The newly brewed coffee I made to clear my hangover from last night had a certain aroma that gave me an image of a quiet suburban neighborhood. With some added sugar and perfectly heated at just the right temperature, this was coffee made for kings and queens. I took one of the two cups I had stored in my cupboards and poured the coffee. Just the right blend and texture.
I happily served the coffee I am oh so proud of to the restless demon whom I call Mom currently tapping her foot on the floor furiously.
Hope the downstairs neighbors don't come barging in here. Then again, I wager Mom would still win that argument.
"So, Mom, what brings you here?" I said as I desperately tried to make something out of this awkward situation.
"Who's she?"
She gets straight to the point doesn't she?
"She's… a friend, mom. Really there's nothing to worry about!"
"Oh? I find a half naked girl coming out of your room and you tell me that she's a 'friend' and that nothing happened?"
"Uhm… I know it sounds weird, but it's the truth."
She gives me a disappointed look and proceeds to shake her head as she sips the freshly brewed coffee.
"I just wish you could be more open with me about these things, Blyth."
Eh?
"I mean, you're my only son and I'm your mother. I'm supposed to know if my son has gone the extra step into becoming a grown up."
EH?
"Oh, but please tell me you both used protection. I want grandkids, but of course marriage comes first. Oh and I can teach her a few techniques I learned from your father as well."
EH?!
I felt light headed as my entire face went red from all the words that just came out of her mouth. She kept talking, but I couldn't understand anything she was saying anymore. Something in my head felt like it overloaded from all the pressure and embarrassment.
"Blyth, steam's coming out of your head dear."
I shook my head and it seemed to have reconnected a few circuits in my brain. As mom made sure I was healthy by asking millions upon millions of questions, I noticed how different she looked. Mom always seemed sad when she didn't know I was looking. I thought that it was because we moved from so far away, or maybe it was because dad wasn't here anymore. I had to move to my unit, which meant leaving her alone. Part of me didn't want to leave her, but now I'm just glad that she seems happy.
"You cut your hair short."
Mom stuttered for a second and seemed ecstatic that I noticed.
"Those clothes are new too aren't they? Looks great on you mom, some people might think you're a teenager with that style though, so be careful."
"Hey, I'm still in my early 30's so don't count me out just yet!"
Mom waves a hand across her face, trying to emphasize her young looks that she claims will never change. I let out a light chuckle and so did she. She began to look at the cup I served her coffee with.
"I remember this cup, your dad was so happy when you made it for him."
"Dad? But, you told me I never met him."
"Oh, that's right! I'm sorry, maybe despite being in my 30's my memory's twice that age."
Mom scratches her head and lets out an array of awkward chuckles. Is she okay? I couldn't understand what that meant by that. Maybe it was a slip of the tongue or she's just tired.
I walked to the refrigerator and took out the leftovers from yesterday. Luckily they were all desserts, I handed mom a plate of cake and a knife to cut it with.
"Blyth, you know I'm on a diet." She said as she took her fourth spoonful of cake.
"Hey mom, what brings you here?"
"Oh, I got a call from the university. They told me you got into an accident and was admitted to the hospital. When I got to the hospital, I heard you were already discharged and sent home."
Mom seemed to regret not getting to visit me in the hospital. But it did seem like she tried her best to get there. I decided not to press her anymore and just be glad that she's here.
"Don't worry mom, the doctors were pretty nice and accommodating. Oh and I had a friend with me too."
"Oh? Is this friend perhaps the same one in your bedroom right now?"
I choked a little bit on the coffee I was drinking. I compose myself and explain to her why Kiara was there.
"I see, so nothing really happened. That's a shame! I thought I was on my way to becoming the youngest grandma ever!"
Her instant change in tone from a fierce ice queen to a bundle of joy at the topic of grandkids was astounding.
"I bet she's hearing every single thing you're saying and laughing it up in there. I'm never gonna hear the end of this."
"So what if she hears me? Can't a mother dream about her son starting his own family?"
Mom started to daydream of what I can only assume is some twisted future of me and Kiara as a happy family. It was unimaginable, I know, but I really am glad that she's happy. I decided not to take this precious thought away from her.
"You had something to ask her, didn't you Blyth?"
Crap, I completely forgot about that.
"Good thing I'm here, right Blyth! I mean, apart from the whole 'pushing you to kill yourself' shtick, I'm just here to make your life easier, and shorter."
Wish I could forget about him though.
"I wouldn't bet on that Blyth."
He gave me his signature smirk which always pissed me off. Of course he knew it pissed me off, that's why he kept doing it. He's right though, I need to get answers and Mom seems like the best person to ask.
"Hey… Mom…"
Her daydreaming was interrupted, even so she still had a smile on her face as she turned to look at me.
"Yes dear? What is it? Why do you look so serious all of a sudden?"
"I wanted to ask you something."
She comes closer from across the table and clutches my arms in hers.
"Anything dear, you can ask me anything."
"It's about these strange things I've been seeing."
God, I hope she doesn't think I'm crazy.
"I've been having these dreams and visions where I see things that I really don't understand, but they feel familiar."
Mom had her face down and I could feel faint quivers from her grip on my hands. Nevertheless, I decided to continue questioning.
"In those visions, we were back in the suburbs, but everything was different. I was 14 years old again and everybody hated me for some reason. And there were these kids, I think they were the same age as me. There were two boys and one girl."
Mom was shaken up by the mention of the kids.
"The girl in particular, I could sense a deep sadness coming from her. But, there was also hate, intense hatred directed toward me. Out of all the people there, she seemed to have it out for me the most. I can still remember her name."
Mom let go of my hands, but she still had her face down so I couldn't tell what she was thinking. She then held the cup in her hands and was caressing the drawings imprinted on it. I looked at my own hands and found that I too was trembling, even more than her.
Is my body reacting to the situation even if I don't remember anything?
I steel myself and ask her my question.
"Mom, just who is Yu⎯"
As I looked back up to her, I heard a loud crash. Coffee spilled on the floor. Glass shards were everywhere, it was impossible to collect every piece without getting nicked. I look back at her and see that she'd cut herself with the knife.
"Shit, you're bleeding! Hold on, I'll get some towels!"
I ran straight to the bathroom and fetched bundles of towels. I wrapped the towels around her hands to hopefully stop the bleeding from getting worse. I got back and saw that Mom was gathering pieces of the shattered cup from the floor. Tears flowed from her eyes, but her expression was blank.
"Mom! Mom! Snap out of it!"
She comes back and realizes what's happening. Her face squints from the pain and the pressure I was applying.
"Crap, that looks bad! Lyth, where do you keep the first-aid kit?"
I didn't notice Kiara had left my room. Maybe she heard the loud crash and wondered what was happening.
"I don't remember, try underneath the sink!"
"There's nothing here Lyth!"
"Haha, so she calls you Lyth?" Mom tries to make light of the situation while forcing a smile between pained expressions.
"You can still make jokes at a time like this?!"
"Heh, kind of reminds me of you, dear."
"Just stay quiet Mom, you might've lost too much blood."
Kiara returns with more towels and some disinfectants.
"What's wrong with you Lyth?! I searched the whole unit and there wasn't a single first-aid kit anywhere! You should have one for situations like this! I'll try calling an ambulance."
"No… its argh… fine… just get argh… a first-aid kit."
She could barely keep herself together anymore.
"Kiara, come here for a second."
I reach out to Kiara and place her hands on top of the towels covering Mom's hands.
"Keep applying pressure to it. I'll go look for a first-aid kit in the store across the street."
"I'm… not good with… blood…"
She looked beneath the towel and saw several shards ingrained in her hand. Kiara then looked at Mom who was trembling from the intense pain.
'F-fine… just hurry up!"
I leave Mom to her and sprint outside. The force of which I pulled the door open echoed throughout the hall, yet I continued to sprint. As I continued down the staircase, all I could think of was Mom. She can get through this, I was sure. But, why did she respond like that?
"So you noticed it, didn't you Blyth?"
I tried my best to ignore Blight as I continued sprinting down these godforsaken stairs.
"She's hiding something, Blyth. And you know it, but what exactly could it be?"
Blight appears at the end of every staircase while inclined on the wall. Posing as if he was thinking. I eventually reach the exit and make my way to the store.
"Well whatever it was, it was big enough that she'd literally go through shards of glass to hide it." Blight laughs but then turns to me and switches to a serious tone.
"So my question to you Blyth is that if your mother would harm herself so much just to hide the past, what do you think you would do when you find out the truth?"