A Summer’s Tragedy

Going to Mount Octover wasn’t just fun. Callisto saw how much his parents loved each other. The way Sebastian would carry Dorothy, even though she was just acting tired, still showed that he was very patient.

The way he would care for Dorothy, as if he were just used for a thrill, was worse than anyone thought, because he could make himself a servant of her, so even just to get a glass of water, he would bother himself.

Sometimes, Callisto would just abruptly stand up and yell at him that she could get a cup of water by herself. But then, he thought that maybe that was just what love was like, or at least, what love was like for his parents.

He was exhausted because even his father had involved him in their game. How could he make him carry Ruth on that winding path towards the top of the mountain? He thought. It was a strenuous game, but at least it was worth it.

Callisto is currently sitting on his bed. Looking at the photos on his phone, Ruth and he didn’t have similar faces, he thought. But it never crossed his mind that they were not siblings, because she had been there since they were young.

“Are you not asleep yet?” someone asked. It’s Dorothy who glimpsed through the door of her son’s bedroom. She completely opened the door and went towards her son.

“Mom, please tell me the truth. Is there something about my sister that I don’t know?” Callisto asked.

Dorothy was frozen. She didn’t expect that her son would ask something like that. Her mouth was half-opened, but it seemed that she couldn’t breathe well. Seconds elapsed, Dorothy was freed, and she slowly walked towards her son. Her face shows an expression of bewilderment.

“And why are you asking me that, huh?” Dorothy asked.

“Just curious,” Callisto replied. “But you don’t need to think deeply about that question.”

“I see… So, how’s the third day of the vacation?” She changed the topic.

“It’s the nicest day, and I hope to stay longer here.”

“You can stay here as long as you want. But don’t forget your studies.”

“Study?” Callisto screamed in his mind. Studying is a combination of study and dying. He thought that although he would study every day, still, there would be many things that he needed to study and die. He knows death is unpredictable and studying will be a waste of time before dying.

“Don’t worry, mother; I won’t forget that we were just here for the summer. And the time that we need to go back home won’t refuse to come. I’ll miss my school, classmates, and teachers if we won’t be back either.”

“Okay, so You are a good son. But sleep early, so that we can make tomorrow better than the other days, as we’re just temporary in this wonderful place.”

Dorothy grabbed Callisto’s phone. She doesn’t want him to spend a long time on it. He’s curious why they don’t have similar faces, she thought, closing his phone and putting it inside the wardrobe. She was closing the door when Callisto hid himself behind his thick blanket. Dorothy smiled and went into their room. 

But Callisto couldn’t sleep. There are many things messing with his mind, such as his sister and the crazy girl. So he planned to sneak out, even though he knew that his mother would be mad. But it’s just a short time, so he went against himself and opened the window, jumped out, and took the quiet road.

As he walked on, Callisto met four boys. They appeared to be addicts in their vices, such as cigarettes and alcohol. Callisto attempted to shun them, but one boy grabbed his shoulder and tried to break it up.

“Where are you going, huh?” Samson (a street boy) asked.

Callisto didn’t reply to his question, but to his fight, he replied. He got his arm on his shoulder and broke it up. That made Samson cry in pain. But birds with the same wing flock together. Once they see their comrade hurt, they will not refuse to help him. And the three helped beat Callisto.

One, two, three, four! Black eyes! appeared on his face. Three of them were around his brow, and one strayed onto his cheek. The four left him flabby and helpless, and he completely keeled on the ground by the bench.

After an hour or two, Callisto woke up and found himself barely lying on someone’s bed. He remembered what happened, but didn’t know who brought him to this house. He looked around, but saw no one, so he wore his clothes and opened the door when someone emerged at his front.

“Linley?” Callisto exclaimed.

“You’re awake. Do you remember what happened?” Linley asked.

“I remembered. But how did you bring me here? I mean—”

“Don’t be so worried. I hope that you’re just fine.” Linley walked towards their living room, and so did Callisto, following the sack of her orange shirt.© 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

“I was going home when I saw you lying on that bench where we first met. Remember? I thought that it was destiny, but as I walked towards you, you were not moving. I thought you were dead, but you’re lucky,” Linley explained.

“O, thank you!” Callisto embraced Linley, who was surprised.

“Welcome.” She removed his arms from around her as she really didn’t like him, but her mind was racing and screaming how much she liked him to be near. “Perhaps your parents are now searching for you. Let’s just meet tomorrow.”

“Bye.” Callisto whispered and grabbed an opportunity to kiss her face. Then, he went out of their house and continued walking back home.

Linley was frozen. She couldn’t believe that Callisto would kiss her cheek like that. She was staring at Callisto when he walked out of their house, preventing herself from standing. She wanted to shout, to scream, to jump, and so she did when Callisto disappeared from her sight. She didn’t know that the boy was just hiding himself behind the lamppost and looking right at her.

Callisto was grateful, and he’s aware of that. He didn’t know what could have happened to him if Linley hadn’t brought him there. But lying on the bench? He’s curious about who put him there. It crossed his mind that perhaps it was someone who saw him before Linley, and that was insignificant anymore.

He made some noise when climbing the window of his bedroom. Finally, he’s not aware that he laid down on his bed and took a nap. It was already midday when he woke up. His parents didn’t know what happened, but they were curious about why he didn’t wake up earlier, even though Dorothy saw him sleeping.

“Good morning mom,” Callisto greeted while going towards the table inside their dining room. He cheerfully cuddled his mother and sat down on the chair beside them. But he’s curious about why their eyes stayed on his face.

“What happened to your face, huh?” Dorothy asked in a mad manner.

“Yup, how did you get those black eyes?” Sebastian queried.

Callisto tried to cover his forehead and cheeks and didn’t say anything about it. He just let them look at him, as if they were hungry lions who would suddenly grab him. He continued eating his food, not minding what they were thinking. If they are worried or want to scold him. He eventually went inside the restroom. He saw his face, with a high nose and bronze eyes, in the huge mirror.

I could almost forget what those boys did to me. I could kill them, he thought.

“What happened to your face?” Someone asked.

Callisto saw his younger sister in the mirror behind him. The little girl looked so worried, but she could do nothing about it. Callisto just remained quiet while putting something, such as a cream, on the contusions around his eyes.

“It’s just a little bruise, baby girl. You should go back and finish your food.”

“I have eaten my breakfast already,” Ruth replied. “Can I touch them?”

Callisto turned back and lowered himself in front of his sister. “Which one?” he asked, referring to the bruises on his face.

“All. I’ll just blow an ear and they will all disappear.”

“No-no-no. I don’t believe you.”

“You should believe me if you want them to disappear.”

“Okay, okay, you win. I believe you now.” Callisto felt the warm air as his sister blew them on his forehead and cheeks, and even on his lips. He knew it wasn’t just the air, he knew it was her terrible saliva.

“Please take a look in the mirror,” Ruth demanded.

Callisto stood up straightly, but he could almost collapse from what he saw. It wasn’t because of Ruth’s saliva that diffused on his face, but of the disappearance of his black eyes. He slightly scratched his eyes to see if it was just a mirage, but it was not.

“How did you do that?” Callisto (who couldn’t believe it) asked.

Ruth replied, “it’s just a little conjuring, brother,” and left.

Meanwhile, Callisto scrutinized his forehead. It was just here lately, he thought, but how could it suddenly be gone when his sister blew air on it? He shook his head, but the incredulity stayed in his mind, so he just washed his face, hoping that it would flow out with Ruth’s saliva, although it wouldn’t.

When Callisto went to the living room, where his mother was sitting on the couch, embroidering her torn clothes. She could almost sew her hands because of what he saw on Callisto’s face. The black eyes are indeed gone.

Callisto was thinking deeply about how to say this thing to his mother. He knew that she wouldn’t believe it. Consequently, he’s aware that he put himself between the devil and the deep blue sea. He can’t lie to his mother, but he also can’t tell her such an unbelievable thing. What he can only do is to remain silent.

“Am I just dreaming? Why is there no black eye on your face?” Dorothy asked with amazement. She left what she was doing on the couch and went towards Callisto. She held his face and scrutinized it, but saw nothing but his perfect-curved eyebrows.

Callisto complained, “Come on, mom, it’s just me—”

“Huh? Where’s your black eye? Tell me! Where did you put it?”

“Come on, do you see something on my face?”

Callisto avoided his mother and continued walking out of their house, where he saw his father fixing their car. He knew that it’d be more difficult to avoid his father’s questions than his mother’s as they’re close. And Sebastian could almost hit his head on the car when he saw his son going towards him.

He stood up and said, “Something was wrong!” But he didn’t know what it was. Perhaps he had forgotten it already as he had amnesia, and that thing favored Callisto at this moment because there’s something he’s not telling.

“How’s your car?” Callisto tried to speak normally. “Will you let me finish fixing that? You know, I was the one who used that when—” Callisto stopped talking when he noticed his father, who was just looking at his face, bewildered.

“Okay,” that was the only word that came out of his lips before he left.

“What happened to that man?” Callisto screamed in his mind and got below their car. He began by fixing its throttle. The drips of fuel strained his branded clothes, he thought. But he needs to fix this thing or they can’t go back to their home after this temporary vacation.