Virgil Chapter 12

Worse Before They Get Insane

Unfortunately, things didn’t start looking up for my brother. They took to physically abusing him for every indiscretion. Every mild failure. My mom ruled him with an iron fist with my father as her faithful accomplice. And most importantly they dared him to tell someone. Challenged him with silent threats to do anything about the situation he was in

One time he said something to a school counsellor that to this day he cannot remember. All he remembers is the sheer state of panic he went into. The counsellor actually had to haul him kicking and screaming into the office. Crying, hyperventilating, just a total mess in comparison to his usual calm cool and collected self. The teacher didn’t know what to do with him. Every time she reach for the phone to call our parents the panic attack would induce again.

Dana Chapter 12

It was the following Sunday and Dana was still moping on Davon’s couch. Yeah—it’s pathetic. So pathetic that Dana was drowning his misery in fatty pizza, beer and Pepsi. And the shame of it all was that Dana’s a Coke-drinker. He even called in sick to work for the week so he wouldn’t have to bump into Adrian. Amazing what a little bit of love can do to a guy. Still, he hadn’t shed a tear. Somehow he couldn’t cry this time like he did before. This time it was like he was so much more emotional that it was just too overwhelming to cry. This time he was confused, unsure, hurt, still in love, and just wanting to end it. With the entire jambalaya of emotions, he just couldn’t squeeze crying in. But the saddest of sads was that he checked all of his voice mails and saved every one. After all the extremes he went to, to avoid him, he still couldn’t survive the day without repeatedly listening to his voice. He was actually on the couch doing this as Jason walked in.

“So you checking another voicemail?”

Dana Chapter 11

“It’s two in the morning.” Dana was talking to Jason on the phone, very unhappy to be awakened after only just falling asleep.

“Yeah, I know, but you know I don’t sleep when I’m not working.”

“So what’s it like being an uncle?”

“My brothers have kids.”

“I meant to someone within driving distance.”

“Well, Jackson no longer wants to be called Jackson; he wants to be called Moses—his middle name.”

“No way.”

“Yeah. He doesn’t want to be known by the name his fake father gave him.”

Virgil Chapter 11

Worse Before They Get Insane

Unfortunately, things didn’t start looking up for my brother. They took to physically abusing him for every indiscretion. Every mild failure. My mom ruled him with an iron fist with my father as her faithful accomplice. And most importantly they dared him to tell someone. Challenged him with silent threats to do anything about the situation he was in

One time he said something to a school counsellor that to this day he cannot remember. All he remembers is the sheer state of panic he went into. The counsellor actually had to haul him kicking and screaming into the office. Crying, hyperventilating, just a total mess in comparison to his usual calm cool and collected self. The teacher didn’t know what to do with him. Every time she reach for the phone to call our parents the panic attack would induce again.

Dana Chapter 10

December 20, 9:00 a.m.

“Hey, Lil’ man. Sorry about everybody calling you ‘Broccoli.’ If I knew it was gonna stick, I never would’ve said it. I think I passed everything and convinced all your professors to pass you based on what you had already done. There may have been some bribes involved by I can neither confirm or deny this. The next semester is easy enough since you’re going to be awake by Christmas. I know you don’t like me drinking so much, but I gotta cope somehow. I’m almost finished building our place, so you won’t be able to not take a key. Well, I gotta get to work. Yeah, I’m working again, but only ‘cause it keeps me away from everyone. They always gotta be telling me how bad it is to spend every waking moment with you, so I’m just shutting them up. Well, I’m not really going work, truthfully. I’m gonna hide out at Davon’s. His nephew stays with him now, by the way. Well, I’m out of here. Dream of me, Lil’ man.”

December 20, 10:30 a.m.

Dana Chapter 9

It was the first of December, and not much had changed—except for the date, of course. Dana had a full week of Adrian’s father and enjoyed his company much, but after he left just couldn’t bear to be in the apartment alone, so he moved into Adrian’s vacant room. He and the rest were studying hard. Exams were upon them, and they took tests very seriously. Dana went to the hospital to show Adrian the prints and models of what he was doing for his project. They were in the same class, actually doing this joint project—a model of a mall—but Adrian went into the coma right when they started to build. Dana was merely showing it off before he took it in. He then went on to campus gossip and friend-talk.

Virgil Chapter 9

The Normal Days

Yes, there was a time when my family could be categorised as normal. Unfortunately, I was not here for those times. I’m actually in severe doubt of their existence as it’s more likely my parents were just biding time before revealing their true nature. The set up before the emergence of divine evil. But that doesn’t really matter. What is important is that they did appear normal. These were the showing off the son days. The getting excited about how fast he was growing considering how weak he was at birth. And of course the ‘isn’t God good to give us such a blessing’ days.

These days were full of first-time parent stuff. Trip to the park stuff. The occasional throw-up on the shoulder and pee in the face during a diaper change. It was normal sleepless and hectic, and they loved every single minute of it. Mostly because they were dying to practice all the shit they preached in their books. There’s no doubt in my mind that they saw raising a child as another experiment. Yet they somehow convinced themselves they were madly in love with my brother. And not only themselves, the whole world. No one, not even themselves, was aware of the misguidedness of the situation. How could they be? It looked just the same as any other parents that would be enamoured with their first born.

Dana Chapter 8

It was the following Friday, November 10, not that the date really matters, but there it is just the same.

“So you’re both on probation?” Rene asked as he sat down on the couch with a beer. They were staying in this Friday

“After forcibly trying to take me off the premises, you should be.”

“Whatever you say, sex offender,” Dana said before Adrian went into a coughing fit. They couldn’t fit him in until Saturday for surgery. He wiped a trickle of blood off his mouth with his finger and off the arm he had used to shield the cough when he bent over. Dana would’ve helped, but Adrian was persistent in declaring that he was fine. He went to the kitchen to get some water, and before making it to the tap, he collapsed. Hearing the fall, the others ran to him and then sped him to the hospital, not even thinking to call an ambulance or considering the fact they could get pulled over.

Virgil Chapter 8

Defiance

Never ones to accept failure easily, my parents went full throttle into their plan. They worked both morning and night for almost a year trying to bring into fruition what they wanted. It was the worst year of their life. They had never failed at anything. And even with all of the brilliance, the genius they had, nothing was working. They prayed to God daily and still nothing. And when the doctors told them that their chances were floating somewhere around twenty percent, they really began to despair. What if they failed?

Dana Chapter 7

It was Monday night, around one-thirty. Technically it was Tuesday, but whatever. Dana was just getting in from one of his excursions and was about to wash himself off as he usually did. He decided to give Adrian a call. Adrian was either asleep or doing what he had just finished doing. Either way, he could leave a message.

“Hello.’

“Lil’ man. Guess you’re out getting yours, so you won’t be harassing me like usual.”

“Well, if you said yes more often—”

“I’m not a machine or a piece of beef that you can just heat up at will and have your way with,” Dana said with a chuckle, and Adrian laughed along with him. “So dare I ask who it is that you’re with?”

Virgil Chapter 7

Success

Success came quickly. My parents made records getting their doctorates. Wrote a multitude of books on all sorts of issues. And most of their children’s books, both Christian and academic, were critically acclaimed. They knew their stuff. The only thing they took a back seat in was the church. That was God’s domain and as such the people in charge would give them positions if their help was needed. No shock that it was.

As a couple and separately, they were on all radio and TV promoting their books. With the combination of their expertise, in both Christian and phycology fields, they found themselves swimming in more money than they could ever spend. Being the cool, hip, and up to the times people they were, they built youth centres. Donated computers to schools. Fixed up parks in impoverished areas. The extent to which their arms reached even graced the president’s doorstep a few times.

Dana Chapter 6

The morning sun was shining through the bedroom as Dana and Adrian woke up. It was about two thirty.

“Morning Lil’ man,” Dana said with a kiss.

“So. Italian mob. It’s not just the stuff of movies.”

“It’s my life. Was my life. But something happened and I decided I didn’t want to be anywhere near home anymore.”

“Fair enough. I haven’t been back home either. I can understand that.”

“It would seem that shooting two people is grounds for a visit. My cousin told his dad, who called me to tell me I should call my dad before he does and that was why I told you who I am. Seems I have no control over the situation.”

Virgil Chapter 6

Consummation

Their honeymoon was a tricky affair. They couldn’t decide on a conference for child psychology or a Christian conference. Ultimately, they took a month out of their lives to go to both. Sex, well they did that religiously every day. With nothing to go on, they assumed it was meant to feel the way that it felt. I’m assuming it was really bad sex, but being the psych experts that they are, they had no problems fixing that shit. Oh and of course praying for guidance.

Dana Chapter 5

“Morning, Lil’man.”

“Morning. What time is it?” Adrian barely had his eyes open and was stumbling his way into the kitchen.

“You got time for breakfast. You won’t be late for class.”

“Okay.”

And that was it for Adrian. He saw no reason to force human status before caffeine consumption.

***

“And why were you late? Like I even need to ask,” Rene said to Adrian. He had just informed his friends that he was indeed late for his first class.

Virgil Chapter 5

The Meeting

Though they had crossed paths on numerous occasions, nothing that would usually transpire between two adults in this game of attraction happened. It was mostly mutual respect. Besides even if they were the type to be weak enough to fall for such carnal animalistic instincts, they were way too busy saving the world. Combine that with their vow to make it to marriage without losing their purity. It would take an act of well, God to bring them together.

As luck would have it, apparently, he did want them to be together. Well, if you believe their version of things. As such, it is the only version I have so I’m forced to relay it to you. At one of my mother’s many prayer sit-ins, my dad just happened to not be doing something. Being so devoted to his cause in life, naturally, where else would he be spending a weekend if not studying and then having an all night prayer pow-wow with fellow believers. So to the hall my mom had secured for the sit-in he went.

Dana Chapter 2

So the first week of school was done, and it was now the third week in August. Things were pretty much the same. Everyone had concluded that Dana was just a nice guy, anger issues aside, and there was no girl. There couldn’t be. That would mean their sleuthing skills were lacking and that obviously wasn’t happening—at least in their minds.

The twins were back at scheming to get Marco laid. He was just coming in the house late Friday night from another one of their blind dates, shouting furiously in Spanish.

“I guess it didn’t go well,” Rene snickered.

“Shut up, Rene.”

“Feisty.”

Dana Chapter 4

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Virgil Chapter 4

Father

My father. I’m a bit tempted to just take what I just typed and replace mom with father. But that would be a bit disingenuous—even if rather accurate. Let's just zoom through this. Straight A student. Model child. Sunday worshiper. Also fascinated with the human brain and all things human in general. And ultimately came to the same success. Not as aggressive as my mom, but you couldn’t tell that when they were apart. And since their ideas matched so well, it never really mattered who was wearing the pants at home.

He suffered from the same curse of beauty that she did. Skin the shade of the most deliciously sinful chocolate cake. Brown eyes that had a splash of hazel. A voice so deep and smooth it could make ice cream melt while simultaneously making evil quake by its power. And tall. Very tall. He had to be to create that perfect balance they always strived for. It would explain why my mother fell for him. He came in at about six foot five. Exactly seven inches taller than her and the number seven is one of God’s numbers. And so on and so forth. Basically, they were a match made in heaven, and their ridiculous passion for all things Christian made them believe that even more.

Dana Chapter 3

It was now the first week in September. Dana was just getting out of the shower. He’d spent the night doing something that made him feel the need to be clean, to just wash. He was feeling a lot of that these days. He wrapped himself in a towel and headed to the kitchen for some juice only to find Jason sitting on the couch watching TV.

“You feeling better?”

“Yeah.”

“Really?”

“Just fine.”

“You don’t have to lie to me. I know what you’ve been up to. You can’t just wash this shit away.”

Virgil Chapter 3

Mother

My mother, as a girl, was your typical overachiever. Straight A student. Never got into any trouble. Went to church every Sunday and was on every church board. Basically, any parents dream child. She always did what she was told, what was expected of her, and this travelled all the way through into her adulthood.

Also, she was very beautiful: having long dark brown hair and eyes as blue and clear as ice crystals. Taller than the average female, about five foot nine, and had a voice that could charm anyone to her will while also being intensely venomous when needed. There isn’t much about her before-college years that would make her stand out amongst the rest other than her brilliance. In all things human. No shock that she went on to be one of the most successful psychological, therapists of her age.