Blast to the Past
23/07/2003
Mumma is gatting worse. Shes more sick than before. Dad still drinks and fight with mumma.
The sound of a beer bottle shattering in the kitchen rang through the thin and broken down walls with yelling soon after. Seven year old Jones shot his head up at the sound of his door creaking open. A little girl wearing a torn Princess Tiana dress walked in. Jones closed his journal and tucked it under his pillow as she ran to her brother and sat on his very broken and scratched red race car bed.
“Mommy and dadda are fighting again.” Small tears appeared in her eyes and Jones hugged her tight as more crashing sounded outside in the kitchen.
“It’ll be okay Atlas.” He hugged his sister tighter as the screaming and breaking bottles got louder. Atlas’ tiny sobs sounded through the hallowed walls as the sounding of slaps joined in with the mix of bottle breaking and screaming. Slowly Atlas’ sobs faded away as she fell asleep in her big brother's arms. Jones moved his sister out of his arms and set her head on his pillow, wrapped his torn up blanket around her then his arm to give her extra warmth. The sounds of bottles breaking faded as he also fell asleep staring at a very well kept poster of a rocket on his wall.
The sun shone into his room through his cracked window. Jones quietly got out of bed while trying his best not to wake his sister. He slowly opened the door to his room and walked out into the hall. Read stained carpet lined the floor with multiple corners torn up to reveal the concrete underneath. Wallpaper peeled off the walls as he avoided the piles of beer bottles and glass on the floor. A man only to be his deadbeat father laid on the couch, TV still on and a one-fourth of a beer bottle left. Jones tiptoed to the kitchen besides the living room and started looking through the cupboards for breakfast. He opened the final cupboard and found a few rats trying to get into an eggo box. He shewed them away and popped two eggo’s in the toaster. While they cooked he looked in the fridge, beer, tomato sauce, more beer, syrup! He grabbed the bottle of Aunt Jemima syrup and set it on the table right as the waffles popped. He grabbed two paper plates and put one eggo on each. Once the eggo was on their plates he set them on the three legged table and went to wake up Atlas.
“Atlas honey, breakfast is ready.” She turned over at Jones’ voice and groaned while sitting up. Jones walked out of the room as Atlas got up. He went into the kitchen, slapping pieces of bread together with a few beans in between. Atlas sat down at the table and ate her eggo, still wearing her Tiana dress. After Jones threw his lame excuse for a sandwich into his scratched up bag before sitting down and eating his eggo with his sister.
Atlas was still way too young to go to school, being only three, so sadly he had to leave her with his ‘father’. Once he was done he cleaned up his and Atlas’ plates he put on his snagged red jacket and his worn out, passed down for generations converse.
“Do you remember what to do if something happens?” Atlas nodded as he put his hand on the knob of the front door.
“Call the wee woo”
“And what's the number for the wee woo?”
“9-1-1!”
“Yes. Now, can I get a hug before I leave?” Atlas ran into Jones’ arms and hugged him. They stayed like that for a while before Jones let go. They exchanged goodbyes before he walked out of the door to school. It was always a few minutes walk, but to Jones it felt like forever. He liked to look at plants and animals on the walk to school. Today though felt different in some way, maybe it was the dead possum on the road, or there were more cracks in the sidewalk, or maybe he stopped to pet a black cat named Charcoal, but something didn't feel right in his guts. After a while more and more kids started joining him on the sidewalk as they approached the school.
As he walked into the school yard laughing and chatting could be heard from all the kids talking about how their weekends went. He walked into the school and made his way to his locker. A small girl about his age sat with her legs stretched out across the floor playing with her doll. She had blonde hair with pigtails, each pigtail dyed a different colour. She stood up letting her frilly skirt fall just below her knees but not enough to cover the torn knees of her pink leggings, her white unicorn shirt had many ketchup stains all over.
“Good mowning Jones!” She yelled as she ran towards him and gave him a hug.
“Good morning Cassandra.” He hugged her back before opening his locker and shoving his backpack and jacket inside. Cassandra had been his only friend for how long he could remember. They linked arms and walked into their classroom to start their long day of school.
Lunch had passed and all of Jones’ class was sitting at their desks reading when the phone rang.
“Hello? Yes he’s here. Okay he’ll be on his way down.” The teacher hung up before turning to Jones. “Your dad is here to pick you up.” Jones’ eyes opened, his dad? Here? To pick him up?! He got up, tucked his chair into his desk as all of his classmates watched him get up and walk out. He stopped at his locker, grabbed his backpack and coat and started walking to the office. As he walked his thoughts raced.
Something must have happened if his dad was here to pick him up. His speed started increasing as more and more thoughts of what happened started appearing in his seven year old brain. As he approached the school office he slowed down to avoid getting detention. Inside the office his dad sat on one of the office chairs as Atlas sat on the other crying. She turned her head up as Jones walked in and ran into his arms. Jones hugged her back while glaring at his dad above her head.
“What happened?” His dad stood up from his chair and pulled out a cigarette, lit it and took a drag as he walked out of the office, Jones and Atlas following. They walked out the front door, both of the kids crying now.
“Your mom’s in the hospital.” He opened the door and hopped into his beat up Ford as he left his kids crying on the sidewalk. When he realized they weren't coming he opened the door of the truck.”Relax tits, she’s not dead… yet.” At that Jones and his sister ran to the truck and hopped into the front seat, before helping his sister up and setting her on his lap. They sped out of the parking lot and made their way to the hospital. They found a parking spot at the hospital and ran inside.
“Do you have an appointment.?” The nurse at the front desk asked looking up at Jones’ father then at him and Atlas who was clinging to Jones’ arm.
“No but what room is Jessica Smith in?”
“Let me see.” The nurse typed on her computer for a few seconds. “Yes, she is in room 365.” At the sound of the room number Jones took off, Pulling his sister behind him. He ran into the elevator and hit floor three before his father could get in.
“Brother… is mommy going to be okay?” Jones didn't answer, he just stared at the elevator door trying not to cry in front of his younger sister. When it opened he bolted down the hallway to the right until he reached door 365 and stopped. He whipped the tears falling from his face and opened the door and walked in. Atlas immediately let go and ran to her mom in the hospital bed.
“Hi sweetie.” Her once sweet, calming voice now sounds harsh, raspy, and scratchy. It made him want to cry. “Jonies, come here.” He walked to the other side of his moms bed. She put a hand on his left cheek and tears flooded from his eyes.
“Promise me honey.” She coughed before continuing. “Promise me that when you go to space, name a planet after me.” Jones placed his right hand over his mothers
“I promise…” His voice broke as his crying continued. His mom turned her head to Atlas.
“Atlas honey, Promise me that you'll find a nice prince or princess for you to marry.”
“I promise mama!” She smiled not knowing that her mother was on her deathbed.
“Jonies, please take care of your sister.”
“Yes mom..”
“I love you both so much…” A loud beep sounded through the room and Jessica’s hand fell off Jones’ cheek.
“Momma?” Jones stood shook as sounds of running footsteps came down the hallway.
“Mom?” Atlas tugged at her moms sleeve trying to wake her up. Their dad burst into the room out of breath and looked at the heart beat monitor which had flatlined.
“Come on tits.” He walked to Jones and stared pulling him out of the room
“But mommy!” Atlas tugged against her dad’s grasp trying to get back to her mom’s body. Jones stared at his moms body as her sister struggled. Suddenly he ran to his mom giving her cold body a hug, making her hospital gown wet with tears and snot. His dad picked him up and pulled him off his mother. Aaron carried Jones and Atlas out of the hospital and back home.