6 years ago.
Elijah was cleaning his mother's kitchen, picking up the trash she had thrown around in a fit she had thrown earlier that morning. His mother sat in the other room, staring out the window. She was in one of her moods and Elijah dared not to speak to her.
Every loud clank he made cleaning the kitchen made his skin crawl, knowing at some point his mother would get mad again.
"Elijah."
Elijah stopped cleaning. "Yes, Ma?" He asked quietly.
"I'm thirsty." She replied.
Elijah set the dish he was holding and reached for a cup. He filled it with water and ruffled through a cabinet with his mother's medicine. He walked towards her into their living room and held the cup forward. "Here."
His mother looked down at the cup and the pills and looked back up at him. "I don't want water." She pushed the cup towards him and it splashed a little onto the floor.
Elijah looked down and sighed. "Then what do you want?"
"You know what I want. Don't get smart." She snapped.
Elijah nodded. He placed the pills next to her and set the cup on a side table. "Can you at least take your medicine?"
"I'm sick of taking those. They taste like shit." She snapped and turned away from him. "I want my wine."
Elijah stared down at her. "Ma, you need to take these. It'll help you feel better. You haven't take-"
His mother smacked the pills out of his hand and pushed him back. She stood up from her chair. Elijah backed up and looked up at her, taking more steps back.
"I don't want your pills, I don't want you talking to me. I don't want any of this!" She said sternly.
Elijah nodded. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry, it's just the doctor said to take these. I want you to get better Ma." He said, quickly.
"Yeah right." She scoffed. "You want me to get better. You just want to get away from taking care of me, just like your brothers."
Elijah cringed. "Ma, that's not what-"
"They left. Why haven't you?" She asked. "Are you expecting something out of me? I gave you life. I gave you a home!" She grabbed ahold of Elijah's arm and pulled him closer. "Hm?"
Elijah yanked his arm away. "Ma stop!" He exclaimed. "I just want you to take your medicine to get better! So then I can stop watching over you!" He spat.
His mother laughed. "So I was right." She pushed him backward. "Get out then."
Elijah shook his head. "That's not what I meant."
"You don't want to watch over me then leave." She pushed him again. "I won't hold you down even though I'm your mother." Elijah stumbled over his feet and grabbed onto the chair behind him. He turned around to face his mother again but she raised a hand and slapped him. "The truth is out. You hate me." She said sternly.
Elijah grabbed his face and looked down at the floor. He didn't say a word. His mother scoffed. "Why aren't you saying anything?"
"I don't know what to say." He replied in a whisper. "I'm sorry." He stood up straight again. "I'll put your medicine away." He grabbed the cup off the side table and walked to the kitchen, setting the cup in the sink. He leaned against the sink and set his head on the counter, taking deep breaths. He felt his throat close and his face get extremely hot. His chest was heaving as he tried to remember why he was doing all this. He rubbed his eyes and cursed softly.
