Mama's Boy

♊17♌

♦ ♦ ♦

"Bubba, Mommy's acting weird," Kolina spoke as soon as Knox walked up the steps to his childhood home. She had sat in the window as she had waited for his car to pull in the driveway, behind Loretta's truck. When she finally saw Knox's blue convertible, Koco ran to the door to wait for him.

Knox was instantly concerned. Shutting the door, he grabbed her hand and led her to the sofa, where he took a seat and sat her in his lap. "Acting weird how? She didn't hit you or...touch you? Did she?"

Kolina shook her curls. "No. She won't come out her room."

"What?" Knox frowned. "Why not?"

"I don't know," Kolina told him while shrugging her shoulders, "This morning, she let me dress myself for school. But when I came downstairs, she dropped the keys and ran to her room. I asked her what's wrong, but she didn't say nothing. And now she won't come out." She hung her head and fiddled with her small fingers. "I think she's mad at me."

Knox sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "So you didn't go to school?"

She shook her head again.

"And she's been in there all day?"

"Yes."

"She didn't feed you or anything?"

"I helped myself to some cookies."

"That's all? Aren't you hungry?"

"Yes, very."

"Come on, Kolina." He grabbed her hand and walked with her to the kitchen, where he proceeded to fix her a bowl of cinnamon and raisin oatmeal with green apple slices. Koco stood by him while he prepared her lunch. She rocked back and forth on her silver ballet flats and swayed in a denim apron dress.

After the scorching oatmeal cooled down some and the apples were sliced, Knox carried her food and a juice box to the dining table. He made sure she was seated comfortably before rushing up the stairs to see what was up with Loretta. He remembered her having weird moments, where she would go hours just staring at walls and walking throughout the house in a daze, but he never knew of her to lock herself in a room or in confinement. He thought it truly was, as Koco had said, weird, since Loretta hated constriction and limits.

He made it to her room and was ready to barge in, but was stopped by the lock on the door. He pressed his ear to the cool wood. There was no sound. He knocked and called to her.

"Loretta!" His call was met with silence. He knocked again. "Ma?"

"Go away!" He heard her groan. Becoming more concerned, he scrunched his eyebrows.

"Mama, it's me, Knox," he said, "Open the door."

He stood there for a bit, still hearing nothing. He was preparing to go back downstairs when the lock clicked, and the door cracked open. Loretta stood there with puffy eyes, her hair pulled back, and she was wearing nothing but a blue silk robe. Unexpectedly, she walked into Knox's chest and wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

"Did you see her?" She whispered before pulling back and looking into his eyes. "Did you see her, Knox?"

"See who, Mama?" He asked, his voice laced with confusion. "Are you playing games? What's wrong with you?"

Tears welled in her eyes and her bottom lip trembled."She's just like me."

"Ma-"

"We have to stop it." She pulled away and walked into her room. Knox followed behind, watching her as she looked around the room for something. She looked under the bed, behind her pillows, under the blanket, and in the drawers, but her search was unsuccessful.