SteeleKizz, Inc

Uncharted Territory

Sean

With full bellies, EJ and the twins packed his truck with their duffel bags and squished into the cab to head home. It had been almost a week since Sean and Cara had been home. Sean felt something he didn’t understand but knew without his mom, nothing would feel the same.

It was already past their bedtime as he looked at the clock on the dashboard of the vehicle. Right now, all he wanted was for his mom to read him a bedtime story and tuck him in. Whispering in his ear that everything would be okay, a kiss on the forehead, and tucking the blanket in around him.

He looked to his immediate right as Cara was in and out of sleep. Her head would slowly fall to his shoulder until they drove over a bump or crevice in the road and she would startle awake. He wondered if she was anxious like he was.

The gated entrance to the base’s neighborhood lingered ahead as the lights from the truck brightened up the concrete sign. EJ rolled down the window and stopped at the box entering the number. Once the gate was open, he drove through, rolling the window back up.

It was late fall and while California rarely has cold weather; it felt cooler than normal for this time of year. Sean found his hoodie in his bag and put it on. They drove the cul-de-sac halfway around until they reached the driveway of their house. Sean sat looking at the darkness at the windows. Goosebumps ran along his arms even with the hoodie on.

He looked up at his dad who was also sitting still in his seat looking at the empty house. The silence broken by Cara shifting in her seat, holding onto the metal door latch, antsy to get inside.

Both guys looked at her blankly. “I have to pee,” she whispered urgently.

EJ nodded and opened up his door. He grabbed Cara’s stuff and his, while the children scrambled out of the truck. Cara danced at the entry, hoping their dad would hurry. At the door, he unlocked it and Cara ran to the nearest bathroom down the hallway.

EJ looked at the bags on his shoulder and arm. Sean had crept his way from the truck to the house. He walked in behind EJ and gave this house, once his warm and welcoming home, a look over. Noting that the only change was the absence of his mom; it was hard to shake.

Their father carefully dropped Cara’s bags down to the floor away from the doorway. Sean left the front entry and living room area, proceeding to his room at the far back of the house. Once there, he tossed his duffel onto the foot of the bed and kicked off his shoes. He flipped on the light and then rummaged in the bags. He listened intently, figuring out where everyone was at in the house. It sounded like his sister was still in the bathroom and he wasn’t sure if his father was still standing at the entrance. Sean always had trouble figuring out where he was. His father had a light step.

“Cara, your bags are at the door,” said EJ from the front of the house.

Feeling slightly more secure where his father was at, he started sorting through the items he’d collected from his grandparents and started putting them away in safe places in his room. A miniature picture he placed in his bookbag. A plastic gummy type bracelet he put in his desk. All were small reminders of who his mom was and what she looked like young and older.

Both bags were empty, and he had finished putting the rest of his clothes away when EJ tapped on the doorway. “Lights out,” he commanded and flipped the light switch off, then on as a warning.

“Okay,” Sean said. His father stood near the entrance, about to say something, but abruptly stopped. “Uh, goodnight.”

EJ took his leave and headed to the other side of the house. Sean gave him a weird look as he left. This was going to be a change that Sean wasn’t sure he’d be able to get along with easily.

Slipping under the covers, he heard the shower stop and then small thudding of feet heading down his hallway but ending shortly before his room. The light from his sister’s bedroom came on and went out as the door closed. He could hear her bustling about in her room. Putting her own things away from the sounds of it. Then, just like it had been for him, their father came down the hall to remind her it was time for bed.

A firm, but neutral tone echoed in the small hallway. “Lights out. Good night” The door closed and his footsteps hushed as he headed to his side of the house. The house was now deafeningly quiet as it was when they pulled up.

The next morning, the kids woke up to a quiet house. Sean sat up in bed and looked at his Captain America watch on his arm. It was 9 a.m. He got up from his bed and tiptoed to the door, cracking it. He waited patiently as he listened for any sound from the others in the house. No sound or smell of breakfast being fixed. No ringing phone or TV going with the morning news.

He eased the door close and tiptoed back to bed. Creeping under the covers, he pulled them over his head, closing his eyes. It was all like a bad dream and he had just now woken up. Was anyone even home? He thought to himself. He stayed like that for what he felt like a long time. Sean could hear only his breathing until the creaking of the door opening startled him. He flinched when something landed on his bed. He took a sigh of relief when his sister joined him under the covers.

“Dad’s not even awake,” she mumbled. “I went to check, and he kept the door unlocked. So, I opened it and he was still in bed sleeping. He snores like a pig.”

She gave a soft giggle before curling up into Sean.  His arm curled around her and he felt an inkling of normalcy.  Something within the deep pit of his stomach echoed in his ears that nothing would be normal any more.  He rested his head back onto the pillow and tried closing his eyes to sleep.  A cold chill coursed through his body that kept him restless.  Sean would keep turning his head to look towards his bedroom door as if a big bad monster was about to enter.  Most of the day passed without much sound in the remainder of the house, the monster must be silently waiting on the sidelines waiting patiently to pounce at the right moment.

Sean and Cara talked among themselves into the afternoon when a door slamming shut was heard even in Sean’s room.  They gave each other a cautious look before feeling the wind of his bedroom door being forced open.  EJ was standing there in the shadows of the hallway looking at the twins. He looked unusually gruffy and unkept as he surveyed the room.

“Where have you been all day?” he growled out.  

“We, we’ve been in here, Dad,” Cara said matter of factly.  

EJ stood like a statue trying to figure out the next thing to say or do.  “We need food,” he said finally.  “Do you know how to cook?”

His eyes darted between the two kids.  Both shook their heads not knowing where to start if they had to cook.  They would help make cookies or add ingredients to mixes when their mom was alive, but never made a full meal.  He gave a low throated growl of disapproval.  

“I will order take out tonight,” he commented.  “You both will learn to cook.  Understood?”

“Yes, Dad,” they echoed one another.  

EJ’s lips twitched mimicking the action of wanting to speak but biting back the comment.  “Ok.”

EJ turned quickly on his heels and turned towards the kitchen.  The twins let out a long breath and got up from the edge of the bed heading towards the doorway.  They both peeped around the door frame and down the hallway.  Drawers were opened and slammed shut, then suddenly it was quiet before they heard a phone ringing in the distance. 

EJ was mumbling a phone order for food finalizing the order with the home address.  He’d paced from one area of the kitchen to another when he looked down the hallway noticing the twins peeping at him while he made the call.

With the call ended, he stood looking back at them, his phone hanging to his sides.  “Chinese,” he spoke and then headed back to the master bedroom closing the door behind him.

Sean and Cara straightened up and shrugged at one another.  They’d rarely eaten Chinese and neither were very familiar with the foods or culture.  

Sean took a deep breath and headed to the kitchen.  He wanted to do something to help his dad out.  He started quietly rummaging the cabinets for their to-go plates and utensils to set the table.  Cara tiptoed behind him.  She poked him in the arm and gave him a questioning look and raising her arms wanting to know what he was doing.  

Just as quickly as she’d poked him, he’d found the paper plates and plastic utensils holding them up to show her.  They both beamed with delight that they could do something.  Sean and Cara quickly gathered the items and started making place settings for the three of them.  They were so used to having just three that making a fourth place was an oddity.

A door closed from the alternate hallway as they finished up.  EJ walked in with his arms cross and a frown buried deep on his face.  

“What are you doing?” he asked roughly.

Sean looked from him to the table with a proud smile and a twinkle in his eyes.  “We set the table.  Just like Mom showed us.”

Arms still firmly crossed, EJ shook his head.  “Just more garbage for us to fuss over.  Chinese comes in little boxes that you can eat from and chop sticks.  Easy to clean up.  But, whatever.”

Sean’s twinkle went out as quickly as it was lit.  Even if his dad wasn’t happy with the work he and his Sister worked on, he knew their mom would and that for him is what counted.  His father could do things his way.

The delivery man arrived with the food quickly.  Sean and Cara, even with all the hard work, put the paper plates and utensils back to be used another way.  Sean left out a fork for him and Cara, just in case.  He’d only heard of chop sticks, but had no experience with them.

EJ paid the  young man and then brought the overloaded puffy plastic bag to the table and set it down.  A thud echoed in the small dining area when the bagged food landed.  EJ reached into the bag while the twins watched on from across the table.  When done, the table had a variety of white boxes with red designs and buildings printed on them.  A pile of soy sauce was set in the middle of it all.  

Something in EJ’s mood altered as he looked at the table of food and then to the empty seat where Eleya often sat when he was home.  The lump in his throat floated momentarily and then he looked to the kids.  They favored her so sickeningly much.  A bitter reminder of his lost love.

He motioned with his hands towards the food.  “Dig in.” He’d grabbed one of the towers of white rice and then started dipping into the various boxes of saucy meats and plopping it into his box.  He looked at the kids who watched on in awe.

“You’ve never had Chinese?” he asked confused.  “It was Elle’s favorite take out.”

The kids hushed when he mentioned her real name, or nickname, that he’d given her, but they had never heard him call her that.

“Your mom loved Chinese.” His tone turned sad as he put the first bite of General Tsao’s chicken and a round ball of rice in his mouth.  “It’s where we ate on our first date.”

The kids looked at him as if he was telling a fairy tale and they were enamored over the slightest details.  It only added to his heartbreak that they’d never be able to share that special moment again.  He sat eating in silence.

The twins grabbed the next box of rice and shook it, breaking up the rice.  They went to each of the boxes and smelled the contents before adding it.  They quietly giggled among each other when they would taste something different for the first time and give an ugly face at the new taste.

EJ maintained his attention to his own food only getting seconds when his box was only rice again.  

THe twins struggled trying to figure out how to use the chopsticks correctly.  Cara attempted to use them by piercing the meat with one stick and then scraping rice onto it with the other.  The chopstick resembled more like a shish kabob when she finished.   Sean became sullen and stuck to his fork he kept off to the side.  He laughed to himself at Cara’s silliness.

The kids fell asleep not only with a new experience and unhungry, but more intimate details about their mom and dad.  Something good to remember as they drifted off.