All That We Never Were by Alice Kellen
Author:Alice Kellen
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sourcebooks
54
_________
Axel
For the first time in a long time, I got to my parentsâ house early on Sunday. Actually, I was the first one there. My mother asked me as she was drying her hands on a rag in the kitchen, âIs everything okay? Did something happen?â
âDonât be ridiculous!â I gave her a kiss.
âIâm not! Daniel, am I being ridiculous with your son?â
My father pretended he hadnât heard her.
âFor three years youâve never made it on time on Sunday.â
âI must have read the clock wrong. Whatâs for lunch?â
âFor you, peas. For everyone else, roast beef.â
I helped my father set the table while she followed us from the kitchen to the living room, telling the story of a customer at the café whoâd been diagnosed with a tumor.
âTheyâve given him three months to live,â she concluded.
âFucking hell,â my father said.
âDaniel, the phrase is how sad,â my mother corrected him. âBy the way, Galia broke her hip again; that woman has the worst luck.â
âCan we stop talking about death and disaster?â I asked.
She ignored me, walked over to the plate Iâd just set on the table, arranged it properly (one more inch to the left), and wrinkled her nose.
âHow long has it been since youâve gone to the doctor, Axel?â
âI go as little as I can. Iâm trying to set a record.â
My father pursed his lips, trying not to laugh.
âHow can you joke about something like that? You know how many times your brother goes into town for a checkup?â She crossed her arms.
âNo idea. Every time a mosquito bites him?â
âEvery three months. You should learn from him.â
âIf I follow his example, Iâll die from boredom.â
At that moment, the doorbell rang, and I felt something unknown in my chest. But it wasnât her, it was Justin, Emily, and my nephews shouting and making noise like a herd of elephants. I mussed their hair before taking the plastic pistol Max held in his hand.
âGive it back!â he said.
âYouâll have to catch me first!â
I took off running. My mother shouted something like âCareful with the vase,â but neither of us was really listening when we took off down the hallway at top speed. Max cornered me and asked Connor to help him get the pistol back. I held it high and they tried to climb my body like monkeys to get it.
âDonât tickle me, you little snot-noses!â
âWeâre not snot-noses!â Connor said.
âOf course you are. What do you think you have in your nose? Snot.â
âMamaaaaa!â Max shouted while continuing to jump and try to get the pistol.
Emily came into the room and started laughing. âI wouldnât know which of the three of you was the bigger baby.â
âAxel, obviously,â Justin answered, turning around.
âSo whoâs the baldest one of all?â I asked, giggling.
âSon of aâ¦â
âShhh!â Emily said.
Her children were perplexed when their father, normally so proper, leapt at me and threw me onto the bed. That was my gift. I was the only person on earth capable of driving my older brother nuts. The boys and Emily disappeared when my mother announced that sheâd brought candy.
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