Jack's Last Summer

Part 18

Days passed, and Jack’s health continued to slowly decline. The mornings were spent with him sleeping and the rest of the gang awkwardly picking at their cereal.

“What’s on for today?” Garland asked at the breakfast table. Skylar and David were eating upstairs so Jack wouldn’t feel so alone up in that big room.

Seth tipped his bowl up and drank the milk leftover from his cornflakes. He swallowed and gently lowered the bowl to the table with a shrug.

“I was thinking of just hanging at the beach again. It’s a nice day and we won’t be far from the house in case Jack wants us,” Matilda pointed out. “We can pack a little picnic basket.”

“Sounds nice to me!” Garland smiled and touched Seth’s forearm affectionately. He took her hand and helped Garland to her feet, picking up their bowls as he did. Matilda cleaned up after herself and followed the pair upstairs to get changed into swimmers.

Kyle sat for a few more minutes and stared at his soggy wheatbix. They lay in the milk with congealed honey floating above them. He could hear Garland and Seth laughing in the room upstairs, and the stairs still creaking as Matilda presumably made her way to the third floor, where Jack, Skylar and David would be.

He got up and began taking food out of the pantry, throwing it into the big picnic basket that Garland had found.

Together they made a family; a large, dysfunctional one, but a family regardless. The thought of Garland, by far the most mature, mothering the rest of the group made him smile wryly. Yep, they were a family.

He wondered what it would be like when Jack passed.

“No Jack! You can’t do that! It has to be the same number or the same colour!”

“What about the reverses and stuff? They aren’t numbers. Your system is flawed.”

“Just put down the blue six I saw in your hand earlier.”

Jack huffed.

Matilda smiled and let herself in the open doorway of Jack’s bedroom.

Skylar and David sat at the foot of the bed, playing Uno with the pale boy that lay under the sheets. Matilda watched a few more cards be put down in questionable accordance to the rules.

“I win!” Jack declared as he slapped down his final card and let himself fall back onto the pillows with a wince that still didn’t manage to ruin is smug face.

“No you didn’t. You didn’t say Uno.” Skylar argued and dropped her cards to the doona.

“That rule is stupid. Uno. I said it.”

Skylar laughed and took his hand loosely. They shared a silent, smiley moment, not seeming to remember David was in the room; or more likely they just didn’t care.

Finally David noticed Matilda at the door and waved.

“Hey David, hey Skylar and Jack. The rest of us are going down to the beach, just thought I’d let you know.” Matilda wrung her hands and smiled.

“Sounds good to me. Skylar, you wanna go have fun with the guys while I have a word with Jack?” David prompted her with a friendly glance.

“Erm…” She stuttered. It was obvious she just wanted to spend time with her Jack.

“He’s right, Sky. This isn’t good for you, being all shut in constantly. Go get some rays and come back to me later.” Jack stroked her arm lightly.