Volume 1: Ch.5

BASTARD

Wayne arrived home later than usual, his heart heavy from the memories of the girl who had saved him earlier in the day. Despite the joy that her smile had brought him, he hesitated before opening the door to his home. He knew what awaited him inside - the monster that was his mother. The sound of the creaking door echoed in his head as he stepped inside and saw her sitting in the chair, facing the entrance. Her furrowed brow and tense posture indicated her anger.

"Where have you been?" she said, her voice full of rage. Before Wayne could even begin to explain, his mother raised her hand and delivered a sharp slap to his cheek. "You bastard!" she screamed. "Where have you been?"

Wayne's father appeared, his expression blank, no sign of empathy on his face. He didn't say a word and simply stood there as Wayne's mother continued her barrage of insults and accusations.

"Look at your son!" she yelled, pointing at Wayne. "He's been nothing but trouble lately! He got into a fight today and now he's late again. What's wrong with you?"

Wayne winced as she delivered another slap to the same cheek that was already swelling from her earlier blows. He didn't respond to her insults, but simply walked past her, too tired to engage in the same argument he had with her countless times before.

His father walked away without a second thought, leaving Wayne to bear the brunt of his mother's wrath. "What the hell is wrong with you?" she continued to shout. "Your grades are failing, your life is a mess! You're ungrateful and you always get into trouble! You should have died!"

The memory of the girl's kind words echoed in his head, in stark contrast to the hateful words of his mother. "You're ungrateful," she spat out one final time.

Wayne simply walked away, determined to find some peace and solace in the memories of the girl who had saved him earlier that day.

It’s hard to accept hurtful words from someone who claims to have faith and belief, even harder than receiving them from a person who is naturally evil.

"What's wrong with you? Sort out your life decisions!" The words were relentless, delivered with a glare that seemed to burn into the soul. Her eyes were starting to swell with anger, and her veins were visibly bulging.

"You're a disgrace!" she continued, uttering the same words over and over. A disgrace, someone who brings shame to others, that's what she had labeled him. "You always cause trouble for us," she shouted.

"I would rather not have a son than have you," were her final words before she walked away, leaving him standing there alone.

"Someday, when the time is right... I'll make you pay," he whispered to himself, his anger seething within. Wayne stood up and went to his room, his thoughts consumed with revenge. "Just like the people who have wronged me."

His father walked in. "Are you okay?"

"Can you just leave me alone?" Wayne replied, his tone biting. "What do you even see in her? Why are you so blind?"

His father remained quiet, but Wayne could tell that he was hurt. "You should try to understand what she's going through," his father said softly. "Your mother wants the best for you."

"Shouldn't it be the other way around?" Wayne replied, his words bitter. "A better life? That's a joke." He laid down on his bed, his thoughts consumed by anger and frustration.

The room was dark and silent, a void that seemed to swallow him whole. He wished for peace, but it seemed like an impossible dream.

"Dinner's ready, we're waiting for you," his father said, breaking the silence. "You have to come down, it's the rules."

"Do I have a choice?" Wayne asked, feeling trapped. He hated this part of the daily routine, hated sharing a table with the person who constantly caused him pain.

"No," his father replied, "you don't. Better to eat with us and avoid making things worse. Look at the state you're in already."

With a sense of resignation, Wayne got up from the table and headed towards the kitchen. He walked down the dimly lit hallway and was greeted by the only source of light in the house, the kitchen chandelier. He took his seat at the table, served himself some food and they prayed. The first few minutes of dinner were spent in dead silence, the only sound being the clanging of utensils on plates. This was a common scenario for them during dinner time.

Halfway through his meal, Wayne's father tried to initiate conversation. "What happened to you today?" he asked kindly.

Wayne didn't respond, simply continuing to eat. But his mother wasn't satisfied with his lack of answer. She coughed and raised her voice, "YOUR FATHER IS ASKING YOU A QUESTION!"

Feeling pressured, Wayne answered with an annoyed sigh, "I got into an accident and was beaten."

His mother looked skeptical. "Is that so?" she said. "Nice try with the lie."

His father tried to defuse the situation. "Elis, let's at least listen to him and give him a chance to explain."

His mother relented. "Fine," she said. "Go ahead and explain."

Feeling frustrated, Wayne got up from the table without finishing his meal. "No, not tonight," he responded, before retreating to his room and locking the door.

His mother's shouting could still be heard from the other side of the door. "I'VE TOLD YOU A THOUSAND TIMES ALREADY, SEND HIM BACK TO THE UNIVERSITY...HE'S WASTING HIS LIFE IN THAT GOOD FOR NOTHING SCHOOL!!"

"WELL, YOU ARE BEING HARSH ON HIM ELIS!!" The father argued back.

"HARSH? HE'S THE ONE WHO KEPT MESSING UP!! LOOK AT HIS GRADES? THE RESPONSE OF HIS TEACHER, IT'S NOTHING COMPARED TO WHAT HIS GRADES IN THE UNIVERSITY! THIS ALL STARTED WHEN HE DIDN'T LISTEN TO ME! AND IT'S BECAUSE YOU LET HIM TRANSFER! I WAS AGAINST THIS BECAUSE I KNEW THIS WILL HAPPEN!"

"SHUT UP ELIS!! TRY TO BE UNDERSTANDING. HAVE YOU EVER TRIED TO LISTEN TO HIM FIRST?"

"LISTEN TO WHAT? TO HIS UNREASONABLE IDEAS?"

Wayne could hear the argument between his parents, it was about him and it happened frequently, once or twice a week. Every night seemed to end this way, with his mother bringing up the topic of him leaving the university and how it was a failure in his life. He didn't know how to respond and his mother always jumped to her own conclusions.

"If only I hadn't committed that crime," Wayne whispered, his face buried in his pillow.

"Everything will be alright, little brother," a soft, comforting voice whispered in his ear.

"AIRA?!" He looked shocked. "Don't just appear out of nowhere!!"

"Well, you miss your dead sister?"

"I guess you could say that... sniff sniff," He tried to hold back his tears. There was a sense of longing, sorrow, and loneliness.

She felt the sadness in him. "I'm sorry I can't hug you little brother, I'm already dead sob sob. But I'm here to cheer you up. Big sister is here to cheer you up!"

"I really miss you Aira," He said as his face was covered with tears. The tears kept pouring uncontrollably, painting him with sadness. He missed his sister so much. She was always there to support him, the only person he could count on in times of trouble. She was the person who was no longer there, just a fragment of his memory. She was there when he was sad, happy, and especially when he was alone. She was the one who gave him the best advice and was always there to listen to his problems.

Just like when she was alive.