A Mother's Instinct
Written by: Miradeathnote
Chapter 2
I watch Feliciano play with his curl, trying to figure out his simple math problem. I want to cry. He's been working on this same type of problem for two years now. Me and him should be at eighth grade level (my brother is very smart) right now, but being as bored as I get I am in the tenth grade level. However my little brother, he was on a totally different level.
"Brother? What is-"
I scream in frustration. "It's four! 2 times two is like two plus two!" He flinches, and that's when I know I've hurt him. He starts to tear up.
"I'm sorry big brother. You must think-" I hug him tightly and shush him, trying to calm him down.
Me and my little brother have been in this orphanage for about seven years. Time seemed to have slowed down. In the orphanage there are four other boys. Ivan, Gilbert, Hercules, and Kiku. Kiku is a Japanese math prodigy. However he is super shy, so when my brother asks for help he runs away. Hercules is quiet and very laid back. He is the oldest and when I ask him to tell me about himself all he says is, "I always wanted to be a cat." Gilbert had a little brother (Ludwig), but he ended up being adopted, so now Gilbert spends his time alone. Then Ivan. Ivan is a total mystery for me. My brother came up with the story that he's abused. I know differently. He's tried to commit suicide ten times (once every year he was there) and he locks himself in his room. He only ever came out once. That was the day I turned thirteen. He came out late at night and woke me up. I was very startled and afraid, but he gave me a genuine smile and asked, "When we are older, would you like to see my sunflower garden?" I remember nodding and he had smiled again. Then he sat on my bed and lulled me to sleep. In the morning he was in his room again.
At the orphanage we had to be taught in a small schoolroom (except for Ivan). In the beginning Feliciano showed promise of being very smart, but when he reached second grade level he got stuck. Later I found out (from eavesdropping) that he probably had a mental disorder. I grew very angry. So since then I've been trying my hardest to teach him. He has finally begun to show progress for everything else, except math.
"Feliciano you are not stupid! You are a Vargas child!" I proclaim to him. I wipe his small tears with my thumb and smile down at him. He seems to be happy again, and with a look of determination he sets off to try the problems again. I decide to leave him be and sneak out from our room. As silently as I can I creep down the hallways and stop in front of a familiar door. Ivan's room. I don't know why, but every other day I'll come down and sit in front of his door. Sometimes I'll try to make conversations, sometimes I stay silent. Today though I wanted to ask something.
"Hey Ivan, I have a question. Are you Russian?" He always spoke weird, so I have always been curious. Of course my curiosity always gets me in trouble. One time my curiosity caused me to be grounded from books for a month! That was years ago though.
I wait silently, and like I suspected he doesn't answer. I am about to leave when I hear shuffling inside the room. I still, my breathing completely stopping. I hear the knob slowly turn, and when I see him, I immediately regretted it.