They both shoved spoonfuls of breakfast into their mouths to avoid conversation with their mother who had slumped into the room. Her feet dragged along the tile patterened lino, her back turned as she fiddled with something on the counter.
"Morning." The word fell out of her mouth, a monotonal feel accompanying it.
"Good..." Conor started.
"Morning," Jasper finished, a sly grin on his face, eyes glued to his brothers, whose went wide.
Conor had seen her coming, that look on her face, pained and angry, like she thought life in this house was the worst punishment, it wasn't their fault it happened.
Her knuckles sliced through the air towards the side of Jasper's head, Conor didn't have time to react before they connected. A crash rang throughout the kitchen as Jasper took his coffee to the ground with him. He landed on his elbows, propped up, eyes closed.
"Dammit mum!" Conor yelled at his mother, he rushed to Jasper's side, holding his head to his chest.
"Conor was talking, not you," She breathed and walked out of the kitchen, a slice of toast in hand.
"Shit, are you ok Jaz? She was waiting for some reason, I know it." Conor's hands held onto his head tight.
"I'm fine, but your squeezing me." He gasped through Conors shirt.
"Oh sorry. Sorry for letting her do that," he turned his brother around and looked into his glazed eyes and he brought his brother into a tight hug.
The damp coffee patch on Jasper's chest wept into Conor's white shirt. Conor held him closer, feeling the spot go cold, feeling another part of Jasper being transferred to him.
Milk was poured over the cereal in their bowls by Conor, with a thankful smile from his brother, his hands tucked neatly in his lap. Conor sat down at the kitchen table, across from the mirror image of himself and lifted his spoon up to his mouth.
"I'm sorry again about last night, I didn't mean to keep you up." Jasper said through his eyelashes, head bent down to his cereal.
Conor's lips curved at the sides. "You know its ok, I don't mind, its..."
"What I'm here for, I know," Jasper finished, remnants of past conversations flowing between them. He took a sip from his coffee, Conor knew he drank It to keep him up, to keep him away from dreamland, though they both knew it didn't do much good for anything else.
A thump from a neighbouring room made them alert in their seats, footsteps getting closer. Conor's eyes closed in a silent wish for her not to be coming to the kitchen. They both shoved spoonfuls of breakfast into their mouths to avoid conversation with their mother who had slumped into the room. Her feet dragged along the tile patterened lino, her back turned as she fiddled with something on the counter.
"Morning." The word fell out of her mouth, a monotonal feel accompanying it.
"Good..." Conor started.
"Morning," Jasper finished, a sly grin on his face, eyes glued to his brothers, whose went wide.
Conor had seen her coming, that look on her face, pained and angry, like she thought life in this house was the worst punishment, it wasn't their fault it happened.
Her knuckles sliced through the air towards the side of Jasper's head, Conor didn't have time to react before they connected. A crash rang throughout the kitchen as Jasper took his coffee to the ground with him. He landed on his elbows, propped up, eyes closed.
"Dammit mum!" Conor yelled at his mother, he rushed to Jasper's side, holding his head to his chest.
"Conor was talking, not you," She breathed and walked out of the kitchen, a slice of toast in hand.
"Shit, are you ok Jaz? She was waiting for some reason, I know it." Conor's hands held onto his head tight.
"I'm fine, but your squeezing me." He gasped through Conors shirt.
"Oh sorry. Sorry for letting her do that," he turned his brother around and looked into his glazed eyes and he brought his brother into a tight hug.
The damp coffee patch on Jasper's chest wept into Conor's white shirt. Conor held him closer, feeling the spot go cold, feeling another part of Jasper being transferred to him.