Status: Completed
'Cause the Hardest Part of This is Leaving You.
Skylines And Turnstiles Part I
Mikey comes trotting back from the back of the garden, his hand outstretched, " Next, " He says. Dad opens the box of fireworks in his lap. He looks like he's picking chocolate, delicately picking one out, the reading the label before passing it over
" Enchanted Garden, " He tells him.
He rushes back to Mom with it. Moonlight filters through the trees and splashes the grass.
Dad and I have brought chairs from the Kitchen and we're sitting together by the back door. It's cold. Our breaths almost like smoke. Winter is almost here, I can smell the earth preserving energy.
Mom yells from the garden, " Do you know how horrible it is when you go off and don't tell anyone where you are!? " Since she's the great disappearing expert of all time, I laugh at that. She look surprised, obviously not getting the irony. " Dad says you slept for two solid days. " She turns back to Mikey.
" Two day's Gee. " Dad looks at me with sad eyes.
" I was tired."
" I was terrified. "
" Were you? "
" We both were. "
" Enchanted Garden! " Mom announces.
There's a sudden crackle, flowers made of light, boom, expand, then sink and fade across the grass.
" Ahhh," Dad says. " That was lovely. "
" That was boring, " Mikey cries as he comes galloping back to us.
Dad opens the box again. " How about a rocket? "
" A rocket would be excellent! " Mikey runs round the garden to celebrate before handing it over to Mom.
" You know, " Dad says. " You can't go around doing just what you like. You have to think about the people who love you. "
"Who? "
" The people who love you. "
" Loud one, " Mom says. " Cover your ears. "
The rocket launches with a single BOOM, so loud it's energy expands inside me. Sound waves break in my blood. My brain feels like a tidal wave.
Mom's never said she loves me. Not ever. I don't ever think she will. It would be to obvious now, too full of pity. It would embarrass us both. Sometimes I wonder at the quiet things that must have passed between us before I was born, when I was curled small and dark inside her. But I don't wonder often.
Dad shifts uncomfortably on his chair. " Gerard, are you planning on killing anyone? " He sounds casual, but I think he might mean it.
" Of course not! "
"Good" He looks genuinely relieved. " So what's next on your list then? "
I'm surprised. " You really want to know? "
" I really do. "
" OK. Fame's next. "
He shakes his head in dismay, but Mikey, who has turned up for the next firework, thinks it's hilarious. " What? Seeing how many straws in your mouth? "
Sometimes I think Mikey has an old soul. " I'll think about that, " I tell him
" Or you could get tattooed all over your body like a leopard. Or we could push you up the motorway in your bed. " But then I think about it and say he still a child. No old soul for him. Mom has now joined us and is peering at the firework in Mikey's hand.
Dad smiles at both of them and passes Mom a Catherine Wheel.
" Do this one next. It's my favorite. "
She get's a hammer while Dad stands up and walks to the back fence. Mom sticks the Cathrine Wheel in the ground and bangs it into the ground. They're laughing together.
" Don't hit my fingers, " He says, and he nudges her with his elbow.
" I will if you do that! "
Mikey sits in Dad's seat and rips open a packet of sparklers. " I bet I'm famous before you. " He tells me.
" I bet you're not. "
" I'm going to be the youngest person ever to join the Magic Circle. "
" Don't you have to be invited? "
" They will invite me! I've got talent. What can you do? You can't do nothing. "
" Hey! " Mom says, " What's this. "
Dad sighs. " Both our children want to be famous. "
" Do they? "
" Fame's next on Gerard's list. "
I can tell from Mom's face that he wasn't expecting this. She turns to me, the hammer limp at her side. " Fame? "
" Yeah. "
" How? "
" I haven't decided. "
" I thought you had finished with that list? "
" No. It's not finished "
I used to think Mom could do anything. But she can't, she's just a woman. Dad put's his arms around her and leans into her. I stare at the,. My Mother. My Father. Her face is in a shadow, the edges of her hair tipped with light. I keep really still. Mikey, next to me, keeps really still too.
" Wow! " He whispers.
It hurts more than I imagined.
" Enchanted Garden, " He tells him.
He rushes back to Mom with it. Moonlight filters through the trees and splashes the grass.
Dad and I have brought chairs from the Kitchen and we're sitting together by the back door. It's cold. Our breaths almost like smoke. Winter is almost here, I can smell the earth preserving energy.
Mom yells from the garden, " Do you know how horrible it is when you go off and don't tell anyone where you are!? " Since she's the great disappearing expert of all time, I laugh at that. She look surprised, obviously not getting the irony. " Dad says you slept for two solid days. " She turns back to Mikey.
" Two day's Gee. " Dad looks at me with sad eyes.
" I was tired."
" I was terrified. "
" Were you? "
" We both were. "
" Enchanted Garden! " Mom announces.
There's a sudden crackle, flowers made of light, boom, expand, then sink and fade across the grass.
" Ahhh," Dad says. " That was lovely. "
" That was boring, " Mikey cries as he comes galloping back to us.
Dad opens the box again. " How about a rocket? "
" A rocket would be excellent! " Mikey runs round the garden to celebrate before handing it over to Mom.
" You know, " Dad says. " You can't go around doing just what you like. You have to think about the people who love you. "
"Who? "
" The people who love you. "
" Loud one, " Mom says. " Cover your ears. "
The rocket launches with a single BOOM, so loud it's energy expands inside me. Sound waves break in my blood. My brain feels like a tidal wave.
Mom's never said she loves me. Not ever. I don't ever think she will. It would be to obvious now, too full of pity. It would embarrass us both. Sometimes I wonder at the quiet things that must have passed between us before I was born, when I was curled small and dark inside her. But I don't wonder often.
Dad shifts uncomfortably on his chair. " Gerard, are you planning on killing anyone? " He sounds casual, but I think he might mean it.
" Of course not! "
"Good" He looks genuinely relieved. " So what's next on your list then? "
I'm surprised. " You really want to know? "
" I really do. "
" OK. Fame's next. "
He shakes his head in dismay, but Mikey, who has turned up for the next firework, thinks it's hilarious. " What? Seeing how many straws in your mouth? "
Sometimes I think Mikey has an old soul. " I'll think about that, " I tell him
" Or you could get tattooed all over your body like a leopard. Or we could push you up the motorway in your bed. " But then I think about it and say he still a child. No old soul for him. Mom has now joined us and is peering at the firework in Mikey's hand.
Dad smiles at both of them and passes Mom a Catherine Wheel.
" Do this one next. It's my favorite. "
She get's a hammer while Dad stands up and walks to the back fence. Mom sticks the Cathrine Wheel in the ground and bangs it into the ground. They're laughing together.
" Don't hit my fingers, " He says, and he nudges her with his elbow.
" I will if you do that! "
Mikey sits in Dad's seat and rips open a packet of sparklers. " I bet I'm famous before you. " He tells me.
" I bet you're not. "
" I'm going to be the youngest person ever to join the Magic Circle. "
" Don't you have to be invited? "
" They will invite me! I've got talent. What can you do? You can't do nothing. "
" Hey! " Mom says, " What's this. "
Dad sighs. " Both our children want to be famous. "
" Do they? "
" Fame's next on Gerard's list. "
I can tell from Mom's face that he wasn't expecting this. She turns to me, the hammer limp at her side. " Fame? "
" Yeah. "
" How? "
" I haven't decided. "
" I thought you had finished with that list? "
" No. It's not finished "
I used to think Mom could do anything. But she can't, she's just a woman. Dad put's his arms around her and leans into her. I stare at the,. My Mother. My Father. Her face is in a shadow, the edges of her hair tipped with light. I keep really still. Mikey, next to me, keeps really still too.
" Wow! " He whispers.
It hurts more than I imagined.
♠ ♠ ♠
fixed this chapter