THE KINGS SCEPTRE

part 12

Jay arrived home and went directly in his room to change. His father always came home late, he worked as a cop at the central police station on top of that he was also an alcoholic. Routine of jay was after changing into his casual clothes he would clean the beer bottles in the sitting room table and couch which his father had left after getting wasted night before then he prepares dinner for both of them.

since occurring of the accident which took life of his twin and mother eight years back, life never returned the same for them. The accident happened when his twin and mother were returning home from the fair and their black sedan was run over by a truck as it swerved off the road after taking a quick turn.

He was at the sitting room that day watching cartoons, his father was home early from work, their door bell rung when his father opened the door was greeted by fellow police officers who gave him the devastating news.

His father hurriedly went to the hospital with him to identity their bodies, from then onwards jay hated the hospitals and everything about them. He remembered looking over the face of his brother just laying there over that freezing metal bed looking so peaceful as if he was just taking an afternoon nap, he shook the body of his deceased brother heavily urging him to wake up and stop fooling around nurses had to came over and remove him. They were asked about burial procedures but his father denied and asked them to carry his wife last wishes of cremating her body along with the body of his son.

There going on their life changed drastically, his father started by going to different help groups to overcome the grief but didn't help much, he shifted to work up to late hours yet didn't provide the escape he was searching for. year before he started drinking that gave him little mercy of escaping the grief and finding closure for few precious hours easily as that he became an alcoholic. His father not ever did he disturbed him for he was busy drowning in his own miseries. Jay had to force himself to grow up, he decided also shifting from his former school due to hating of the pitiful eyes which everyone looked him with.

Jay finished cleaning the sitting room and went to prepare dinner, he prepared easy food spaghetti with meat balls his favourite as the music blasted through home speakers, about eight forty his father returned from work.

His hairs were ruffled up when he removed the cap, his shirt was untucked. down he still had on his boots, then he removed his pistol and holster together and left them at the counter where he kept the cap. his face was thin and had small looking brown eyes and thin set mouth. jay took quick glance at his father he had on the usual long lost look there was nothing new about it, that was always the way he looked since the funeral.

"how was your day?" jay asked casually, everyday when his father returned he liked asking that same question not that it would make him more talkative, he just believed it helped him coming back to the world of living.

"it was fine." he replied dryly, his face shifted to a troubled look.

jay was about to ask him more, then went against it. He knew his father wouldn't open up more than that.

"dinner is ready." jay told him then remained looking at him longingly, "I'm going to sleep now, goodnight."

"mmh." that was his only reply.

jay went slowly upstairs, once he reached at his room he threw himself at bed. He liked sleeping early after turning and tossing still he didn't get any sleep, he then turned on his phone no one was online even tony. jay climbed off his bed and turned on his computer at the desk to play video games, he heard the bedroom door of his father closing.

jay was sure something happened to his father on work that day, but he didn't know what. his father never slept early and coming back with no box of beer in hand that was unusual. sleep caught jay on the chair with controllers in his hands while the game God of war went on.

****************

jay opened his eyes, sun was shinning across his face. Clock on the table read seven thirty in the morning, he still had thirty minutes of preparation till the time of classes.

He slowly prepared himself for school, when he went down to the living room he found his father at the kitchen table drinking coffee with boiled eggs. jay just stared at him surprised for his father stopped taking breakfast for months and he was already in his police uniform but his face was looking bored, well you can't expect everything changing overnight.

"morning." his father greeted him.

"yeah...um...morning." jay stammered for a moment, he had forgotten on how to reply his father's greeting, he looked around at the living room there were no bottles of beer around.

jay couldn't believe it, his father was awake and sober after two years of drinking, miracles do really happen.

"I left you some eggs on the pot." he told jay as he wore his cap, then released a long sigh. "I'm trying to change for real this time jay, just give me more time."

jay's mouth hangs open, his father had just spoken the words out of blue and he didn't even knew what to reply. his father was looking at him carefully there was a look of regret on his face.

his father opened the door and silently left for work. surely enough there were eggs in the pot, silly me I couldn't even tell him don't worry about it dad or everyone has his own time to heal, he threw himself the blame for being tongue tied.

This was proper time for them to start building up their relationship and heal old wounds but he just remained frozen when his father finally let him in. jay was distracted from his thoughts when he heard knocking at the door, after opening it he saw ava and another girl about their age whom he didn't recognized.

"what are you doing here?" he asked ava.

"well, ain't that rude to leave the guest outside on the porch." ava told jay.

"lucky I, for I don't take guest of you liking." he said with a smile then opened the door wide open "come on in then."

"I better tell you soon, today i'm in no mood for another detention so if you wanna ditch classes, you are on your own Cinderella." he told ava after they had entered inside.

"you know me better already." she told him.

"who doesn't, you are quite predictable." he said.

"yeah." ava lamely replied as she scratched her head. "I need your help with something and I don't have anyone else at school, guess I may only need a single person."

Jay all the time was looking at irina from time she set foot into the house, she didn't seem like the kind of taste whom ava would hang around with. he smelled trouble all over her.

"she is my kidnapper, her name is Irina and kidnapper this is my friend jay." ava introduced them to each other after seeing jay paying too much attention to irina with inquisitive eyes.

"good to know." he said, then leaned on the wall. "so what do you need help with but I won't give you my word that I'll help you in whatever."