Leaving the Nest Ch. 01
bycalmwaters©
This is a work of pure fiction – all characters are over 18.
Please read Leaving the Nest – Prologue before this chapter.
"I've decided that if I get the contract at Trefallen, I'm going to look for a place of my own."
I had gone over exactly how I was going to announce my intention to my family at least a hundred times in my head last night. I had even written down a few ideas so I could read them back to myself and judge the best, but in the end I decided to just come out with it. The next bit was choosing the time. You see, when you live in a close-knit family like I do, making earth-shattering (for us, at least) decisions without discussion is a kind of a no-no. The only problem is, being so close-knit its hard sometimes to get that little bit of drive, that independence you need to get on in life. I mean, I'm nineteen and unless I get up before dawn, I won't even get chance to empty my clothes hamper as my mother will have already beaten me to it. I know, I know, trivial concerns, but for a young man about to strike out on his own, knowing how to work a washing machine is a pretty good bit of knowledge to have.
Anyway, I digress, so I made the announcement just after everyone had finished eating a wonderful roast gammon meal and were picking bits of it out of their teeth, well, Jennifer was. My father was patting his belly and refilling his glass of orange and my mother had taken our plates to the sink. After my announcement, the dishes stopped banging, the air seemed to deaden and the silence was almost deafening.
"Dan's got a brochure," I went on, referring to my team mate and good friend Daniel Goddard. "You know those new apartments on Ronson Street?" I didn't wait for an answer, I needed to justify my announcement and show it wasn't just a rash decision. "Well, apparently they're renting out the smallest block at reduced rates, fully furnished and ideal for students or people on scholarships." There, that was pretty much it. Looking up from a pea I had left on the table I noticed my sister was looking at me with an odd expression, like she had a funny taste in her mouth. My Dad was just staring at me, a slight frown marring the front part of the smooth dome of his head. My Mum on the other hand hadn't turned around, but her arms were still in the sink, so I know she heard me.
"Are you sure?"
Finally, someone spoke after what seemed like fucking hours. Jeez, talk about tense. I exhaled and turned to the speaker. "Dad, I think it's time I branched out a bit. I've been thinking about it for a while, now." Okay, that's not strictly true and maybe the fact that Dan had asked about sharing an apartment had kind of swayed me, but it was a good idea. "It's closer to the training ground and there's even a gym being fitted out on site."
More silence followed. Uncomfortable, numbing silence. I had no idea why I was so nervous, but I almost felt sick waiting for a response. I saw Dad's shoulders lift and fall quickly before he spoke again.
"Have you got that brochure? I'll take a look and..."
BANG!
One of the large roasting tins crashed onto the counter top and Mum turned and stormed out of the kitchen. I could see Dad's face fall and Jen was near-panting, recovering from the shock.
Dad's chair slid back from the table and he stood up. "Go and get the brochure, Bruno. I'll talk to your mother."
"Thanks, Dad," I muttered and slid my own chair back. I was just about to stand up when slim fingers caught my wrist.
"Kept that one a secret, didn't you," Jen said with a twinge of annoyance. "I knew something was eating at you other than this contract."
I sighed and eased my arm out of her grip. "It wasn't eating at me and I needed to make sure I was certain before I said anything." Standing up I picked up the pea I had left and threw it towards the bin, Naturally it missed by a mile. "Dan told me about it a few weeks back," I offered and went to hunt for the rogue legume.
"Still could have said something to me," she countered, hurt. "I could have prepared Mum."
That made me think for a second. "You think Mum's really that upset?"
"I'm not sure. Not like her to get like that, is it? Scared me half to death."
I turned as Jen leaned beside me and picked up the errant pea. "I wonder why she got so pissed?" I mused aloud. "It's not as though its set in stone."
She shrugged and dropped the pea in the bin. "Go get that brochure and finish the dishes off." She pointed to the sink. "That'll soften Mum up."
"Good idea." I flashed her a smile and kissed her cheek. "Thanks, Jen."
"Uh-huh."
Mum and Dad were sat in the lounge when I brought the brochure. Neither of them were speaking, but they were both seemingly watching the news on the TV. "Um... here Dad," I said, handing him the booklet. "I'll um..." God, this was just so awkward. Mum wasn't even looking at me, a bad sign. Luckily Dad gave me a smile as he took the brochure and made a motion with his other hand, nodding at my mother. I got it! "Oh, I'll put the kettle on... Cup of tea, Mum?"
"Coffee," she replied, her voice even and rather emotionless.
Both me and Dad looked at her in surprise. She never drank coffee. "Okay," I said slowly. "How many sugars?" I looked to Dad for help, but he looked as lost as I felt.
"One and not much milk, I want it strong." She turned then. "Please."
You know that feeling you get when you're in trouble for something you think you may have done, but don't actually know if you've been found out? Well, that's exactly how I felt right then. Nodding, I turned to head back to the kitchen.
"Where's your sister?" Mum asked.
"In her room," I replied. "On Facebook, probably."
She nodded. "Are you going out tonight?"
"Not tonight. There's a film on at eight I fancy watching."
Mum nodded again. "What are you doing tonight, Charlie?"
Looking up from the brochure, Dad shrugged. "I might do some of the pre-order work and I have to e-mail that company in Portsmouth. I forgot to do it earlier."
Mum nodded a third time, apparently satisfied before turning to me. "I'll watch your film with you," she told me with a smile.
That threw me a bit, but I wasn't going to ruin the first parley since my announcement. "Sure, Mum, but it's Sci-Fi."
"It'll do," she returned, her dark eyes narrowing slightly. "We can watch it down here."
Dad looked at her then, possibly surprised by her interest. She liked period dramas and cop shows, not fantasy or Sci-Fi. He gave me a 'humour her' look and went back to his reading.
Walking back to the kitchen I knew right then that there was something not quite right with my mother.
Bringing the drinks in on a tray I put Dad's huge mug of tea (Jen and I got it for Father's Day last month, it had an elephant farting with the caption 'Leave me alone, it's Fart-er's Day!") on the table beside his recliner and turned Mum's cup of coffee in my hand so I could offer her the cool handle. "I hope it's okay," I said, looking at the dark caramel liquid inside. "Where's Dad?"
"Getting his files from the car." She took the cup and sipped before wincing. "Ah, that's hot."
"Came from a hot place," I said, smiling and hoping things were back to normal.
"Funny," she muttered, putting her cup on the end table beside her. "You serious about this?"
I saw her recently-trimmed fore-fingernail tap the brochure beside her on the couch. I didn't notice it there when I came in and she couldn't have read through it properly in the time it took me to make the drinks. "I think it's a step I have to take if I want to get on in life, Mum. I have to leave the nest at..."
"No you don't," she said simply, now running her finger up and down the glossy cover, stopping on the 'Bardon Housing' logo. She looked up at me and her eyes looked large and luminous, like two chestnuts. "You don't ever have to leave me."
"I..." But I stopped. Leave her? What was she on about?
"You might think you want this, but you don't."
We just stared at each other for a minute. I hadn't a clue what she meant by that or the thing about leaving her and I didn't want to risk an argument or worse by questioning it, so I chose to say nothing. I watched her expression, like she watched mine. Her eyes were searching my face, almost like she was committing me to memory and for some reason I felt compelled to just stare right back at her. A sudden rogue and completely random thought entered my mind right then, just as we heard Dad bang something in the hallway that led from the garage. I blushed and sat down at the other end of the couch, where I usually park myself, trying to push that particular thought out of my head. I mean, why all of a sudden would I think my Mum was pretty? Maybe I'm stressed and I don't know it.
"Jen are you coming down to watch the film?" I asked, nudging my sister's door open with my foot after knocking yet again. "Jen?"
She was in there sat at her computer desk, ear buds in, air-guitaring to whatever band was rattling her eardrums at the time while some update or download was progressing across her monitor. Chuckling, I backed out and left her to it before grabbing my towel from the airing cupboard and heading to the bathroom. There were twenty minutes or so before the film started and after the minor staring competition, things seemed okay between me and Mum again. She had just had her shower and was on the phone to one of her friends when I left her. Dad had just moved to the kitchen with his laptop where he was no doubt listening to all the smooth and laid-back hits of the seventies and eighties on the radio while doing his paperwork. All-in-all it was just another Tuesday evening in the Martinez household and as I stepped into the steaming spray I decided to just let the evening progress without mentioning moving out unless of course Mum mentioned it first. I mean, it has to be coming, she has to be at least thinking about it rationall