| Fan Fiction |
by Suki Chan
The story began with the breaking up family.
5 years old
“…you must be kidding! Stop this silly act and put your stuffs back! Look you’re freaking out the kids!”
“I really can’t stand this anymore! I’m leaving for sure and you can’t stop me!”
Matt had his head down and quietly finishing off his dinner. Fights between mom and dad happened so often and he was used to them, but they just seemed to be much rougher and fierce tonight. Mom had two big suitcases by her legs.
Sitting across from Matt at the dining table was Danny, his younger twin brother…5 minutes younger than him.
Danny clumsily scooped the food into his mouth. He dropped a veggie here and spilled rice there. He tipped over his cup of orange juice.
“Look at him! Look what he’s doing again!” Their mother slapped her own forehead and screamed, “I really can’t stand this anymore! I give up!”
Matt quickly held the cup back on the dining table and snatched some paper towels on the side to wipe the spilled juice on the table. Danny uncaringly continued eating his food.
“Don’t scold him. He’s just a kid…of course a little messier.” Their father sighed and turned to his kids softly, “Matty, be good and take Danny into the bedroom. Make sure he finishes his rice, ok?”
Matt meekly picked up his brother’s hand and the bowl, “Come with me, Danny.”
Danny jumped down the chair and followed.
“…little messier?” Their mother sneered, “If one day he doesn’t make any mess in the house or to himself, it’s already a miracle.”
“Don’t say that! Danny has…bit of improvements already.”
“I don’t know what I’ve done wrong in my past life! Why did I bear this kid? Why do I have to suffer?” Their mother fumed, “He’s now 5 and all he can say is mom and dad! Nothing else! I surrender. It’s hopeless. When can he count the 26 alphabets? When he’s 10?!”
The two kids went into their bedroom. Matt shut the door to block away their parent’s quarrels. Danny flung away Matt’s hand.
Matt put down the bowl on the desk, “Danny, come finish your dinner.” He scanned around and found Danny hiding underneath the bed: the bed which they shared since birth.
Danny curled his body. He suddenly found a candy on the floor. He picked it up and was about to put it in his mouth.
“No Danny!” Matt saw and instantly stopped him, “Don’t eat that candy! It’s dirty!”
“…dirty.” Danny repeated.
“Yup. It’s on the floor. Dirty.” Matt took away the candy and threw it into the garbage. He patted away the dust on Danny’s palm, “Be good and finish the rice, ok?”
Danny crawled out. He happily hugged Matt’s head and jumped. He loved to stick with Matt and hug him like this all the time.
Matt giggled and jumped with him.
Danny listened to his brother and went to sit by the desk. He picked up the bowl and ate.
Matt smiled and patted Danny’s head. Matt was born 5 minutes earlier than Danny, and therefore labelled as the elder brother. Maybe that’s what made Matt to be so mature and sensible; maybe that’s why deep inside Matt’s heart he felt obligated to take care of his younger brother.
Danny kept his head down on the eating.
Matt sat on the bed and put his palms on his cheeks. He watched Danny and fell in thoughts. Dad always says to the two kids that they were twins: they grew up together in mom’s tummy, and they came to the world together. No other relationship could be closer than this. So, they have to love each other; love each other more than other ordinary siblings. Matt always remembers these words by dad. Even if dad doesn’t mention so, Matt loved Danny in any case, even though Danny did strange things sometimes, even though he did not talk much; even though he’s just…different.
Matt heard mom and dad often mentioned the words…mildly mental handicapped and autism of Danny. He guessed these things made Danny different from him or other kids in school. But Matt did not mind; he still liked to play with Danny. But he heard his neighbours, other kids in school, or even strangers on the streets calling Danny a ‘retard’. Matt did not know what that meant. But every time, mom and dad heard this word and got really mad. So, Matt guessed this was not a good word. It must be something rude and…just not good.
These were all this 5-year old could figure out in his little head.
Mom and dad were still arguing in the living room.
Matt hopped off the bed and went to open the bedroom door to a slid. He quietly peeked out.
“…neighbours can help us taking care…”
Their mother fired back, “Which neighbour will do that? You tell me! Aren’t they all staying away from us now like we spread around germs?! Ever since that time our son took off his pants and pee inside the elevator in front of 10 other people, who in this apartment doesn’t eye on us with weird faces?”
“Doctor says…what Danny needs from us is caring and patience. We have to hold his hand and teach him very slowly and step-by-step. He will eventually learn and pick up things like other kids do.” Their father had the greatest love and tolerance on his child.
“I tried my best already. Unfortunately I don’t see any results happening on him at all.” Their mother was on the other extreme.
“We have to put in more attention for Danny. And at the same time, we can’t forget Matt.” Their soft and gentle father hesitated, “I’ve told you to stay home full-time. My pay can…”
“Me to stay home full-time to take care of the kids?! You’re insane or something? You ain’t a millionaire! What’s the four of us going to do with your little salary? Just enough to pay rent? Then what are we gonna eat?” Their mother picked up her suitcases, “…I’m going to explode soon! I ain’t living with this anymore!”
“No Claire! Don’t leave me! Don’t leave our poor kids!” Their father grabbed her arm and begged, “How can you leave them behind? They’re so young! They need mom! They need you!”
“But I need a new life! You can watch over the two kids! I don’t want them anymore!” Their mother heartlessly flung away his arm and stepped out the door without turning back.
“Claire! Come back! Come back…” Their father chased out.
Matt caught the whole scene in his eyes. He turned around and looked at Danny who was still busy with munching. Danny did not seem to be bothered by the fights. He did not seem to know at all what was going on.
That night, Matt flipped back and forth on the bed. It was his first time in life that he could not go to sleep. Danny was in deep sleep beside him, and swung away his quilt. Matt softly pulled up the quilt to cover up Danny, and then he rolled down the bed.
He saw lights coming out from his parents’ bedroom. He tip-toed over and peeked. His father was leaning on the bed, bewildering on their family pictures.
“...dad.” Matt whispered.
His father lifted up his head and looked at him.
Matt climbed up the bed and sat by his father. He had a big question mark in his eyes.
His father deeply sighed and patted his little head.
“Dad, where did mom go?” Matt asked. Though she was never a sweet and mellow mother to them, Matt still cared about her.
His father painfully shook his head.
“Is it because me and Danny have not been good and made mom really mad?” Matt bit his lips.
“Of course not. Of course not.” His father stroked his hair, “Mom and dad have had problems for a long while. It’s just…*sigh*…” The honest, gentle father would never say any bad things in front of the kids about their mother, even at this point.
“Dad, is mom never going to come back again?” Matt had their guts feeling.
“Matt, you’re a good boy.” His father tightly hugged him, “Both you and Danny are good boy. You two are gifts from God to me. I love you both. I’ll always love you both.”
Seeing his father’s sad face, the mature Matt had his concern turned from his mother to his father. His little palm stroked dad’s hair to comfort him.
Matt knew mom would probably never come back again.
“…hm…” Danny woke up and found himself alone on the bed in the dark. He panicked and stumbled out the bedroom, looking for his missing brother.
“Danny.” Their father heard Danny’s soft whining. He looked to the bedroom door and reached out his arms, “Come to dad. Oh…got scared not seeing Matty huh?”
Danny stood by the bedroom door, having a pillow in his hug. He rubbed his eyes and wondered with a clueless face.
“Oh Danny. My sweetie Danny.” Their father softly pulled him over and cuddled. Danny obviously did not realize what had happened in the family; he might never understand. Maybe that was actually a good thing to him. He will never understand, and therefore will never suffer the pain of his mother dumping him behind.
Danny sat on dad’s lap. He dropped down his head and poked his pillow.
Their father softly kissed the cheeks of his lovely twin boys.
Danny thought dad was playing kissing games with them like he always did. He happily wrapped his arms around dad and Matt.
The three father-and-sons hugged each other tightly.
****************************
10 years old
“…you got a wrong spelling here, Danny. This is P-L-AY-G-R-O-U-N-D…you’re missing a “r”.” Matt pointed. He was checking his brother’s homework.
Danny meekly rubbed the exercise book with his eraser and wrote the word again.
“Hm.” Matt continued looking.