Psych

4. Settling in

There was no response.

He heard footsteps approaching the bathroom. There was a knock.

‘Sineas, are you alright in there?’

He wiped water from his face. ‘Yes, Aunt Janice. I’m, I’m fine,’ he replied but he listened attentively, expecting something else to drop onto the floor.

‘Good. Dinner is almost ready.’ She tapped the door twice before making her way back to the kitchen.

Dinner was very quiet. It was rice and mincemeat with orange juice to wash it down. They were eating at the table in the kitchen. ‘How’s the food?’ she asked him before taking a sip from her glass.

‘It’s great, Aunt Janice.’ He made an uncertain smile while he nodded.

‘Good, good, my boy. Maybe tomorrow I’ll take you out for some strawberry ice-cream. I believe it’s still your favourite?’

He smiled again. They continued eating but in strict silence again.

After dinner, Janice led him upstairs and just as he had guessed, she showed him into his room. He picked up his bags and walked inside. She apologized for the absence of any lights in the room and promised to put in some bulbs at the end of the month. She retired to the kitchen to clean the dishes. 

As he walked towards his bed, Sineas could only make out a small wooden cupboard beside the bed with a seemingly dead lamp placed on top of it. To the far left of the bed was a window and it was wide open, approving a cool breeze into the room. He was convinced this was the only furniture in the room. There was no carpet on the floor either, just wood. It cried and creaked when he carried his suitcase towards the bed. He knew that his aunt was not wealthy but he did not know what her profession was either, and so he decided not to stress much about the disturbing scenes he had encountered so far. 

He sat at the foot of the bed, opened his suitcase and began to change into his pyjamas. The room was dark but he could make out which end went into which on his body.

‘You could have at least told me that we’ll be staying at Janice’s house.’

‘How many times do I have to remind you that it’s “Aunt Janice”?’

‘Do I look like I care?’

‘Is that a trick question?’ He began to open the covers.

‘I bet you there are fleas in there.’

‘Where? In the bed or in your mouth?’

‘Ha ha ha, that’s so funny I forgot to tell you I’ve heard it before.’

Sineas sighed. ‘You talk too much, do you know that?’

‘Look who’s talking! Looking at you sometimes just makes me sick.’

‘Humph! Thinking about you makes me want to hurl.’

‘Hmmm, so you think about me? I’m flattered, Sin. Ha-ha-ha. “Sin”. That’s one hell of a name. What messed up psychopath would give someone a name like that?’

‘It’s Sineas…and don’t play dumb, you know who gave me that name and why.’

‘ *Sigh* Don’t remind me. So I guess going to church won’t do you any good.’

‘Why?’

‘ *Laughter* Because you’re basically what they preach against there. So no matter how many times they pray for you, you’ll still be Sin! *Laughter*’

‘I think you’re the one who needs praying for.’

‘ME? I’m not the one with the dirty name. Why didn’t they give you a name like Taylor, or Ben…or even Kevin?’

‘I think you forget that I’m black.’

‘So you’re a racist too? How typical of Sin.’

He yawned as he slid into the covers. He sighed heavily and drew the blanket up to his chin. He was worn-out.

‘So, what are you going to do about school?’

‘I don’t know. I heard her talk to that policeman about something called “home-school”.’

‘You think she’s going to make you stop going to school?’

He rolled onto his left side. ‘Do I look like a prophet?’

‘Tsk, tsk…Games, Sineas, games. Do I look like I play games?’