“Get the fucking flowers, Marcellino!” Christian shouted at his brother. I was still frozen in shock, I couldn’t even get my mouth to close.
I looked at the gun in his hands, it was a high power rifle, his hand was on the trigger the gun fitted perfectly in his arms like they were best friends and he knew every inch inch of it like the back of his hand. He was crazy and yet he kept a very straight face, no sweating. He would enjoy this very much.
My stepdad returned with the flowers but he didn’t hand it over to Christian or Richard, it was soaked with water and dripping everywhere as he held it. Christian stretched out his hand gesturing for his brother to hand it over.
“Why are you doing this?” My stepdad asked.
Christian looked down at the floor, still keeping the gun pressing on Richard’s head and slowly his eyes turned to me but it left quickly.
“You caused this, getting Richard acquainted with Jenna. His blood would be on your head” Christian told his brother, my mum was crying and she was sitting on the floor, her face was ash, her mascara smeared.
“Chris, please don’t do this, please… Put the gun down ” I saw, finally finding my fucking tongue.
Christian turned to me, his eyes took emotions whenever they looked at me but when he was staring at his brother or my mum, it was bleak and empty.
“You were staring at him like you liked him, how could you do that to me” he accused me. It was not false but it wasn’t true either, Richard was a handsome young man, any girl would like his face. I turned to my stepdad, he was too shocked to make sense of what Christian was saying.
But I understood, he was as jealous as fuck, I was just staring at Richard and I didn’t touch him yet Christian was eager to take him out. He had kept his cool until his brother mentioned a marriage proposition between Richard and I.
I covered my face with my palms and started laughing.
“Ate you laughing or are you crying!” My stepdad asked me sharply.
“Hey, don’t talk to her that” Christian said turning the gun from Richard to his brother.
My stepdad raised his hand in the air showing Christian his palms.
“Sorry, it was funny” I mumbled under my breath.
“Chris.. seriously, put down the gun” I said , my voice still held humour, it was funny… The fact that Christian was once so fucking happy and now he looked like he accidentally dipped himself in hot water.
Christian stared at me a few seconds and then he dropped the gun down.
“Thank you” I said walking over to check up on Richard only to find out that he had wet his pants.
“Seriously, this is the guy you think is perfect for Jenna, now can he protect her if something dangerous is about to happen, how can he keep her safe, he wet his trousers because of a single gun, just one gun” Christian said to his brother.
“You’ve gone mad!” My stepdad said, his voice was shaking, so was his entire body. He turned to my mother and walked to her, he helped her from the floor.
“I can’t do this Christian, you have to leave and don’t come back ” Marcellino said weakly. He might have made up his mind, he might have not.
“Was that gun in our house the entire time?” My mum cried hugging herself as if she was cold.
“It was for emergencies, in case intruders broke in” Christian said.
The entire house was still and quiet, Richard was planted to his seat by fear, he just stared at the table, he didn’t blink.
“Are you okay?” I asked walking over to him cautiously so I wouldn’t step on his pee.
“If you touch him I’ll kill him” Christian warned.
I halted in my tracks.
“Look Christian I can’t let you around my family, you’re violent” my stepdad said, he better watch his mouth, Christian still had his hand on the trigger.
“You can’t chase me away from your family, I’m your family”
“You’re going to shoot somebody with that thing, what if you shot Jenna by mistake, she’s standing in the way!” My stepdad shouted.
As if the gun had bitten him, he threw it on the floor and walked away from it.
“It’s on the ground now and I’m not violent… Marcellino, you just know how to piss me off”
“Normal people get pissed off and they yell, they shout at each other and they leave… When you get pissed off it’s like a crime scene ” my stepdad shouted.
My mum cried even louder.
I looked at each and every one of them and decided that I needed a drink.
“I’m leaving ” I announced turning away.
“Where are you going ” I heard Christian ask.
“Are you just going to leave in the middle of all this?” My stepdad asked in bewilderment.
“Doesn’t mean anything to you, you’re just going to turn around and walk out as if you didn’t just see a gun point at a friend of yours ” my mum yelled. “Why are you so insensitive!”
I raised a brow and turned to face them.
“I don’t remember Richard and I forging and allegiance. I’m leaving because I can’t stand all of this, it’s too much. I need a drink ” I said turning around again.
“I’m about to disown my own brother and as my daughter you should stay and watch”
I stopped in my tracks , was this family really breaking up?
“Don’t do that” I said feeling the hurt of everything. I know what it’s like to loose a family member, when my dad died, it felt like the end of the world and it gave me a phobia.
Loves one dying, loved ones leaving families tearing apart, it triggered my trauma.
“Yes, he has disrespected this family enough” my stepdad said.
I felt the rush of sorrow.
I leaned against the door. The voice in my head was telling that if this family broke apart I caused it. I caused it.
Maybe if I just ran away everything would settle, instead of yelling at each other, they would be searching for me.
“Marcel, he’s your junior brother, your Baby brother, please forgive him” my mum said, she sniffed and held my stepdad’s arm and rubbed it soothingly.
“He brought a gun I to our home, he would have killed Richard..”
I turned to Christian, he was watching me, I couldn’t hold his stare, it was too powerful. I turned away.
“Fine but he has to take Richard to the hospital”
Richard is fine, you’re fine aren’t you?” Christian asked Richard.
His head shot up and he nodded.
“I.. I’m fine ” Richard slurred.
“See” Christian said.
That was his one shot with fixing things with his brother yet because of his hate and stubbornness, he threw it out the window.
“You’re here because of my wife asked me to forgive you, nothing else.. nothing!” Marcellino yelled and helped Richard up.”I’m taking him to the hospital but first you have to leave, I can’t leave you in the house with my wife and daughter “