Part One
The Innocent
†
"The saddest thing about betrayal is that
it never comes from your enemies.
It comes from the ones you never thought would."
- Anonymous
"Until you heal the wounds of your past,
you are going to bleed.
You can bandage the bleeding
with food, with alcohol, with drugs, with work,
with cigarettes, with sex;
But eventually, it will all ooze through
and stain your life.
You must find the strength
to open the wounds,
stick your hands inside,
pull out the core of the pain
that is holding you in your past,
the memories,
and make peace with them."
– Iyanla Vanzant
†
Act One | The Charmed Life of the Banora Prince
"Genesis!" his mother groaned crossly upon seeing the muddy footsteps he trailed behind him. Irene Rhapsodos was standing on the stairs, hands resting on her hips, eyes narrowed. She was a beautiful woman – the most beautiful dame in the town – with flaxen hair and blue eyes that you could lose yourself into. "Look at yourself!" she snapped, "You're so filthy." Of course he didn't need to look at his reflection in the giant ornate mirror in the foyer, because Genesis knew what he looked like. He'd gotten his the left leg of his shorts ripped because it got caught by a tree branch; his shoes appeared to be completely caked with mud. The boy shuffled uneasily beneath his mother's gaze. "Oh, hurry up and get clean, Genesis. We've got guests coming tonight!" Irene said more gently. "What are you hiding behind your back, baby?" she asked, knitting her brows together. The boy squirmed and looked at his mother shyly. "Come on, show it to Mummy." Irene was descending now. A toothy smile spread on the boy's features when his mother was close enough. "These are for you!" he said, proudly thrusting a bouquet of rapidly wilting wild flowers towards his Mum. "Oh my! Thank you, they're beautiful baby!" she gasped taking the tiny bouquet from her son and inhaling their sweet essence. "This was so very thoughtful of you, honey, but I wish you'd be more careful." She kissed him lightly on the cheek. When she drew back, her nose was wrinkled. "Yes, you definitely need a bath. Up, now."
He liked taking baths, mostly because his mother told him mythological stories as she shampooed his hair. She loved literature, and he loved listening to her tell him of the stories her books held. Their entire attic had been converted into a library. There, mother and son would spend hours on end snuggled close to each other, reading stories of old. Irene loved mythology and poetry the most.
Genesis loved how gentle his mother's fingers were as she kneaded his sweaty scalp. Robert, his rubber duck, floated aimlessly about in the bubbly water. Irene was telling him the story of Hercules. The young Genesis gasped with wonder as his mother regaled him of the hero's adventures. He loved how wonderfully strong the hero was, but Genesis did not like that he let his emotions cloud his judgment. "Mummy, how come he's a hero when he's not smart?" he asked her as she toweled him dry later.
Irene looked at her son and pinched the tip of his nose. "But Hercules isn't just a buffoon," she told him slowly, "because even if he holds grudges, he would still do anything to help out his friends. Hercules has a very just conscience when his head clears – he will do anything to repent for his wrongs. During his punishments, Hercules showed many good values such as patience, fortitude, and endurance. He persevered through the terrible things Hera's hatred caused him, and that, my son, is important. Remember that being a hero does not simply entail artless strength." She ruffled his damp hair and asked him playfully, "Do you want to be a hero?"
Eyes shining, the little boy said yes. "But not a stupid hero, I'll be better than Hercules!"
She smiled at him, and for a blazing moment, Genesis thought he saw something flash in his mother's eyes. "I know you will be. Now, let's go change. Wouldn't want you to get a cold, now would we?"
He was wearing a white button down shirt and tie similar to his father's. But his father had a coat, and he didn't. Instead, he had on a burgundy knit sweater. Genesis didn't like his hair combed flat and parted at the dead center, and tucked behind his ears. His mother was miffed about his cowlick.
"When are your guests coming, Papa, I'm dyiiing," he groveled, resting his head on the dining table. "I'm hungry. I want to eat now!" Genesis folded his arms across his chest. "Who do your guests think they are, keeping us waiting so long…" he continued to grumble.
"Manners, Genesis, manners," Felipe admonished the boy.
Finally, an eternity later, the doorbell rang. Both his parents shot to their feet and practically bolted for the door. Genesis remained where he was, harrumphing all he liked. He heard his parents greet the visitors and the visitors politely apologize for being late. His ears suddenly felt unaccustomed to so much talking, and it ticked him off more.
It was a business dinner.
His father and the other man talked and talked about things Genesis couldn't understand, so he didn't listen. Meanwhile, the wives were making small talk about their children. Irene boasted to the other that Genesis was getting very good at reciting poetry. The other wife rebuked with saying that her daughter was good at playing the piano and harp, it was a shame, however, that the girl was sick that night. "Oh, I tried to teach my boy the piano when he was just three," Irene said, "but he didn't have much patience for it. Boys will be boys. Perhaps when he gets older."
"He's a heart breaker," the woman said in a syrupy voice, "you'll have to be very careful when he gets older, hahaha!"
Genesis was forced to smile, to be polite.
When the dinner was over, Irene excused herself to tuck Genesis to bed while his father and the guests talked some more about whatever they've been talking about all night.
His mother helped him out of his itchy dinner clothes and into his pajamas. Genesis wasted no time in ruining the severe hairstyle his mother had done for him. "Go brush your teeth," Irene said, clamping her own with a loud snap. He brushed his teeth carefully, like his Mummy taught him to, because he wanted to eat dumbapple candies and pastries. You won't get to eat any if you had bad teeth, she told him when he said he'd brush in the morning.
"Let me see those chompers," she said as he rushed out of his bathroom. She was holding his duvet for him. Genesis slid into the silky sheets, giggling. He looked up at his mother and opened his mouth wide for her to see his clean, spotless teeth. "Very good." Irene kissed him lightly on the forehead.
"Sleep well, honey," she whispered as she stood by the doorway.
Genesis looked at his mother and smiled. "Do the bugs!"
A smile spread on her ruby lips. "Night, night, don't let he bed bugs bite." The light went off.
Author's Note:
So here's the official first chapter. Ehehe, quite nervous about it actually. Did I write it too sloppily?
Hmm. I'll let you be the judge of that!
Thank you for reading! Also, special thanks to Genny Crescent, for having the heart to cheer me on; and to Elza Eldaniella 1, Metarex, maskofjack and to starlit-pancake!
Would totally love to hear from you,
VC
