It Should Have Been Like This

Chapter Forty: slow poison

Zachary's viewpoint

Something isn't right.

   Those words reverberated in my head over and over again, for days now. I had no idea why but I felt like something wasn't. Every time I looked at my siblings, I thought of that. For example, Sera coughing violently into her handkerchief, nose stuffy and hands trembling and sweaty. She said she was okay but I felt like she wasn't. Maybe it was because Sera has only ever been severely ill six times. She was that strong. And even then, the illness wasn't strong enough to weaken her. Especially to make her quiet and lock her quip remark.

That isn't my Serafina.

   Maybe her being this ill was hard for me to get use to, just maybe. At the moment, I stood watching her smile politely and listen to a teacher scolding her about the mistake she made in the opening speech, her eyes showing the extreme fatigue eating away at her strength. Sera would never sit down and listen to anyone yell at her, or ever make such easy mistake in front of everyone else. It was like she forgot the speech she wrote herself and knew like the back of her hand.

Sera never forgets.

Is the drugs even working?

  "I'm sorry, it won't happen again." Even her respond shocked the daylight out of the teacher. He stared at her with lips parted for a second before pinning his lips with worry, eyebrows pulling together.

   "Sera, are you okay?" She only smiled more and nodded. Out of character. Serenity walked up to her, a lollipop in her mouth. She was getting ready to sing as part of the talent. She joined the school talent competition, as part of the students representing her class. I had high hopes for her, hoping she would lead her class to victory. She bent forward, as if examining Serafina.

   "Big sis, you okay?" Sera nodded. "You are not. Maybe you should have stayed home to rest."

   "And be buddy buddy with your cat and that bird, no." Stupid, she forgot to add stupid or any other curse. That's not my Sera. I need to tell mom. I turned and headed out, going to find my mother who I hope would listen. I went out to join them in the crowd. They were sitting at front, mom cringing with a frightful face, staring at the woman sitting beside her. The woman was sweating and had a drooling baby on her laps. Mom being the cleanliness obsess woman was trying to climb onto dad's laps to be away from the germs.

   "Laverne, you are going to crush me if you don't stop pushing yourself across your chair to mine. Your hands... My poor dinger..." Dad groaned in pain. Instead of moving away, mom flew into dad's seat when the baby spat some whitish liquid. Mom held on to his neck with her dear life, body trembling with fear and horror. "Laverne," dad groaned.

   "I'm staying here, thank you very much,"

   "Women like you would end up marrying and throwing your child away because of dirt," the woman scoffed. Mom bent her head backwards, causing her hair to stream down closer to her waist.

   "Sorry to burst your bubble but I have five kids and they didn't make me pass out. I'm not worried about the baby, I'm more disgusted by the germs called you..."

   "Lavender!" Dad gasped. I didn't want mom to end up quarreling because she is capable of doing so.

   "Mom, Serafina isn't okay," I blunted out, "I don't think the drugs is working." I complained, swinging myself recklessly on my feet, hands in my pockets. It was the only way to stop myself from crying because I really wanted to worry for her.