The House of Izhar

Chapter 1 - Family

"Can I get another beer for table two please?" hollered a gruff voice.

"Coming right up!" another said.

"Aww, man. Morgan, can you pass me a mop? Someone threw up again!"

"Coming!" I replied as I stepped into the limelight of our little tavern. My family runs a bar downtown called The Peak. It's mainly for the lower and some of the middle-class men. I gagged when I saw the monstrosity of goop on the floor. I pinched my nose tightly and shoved the mop to my uncle, Harry.

Harry grinned, showing his one-sided dimple. "Mat, wouldn't you say that this goop right here looks like Morgan's cooking?"

"You're absolutely right!" Mat brightened as he strolled over with a glass of foamy beer in one hand. He slid the beer across the rounded table to their customer on his way over.

I glared right back at them. Mat and Harry are two peas in a pod. They're inseparable. Not only do they behave alike but they also look alike. There was a sudden crash, the sound of shattered glass and liquid spewing out across the floor broke through the constant bustle of the tavern. I sighed when I noticed where it came from. Oh, Rocket. He is such a clumsy fella.

Rocket had spilt beer all over one of the customers. The drunk, drenched sailor was not the one bit happy about his situation. The bulky man with hunched shoulders stood up, showing his full height. He towered over Rocket by almost two full feet. The sailor yelled gibberish as saliva came out every time he spoke in his fit of rage. His face was as red, if not redder than a tomato. Rocket cowered in the man's shadows mumbling out strings of apology.

"Hey, you all! Don't just stand there!" West raised his gruff voice.

"I'll handle this, West."

The eldest Izhar girl, Avery emerged from within all the bar's chaos. She is a slender woman and very self-possessed but don't let that fool you. She glided over, her dress flowed like the waves of the ocean as she neared Rocket and the sailor. She gracefully laid her soft hand on the drunk man's shoulder and... crack. The sailor fell on his kneed and cried in agony.

"Woah!" Mat and Harry marvelled. "What did you do?"

Avery regained her posture and replied nonchalantly, "I didn't do anything horrendous. I just merely realigned his shoulders." She paused for a moment laying her fingers to her lips, "Correction, one of his shoulders."

"Don't just stand there! Work!" West yelled cupping his hands. "I've got beers ready waiting to be delivered, tables needing to be wiped! Someone help Birdie with the dishes!" He motioned to a teenage girl who also is the same age as Harry and Mat for all three of them are triplets.

We all dispersed completing our various tasks. I'd like to think that all my aunts and uncles are fairly good looking and skilled. They all have straight noses, fine jawlines, long eyelashes, bright coloured eyes, I could go on and on and on.

West is 30 and he's like the boss. Whatever he says goes. He has always been overprotective ever since his parents died. He felt like it was his duty to take care of the rest of the family. Mat and Harry love to call him 'Mama Bear' though that never fails to piss him off. He has always been stern though I get where he's coming from.

Avery is like the angel of the house. She's always so sweet and kind. She has such perfect complexions. Sometimes I wish I could look like her. She's only a year younger than West but sometimes it feels as if she's older. She takes care of us a lot. I consider her as my motherly figure.

I've never met my mom; well, I've seen her. Long story short, she slipped into a coma not too long after giving birth to me. We sometimes visit her in the hospital. My mom and their sister was named Fly. Though I've never really known her, West and Avery often told me stories of her. It felt comforting to know that a small part of her was not only a part of me but also a part of them. Sometimes, whenever I'm with West and Avery, it feels like I'm spending time with my mom.