Chapter 105: Memories
Those memories that I thought I have already forgotten, they're coming back again.
"Mrs. Kismet, your son has been constantly getting in a lot of fights. And what makes me feel concerned is that his way of fighting is too violent for his age. Last time he tried to beat his classmates with a metal bar while laughing. To be honest, we are starting to run out of ideas on how to deal with him. Especially knowing that the only reason he's still studying here is that you and Myrtle's parents begged for us to take him in because there were no other schools willing to accept him anymore."
My homeroom teacher pressed her reading glasses while looking at me with visible concern on her face.
"I am very sorry for what just happened. I will have a proper talk with my son about this incident. It will never happen again."
My homeroom teacher slowly exhaled. "You promised the same thing last time. Furthermore, He is just 10 years old, and seeing this behavior at his age is quite alarming. I hope he didn't learn these violent behaviors at home."
Mom immediately shook her head. "He didn't. My husband and I are doing our best to teach them good behaviors."
"Then, where did he learn that behavior?"
Mom didn't answer and just looked down.
After they were done talking, mom took me home. While walking down the street towards our home, I looked up and stared at her face. Of my parents, the one I had a resemblance to the most was my mom, she had back-length wavy black long hair and a gentle face that always had a gentle smile on them. Except at this very moment.
She stared at me with sadness in her eyes. "What happened this time, Casimir?"
"They were making fun of Myrtle."
She stopped walking and sat right in front of me and patted my head. "Look, Casimir. Protecting your friend is a great thing, I will be very proud to hear that my son saved his friend. But you should know that violence is not always the answer to everything. At least, try to talk your way first before doing something so reckless." With her frustrated voice, she chuckled. "I can't believe I am saying these words to my 10 years old son."
The next day, a visitor very close to me visited our house. My grandma Lucia.
"I don't know what's happening. Don't all the members of our... family no longer act that way? Even Irina not even once acted like that. What makes Casimir different?"
I was in the living room standing at the door of the kitchen while they were in the kitchen. I could hear their weak voices.
"Should I and your father take care of him for a while? Maybe a different environment could change him." Grandma said with a voice full of concern.
"Stop their suffering, not to cause them?"
Grandma smiled as she gently pinched my nose. "Yes. Can you do that for grandma, Casimir?"
"Yes, grandma."
She hugged me again. "Good, good, that's my Casimir."
Days had passed since grandma visited us. I learned my lesson, at least that's what I thought.
"Mom! Mom!"
I watched my 8-year-old little sister Irina as she ran away from me while crying.
After a few seconds, she came back while pulling mom towards our backyard where I was. With tears in her eyes, she pointed her index finger at me. "Big bro Casimir killed my rabbits!"
I clearly saw how mom's concerned face turned into anger as she darted her eyes to the things I was holding in my hands.
"Casimir! What have you done?"
I raised my hands while holding the two corpses of white rabbits and innocently stared at her. "These rabbits were sick, they were suffering. I just ended their suffering." I smiled knowing that I did the right thing, just like what grandma told me.
Instantly, mom's outraged face turned into a face of fear. It's still vivid in my memory, of how mom slowly walked back while staring at me with great disbelief in her eyes. Ignoring the innocent Irina just crying because her big brother killed her rabbits, unaware of what realization occurred around her.
The way she looked at me at that very moment. She was not looking at me as to how a mother should look at her son. She looked at me as if I was something else. Something terrifying. It just happened in a very brief moment, but that stare was engraved in my memory as a child.
As if a switch was flipped inside her head, her eyes widened, and immediately ran towards me and hugged me so tightly. "Forgive me, Casimir. I didn't mean it. Forgive me! I didn't mean it!"
But it's already happened.
I dropped the two rabbit corpses I was holding in my hands.
I finally learned my lesson. Those eyes. I don't want to see her doing that expression while looking at me ever again.