Chapter 2

A week later, the situation hadn't changed; only Elizabeth had stopped calling half a dozen times a day. Keith didn't talk much. He came home late in the afternoon, went straight into the garage, played a few bars and remained invisible for the rest of the day.

After dinner on the seventh day, Shirley couldn't bear it any longer. She peeped through the kitchen door and watched as Keith, Chris and Tracy sat on the sofa playing a board game.

On first glance, everything seemed normal. On second glance, the situation was far from being normal. Shirley could see that Keith had won the game by 100 points. Chris was in tears, looking pitiful, and Tracy held her doll in her arms, refusing to keep playing.

Normally the children loved playing with Keith because he let them win, in a way that they could never figure out how he did it. He was great at losing, joking around, making fun out of his bad luck.

Today was different. He seemed absent minded. He definitely wasn't with them in the living room. Shirley wanted to know where he was, so she called to him.

'Keith? Could you please help me for a second?'

He came in the kitchen, looking angry, as if he wasn't very happy about being interrupted in his daydreaming.

'What's wrong, Mom?' he asked.

'Please sit down.'

He sat down on a chair near the kitchen table and waited, silent as during the last seven days.

'Nothing's wrong with me, honey. But what about you? You just seem to be lost in a world of your own. Can I help you?'

Keith looked at her.

'I'm fine. I just have a lot of work to do, that's all.'

'Work? What are you talking about? You're coming home late from school, you don't talk to us, you don't even play your music.'

Keith looked uncomfortable.

'Mom, let's call it a school project.'

'A school project? Is that school project preventing you from talking to your brothers and sisters? And to me?'

'Please, I don't want to talk about it.'

His voice was very small and he started playing with his ring nervously, looking down in his lap. Shirley regarded him suspiciously. He was pale. The dancing lights in his eyes were missing. Something WAS wrong. He definitely wasn't very happy at the moment.

'Look, Keith, you seem to be absent minded, fine. Something's bothering you, fine. You don't want to tell, fine. But how long will this go on?'

Silence, more fumbling with the ring. What was wrong with this kid? Now she was getting angry.

'Keith, how long? You could at least look at me.'

He looked up in despair.

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many thanks to my lovely beta Karen

thank you for your wonderful comments. You are right. English is not my native language