The years passed by the small family and each one was a new adventure, a new struggle, and a new joy.
Many, many struggles…
The children grew up and before Alice knew it the boys were in high school and their daughter, Michelle was already five years old. When the boys first saw her they knew that they would defend her, or at least that's what they proclaimed at the hospital where she was born. Despite her disbelief and much to Alice's surprise they actually were her protectors, rarely fought with her (even if they did fight with each other, almost every day), and even indulged her repeated requests for guests to her tea parties. In all, the house was well, and even though Alfred was going through a small rebellious streak, he would surely grow out of soon.
The house was growing tense.
As the boys grew up more and more, Alice felt like she was slowly losing her control over one in particular, Alfred. His adventurous and helpful spirit never went away, but there was a new independent streak that was rising in him and causing tensions between the strict mother and the rebel teen. When Alice asked Alfred to come home early, he stayed late at school to play football with friends. When she asked him to do a chore, he just didn't and instead played video games. When she just wanted to talk he ignored her and went to go play football or to "walk" the dog.
So she yelled, and they fought.
She hated to have to yell. She didn't want it to come to this but it seemed like this was the only way she could get him to come back to her, the only way for her to bring back the Alfred that she knew. The Alfred that did chores just to help, the Alfred that was in the house the instant that she called, The Alfred who….The Alfred who talked to her. She restricted his freedoms, as he put it, and the rest of the family could only look on as the two fought their war.
Friday night
Alice glanced up anxiously at the clock and then back down at her book. Her eyes wandered over the pages uselessly skimming the words before she gave up and looked back up at the clock. Francis came up behind her and hugged her from behind.
"He will be back soon, he is only a few minutes late…This time. But you know that he always returns."
Even his unwavering enthusiasm was no match for this repeated disobedience and Francis sat beside her to observe the clock.
"Yes well you may think that but I think that Alfred is out playing that sport with his friends again…"
"Its football, the American kind."
"I know, it does not excuse him from not being here when we asked him to be. He's ignoring my calls as well."
"You…don't know that."
Alice fixed him with an incredulous look and folded her hands to keep the tremor from showing. Alfred was late, and she was getting worried, as she always did when he left like this. That worry was quick to change to anger however when Alfred walked in the door, his bag slung over his back as he tried to go to his room without having to stop by the parents.
"Alfred F. Jones…Where were you?"
Alfred stopped still and sighed, turning to them, and for his credit he did attempt a smile.
"I was just a little slow walking home, nothing to worry about. Anyway I've got homework so-"
"Don't change the topic Alfred; you are nearly an hour late!"
"Yeah, and I've got homework, something that I have to do."
She was so sick of hearing this repeated lie; over and over again this was his excuse to leave right in the middle of their conversation.
"Homework? Homework? When was the last time you actually turned anything in?!"
Alice realized that already she was raising her voice and she forced herself to stop, she was just so tired of these arguments, she seemed to have a shorter and shorter temper with each one.
"Love, we just want you to do well in school, and not stay out without letting us know that you will be late. Where were you anyway?"
Alfred sighed and looked towards Francis for help but in this he was Alice's ally, not his, and so he was forced to answer her.
"I was just out playing sports, you know, getting exercise like my body needs. I thought that you would understand, you know, being a nurse and all."
There it was, that snarky remark dripping with disrespect that only a teenager could inflict.
"Don't assume that I'm stupid Alfred, I am the adult here. You skipped school again didn't you?! You skipped school and left to go play football! Why can't you just focus for once instead of goofing around!"
Alfred's hands were twitching and her voice had steadily grown louder, not yet at a yell but the warning signs were there.
"Maybe I don't like school! Maybe I want to do something I'm good at instead of being stuck in a place where everyone tells me that I'm an idiot!"
"Alfred you are not an idiot! Maybe if you actually turned in your work this wouldn't happen…"
Alice regretted those words but they flew out. Ever since middle school the students and even some of the teachers had called Alfred an idiot, but she knew that he wasn't. He had such a passion for inventions, space, football, military history; it's just that those subjects are only glanced over in schools. So Alfred was seen as an idiot.
She had just told him that it was his fault.
"It's not MY FAULT! Maybe I just got your genes! Maybe you're the one that's an idiot; after all you haven't even noticed that I'm trying to get away from you all! I'M MOVING OUT!"
The house froze and Alice blinked, her mind processing what he had just said.
"What? You're… You can't leave! Alfred don't be ridiculous, you're far too young to leave the house! It's not even legal!"
"Why not? I have friends! I can leave this stupid house, I can leave you!"
The you. The you stabbed her and made her resolve even stronger. She didn't show how much it affected her but that simple three letter word had been like a bullet to the heart, yet it also fueled her anger.
"Why do you want to leave?! Don't you… Don't you love your family!"
Alfred's face softened for a moment before it became steely again.
"When I was little I thought that you were great. Now you're just controlling. I can't seem to do anything right! I can't do anything to please you, nothing that I enjoy is important enough for you!"
"You know that's not true! I just want you to-"
"Be a success, I know! But nothing that I ever will do will be enough! I'm not perfect like Matthew."
"Alfred now you're just being ridiculous. Just. Just go on to your room."
"No! Not until you admit it! You both like Matthew better! He's the good one, he's the smart one, he's the one who doesn't sneak out to play football!"
Alice clenched her fist, trying to remain calm.
"Alfred go on to bed. "
"Matthew is the one you love more, or Michelle. You just won't admit it."
"Alfred-"
"I'm sorry that I can't be perfect like Matthew ok. I'm sorry that I can't be the good child. I'm sorry that you have forgotten what it was like to be like me! I'm sorry that you forgot that your own parents weren't around."
Alice's knuckles were white now and Francis's face was pale, only just now getting a word in now that a deathly quiet had settled in.
"Alfred go…Just…Go on… We all just need to calm down."
"No! It'd not my fault that she's forgotten that she was just like me! That she rebelled because her parents left-"
"ALFRED LEAVE NOW."
Alice exploded and screamed, startling the rest of the onlookers and Alfred. Alfred's face steeled once again and he left the living room, slamming the door to his room until it thundered in the now quiet house.
Matthew peeked his head out of the kitchen to only go back in there where Michelle's crying could now be heard.
Francis walked over to her and set his hand in hers, loosening it from its clenched state and holding it in his own.
"Let's go for a drive, to calm you down. Come on, Alfred is not really going to leave. You just need a break….We all need a break. "
Alice nodded mutely and gathered her purse while Francis informed Matthew of their "break" and then joined her in walking outside. The air was brisk and chill, making Alice realize how hot her face had gotten, and how red from anger it must have been. They didn't say a word, only climbed into the car, turned on the headlights and then drove off down the dark road.
Francis fiddled with the radio absently until he reached the opera station. He let the voice of the singer fill the car for a few seconds until he spoke up.
"You know Alfred didn't mean all that… He still loves you, of course he does. He's just a teenager, he will come out of this phase soon…"
Alice stared at the road ahead, her eyes tracing the yellow strip as they flew past.
"Mon cher? Please say something…"
Alice lolled her head up and looked at him with a heavy sigh, her brow pinched.
"He brought up my parents. I yelled at him, told him that it was his fault that the others call him an idiot… What was I thinking?! Have we ever made it seem that we like Matthew more? Have I ever made him feel like he wasn't perfect! I'm scared of how much he is changing, he was so perfect, and he was our boy. Now he won't even listen to me…I only ground him to try…To try and bring back our Alfred…"
Francis looked at her and stared into her eyes.
"Mon cher you are wrong on all accounts. You can't….You can't try to control him so much, that's why he's revolting. You have had your say in punishing him, now it is my turn to take the lead. You two argue too much to ever actually change behavior. He only wants to rebel against you, you know that. He can never be the same boy again, he has grown up you know. He has changed, and you must understand that."
"Don't tell me that you are on his side!"
"I am on both of your sides, just let me try mon amour. Just let me try."
Alice thought for a moment as the music turned shrill with the singing of the opera singer.
"Fine I suppose you can try to help us in our little "war". But be warned he's quite-"
Alice's voice was cut off by the screeching of tires, the shrill voice of the opera singer mingling with her own scream and the last thing she felt was Francis's arm frantically slinging across her chest to try and stop her momentum that was ready to hurl her through the window.
Matthew had finally gotten Michelle back to bed after much sobbing on her part and seemingly endless reciting of stories on his.
He was exhausted, in every possible way, Michelle wasn't even what made him tired anymore, and she was a child! Those two always fought, and he always felt torn between his mother and his brother. What could he do when Alfred brought him up in his arguments? Matthew knew that he felt like that, but what could he do about it? He always tried to be nice to Alfred, but that just increased the idea that Matthew was "the good one", the golden child, the "perfect" one…. He was just lucky that Alfred never seemed mad at him specifically, just their mother. But then again, he had to endure their arguments, which was nearly as bad as being the one yelled at.
Matthew sighed heavily and stood up, with the full intention of making himself some ice cream and maple syrup when the phone cut through the still air. Matthew groaned loudly, peeved at the interruption and reluctantly answered it.
A voice he had never heard before informed him of something he couldn't believe.
Wouldn't believe.
Michelle was rushed out of her room, confused from just falling asleep and then rather suddenly being woken up again, Alfred ran faster than Matthew had ever seen to the car where Uncle Gilbert and Uncle Antonio were waiting. They were all going so fast, too fast, very fast, and yet.
Slow.
Things were passing by in a crazed haze leaving Matthew feeling like a kid caught in the ocean again, just like when he was younger and they had gone to the beach. He was being pushed, pulled; spun, beat, going in so many directions that he didn't know which way was up. All he wanted was some sense in all of this. He wanted things to slow down, to take shape, to make sense but all he could see were blurrily outlines.
They stormed the hospital's halls and all Matthew could think of was how much hospital smelled like funeral homes, that same sickly clean smell that sticks to you even after you leave.
If Matthew was going through the storming waves than Alfred was in the eye of the hurricane. Everything was clear to him, deathly clear.
He had gotten upset at Alice, his mother.
They had argued.
Alice and Francis left the house.
They were slammed by a truck where the driver had gotten too tired to function and just didn't stop.
It was so simple.
Yet, the storm was waging around him.
Matthew was in disbelief, their uncles were pale from fear and Michelle kept on asking what was going on.
Didn't they see?
Didn't they understand?
Once when Alfred was young his friend had told him that God punishes bad children, he didn't believe it back then.
Now he did.
Gilbert stared at his hands as they all waited in the waiting room, the boys seemed too caught in their own minds, neither of them were talking and Gilbert was in no shape to force them too. All they knew was that there had been an accident, one of their friends was "badly injured".
That's all they knew, and who could he hope was fine and who was the one that was hurt? How could he hope that his best friend was fine when it would mean that the kids would lose a mother? But then how could he not hope for his best friend to be ok? Gilberts head flew into his hands swiftly and he just listened to Antonio soft singing in Spanish, his vain attempt at trying to comfort the crying Michelle. Somehow even a five year old knew the gravity of the situation enough to sob until they arrived at the hospital, and not stop the whole wait.
The hour ticked by and a solemn nurse, one of Alice's coworkers, entered the nearly empty waiting room. She searched for the small group and somehow levitated five people with a single wave of her hand, compelling them all to follow her without even a word. Antonio carried Michelle in his arms but when they arrived at the room she leapt out of his hands at her own danger and ran to her parent's side, not minding the wires and tubes as she hugged Francis and then Alice before being swept up by a nurse so as to not hurt the patients more by letting the child hug all over them.
The storm finally cleared for Matthew as he looked at his parents. The truck must have slammed into the driver's side, Francis was the one…He was the one "badly injured". Alice was bruised along her face, her nose was broken and swelled, her eyes were black and it seemed like she had a concussion from the way she couldn't seem to focus on anything for more than one second, she eventually just fell asleep but that wasn't what made Matthew clutch his stomach to keep the bile from rising. Alice was strong, she had been through worse. Not all at once of course, but she would be fine.
Francis.
His father.
Busted lip, bruises, deathly pale skin, swelled forehead, bandaged chest, broken nose, the list of injuries seemed to go on and on. The worst thing though was the beeping of the heart monitor. Matthew wanted to scream at it to hurry up, to get faster, and to urge his heart to pump faster. The beeping of the heart monitor was just slowly tolling out the heart beats.
Matthew looked at the nurse and she finally spoke up to all of him.
"He is…He has bleeding in his brain, he's going into a coma…Sleeping. He's conscious now so please…Tell him what you want…..You…You might want to…To hurry."
Michelle finally stopped crying long enough to look at Matthew before being led out of the room, or rather dragged out. Outside her sobs were heard once again and the twins knew they only had a short few minutes before she would have an utter meltdown with the stranger.
She needed them.
Matthew walked over before grabbing Alfred forcibly by the shoulder and dragging him over as well.
"….Dad?...Francis?...Sil vous plait…."
Francis's eyes slowly edged open and he managed a small cracked lip smile.
"Bien…You…Remembered…"
His eyes drifted over to the door and even though he winced, even though his breath was laboring he shifted up to look to the door.
"Is that…Michelle…Is she….hurt?"
"…Non papa. She's fine. Just….Upset…"
Francis slowly shifted back and nodded before wincing.
"I…thought so…How are…you two…How's Alice?"
His eyes searched for her and even though it obviously hurt to turn his head he did and his gaze softened at the sight of his sleeping wife, relatively unharmed.
"Mom's fine. We're…We're ok."
Liar.
Alice's voice flashed through his mind "never tell a lie love."
Too late for that now.
Francis looked at them slowly and let out a small huff of air, something he probably could not afford at this point.
"What…did…your mother…tell you about…lying?"
Matthew's chest deflated and he sat down beside Francis's bed, Alfred joined him, and sitting down heavily, his legs almost seemed to give out beneath him.
"…I'm sorry…"
Francis chuckled softly, even though the sound was choked, and nearly imitated that of an old man's.
"You are…Forgiven…Matthew…Alfred…I love you…two…Tell Alice that…I love her...Now…Your sister…Needs her…Go and be….The wonderful…brothers that…you two are."
"Bu-"
"We've always…taught you to…obey your parents…so go on…now."
Matthew somehow forced his legs to move and obey this order, forced Alfred out of the room and forced himself to lie to Michelle.
"Dad's going to be fine….Come on he's just…falling asleep soon…"
Gilbert eyed his friend as he and Antonio edged closer, making the trio complete. Antonio just muttered soft prayers in Spanish; his hands were clutching an old rosary so hard that the beads were leaving white imprints on his hands. The beeping of the heart monitor got louder but slower, sounding like slamming against wood somehow to Gilbert's distressed and exhausted mind.
"Francis...I'm sorry that I told Matthew about where babies come from…."
Francis looked at his lifelong friend and began to laugh a choking, gurgling laugh that made him sound like he was drowning.
"THUNK"….Beep.
"You….You didn't,….Have to apologize…For that…." Suddenly his face grew grim and he choked up. "Mon…Dieu….I won't…Get to tell Michelle…I won't get…To walk her down….The aisle….I won't see…"
THUNK….Beep.
"Matthew and Alfred….Graduate…"
Gilbert walked closer looking down as his friends voice grew softer and weaker, Antonio's voice only got stronger and more urgent, trying to force every prayer out and hoping desperately for a miracle that wouldn't come.
"Please….Gilbert…Make sure that…Michelle…..Make sure….she…goes to…college…That she… has a nice…dress for…wedding…, and her partner…..is good to…her.
"Don't worry, between Elizabeta, Alice and I we can take down anyone stupid enough to hurt your kids."
THUNK.
"Merci…..and Alfred, Matthew….Make sure…they're ok and…go to…college. Find someone..they love as well…"
"I will."
The shrill beeping filled the air and Gilbert could hear the final slamming noise, he knew it now. It was a nail being beaten into the wood.
No.
A coffin.
THUNK .
Four nails to seal up a coffin, four minutes for Francis to be ready for his.
