Read Online Gabriel and the Swallows (The Volatile Duology #1) by Esther Dalseno - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Esther Dalseno
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spice and herbs on the counter top.
“Gabriel…”
“I said I haven’t seen her,” I spluttered.
“Gabriel…” Mamma’s eyes were wide and she stared into mine, pulling the truth out of me.
“I haven’t seen her!” I cried. “Leave me alone.”
“ Leave me alone, leave me alone ,” repeated Mamma.
“That’s what I said!” I screamed, slamming the milk glass back on the table with more force than required. It splintered and shards of glass fell on the floor. I ran into my bedroom.
“ Leave me alone !” repeated Mamma, and then shook her head hard, like a dog emerging from a river, trying to regain control of herself. “Well, I would leave you alone, Gabriel, but I think you know something that you should tell me! Tell me, tell me !”
“I don’t!” I wailed from my bedroom. I grabbed my book bag and starting stuffing my homework into it.
“ Leave me alone, leave me alone !” said Mamma, and entered my room. She stopped still for a second, pressing her forehead with her shaking hands, willing herself to concentrate. But she was angry and her disease was betraying her. “You had better spit it out now, young man, what did you do to her?”
“Nothing!” I yelled, planting my feet solidly on the floor. “Nothing! Nothing!”
And Mamma blinked her eyes rapidly and held up her hands with fingers splayed like a mime, and her little fingers began to twitch demonically. “ Nothing! ” she shouted. “ Leave me alone! Nothing! Leave me alone! ”
I ran to the door, my book bag flopping over the floor, and pulled on my boots. Mamma had not been up in time to make my lunch, so today I would go hungry, but I didn’t care. “You get back here this instant young m— leave me alone !” shouted Mamma, and suddenly a violent tremor coursed through her body and she sank to her knees.
I swung around and glared at her – my own mother, clad in a threadbare nightgown, breasts exposed from the upheaval, lined with stretch marks like rings on a tree trunk. Her wild hair, all black and grey, tumbling from her head like a mad woman, as it jerked on her neck. Her hands had landed on the shards of the glass and began to bleed. Here she was, pathetic and textbook ridiculous: the reason why no one spoke to me and teased me so unmercifully, while I tiptoed around on eggshells for her sickness, fraying my nerves, and now she was blaming me for a stupid damn bird-girl who had tricked us into thinking she couldn’t understand a thing.
“Get back here, Gabriel!” she cried.
So I did. I took two steps toward the house and said, “I hate you, you know that? You’ve ruined my life!”
“ I hate you !” echoed my mother, and began to cry. “ I hate you, I hate you !” She covered her eyes with her bloody hands, and her fingers convulsed savagely. “Why do you hate me, Gabriel?”
And seeing my own Mamma crying on the floor made tears well up in my own eyes too, even though I hated her. But I would be strong, or else she would start about Volatile again, and I would be undone.
“I hate you because you’ve ruined me! Everyone hates me and it’s because you’re a retard!”
A strong hand on my shoulder and suddenly, someone was shaking me so forcefully I could feel my teeth rattling and I bit down on my own tongue – hard. “What did you just say to your mother?” bellowed Papa, his spit flying on my face. His spectacles fell to the ground and in my clumsy haste to get away, I stepped on them and they shattered. I squeezed my eyes shut, but the tears coursed down my cheeks regardless. “You will answer me immediately!” he shouted.
“ Leave me alone !” shrieked Mamma. “ I hate you! Retard, retard, retard !”
“No!” I screamed at Papa, and wrenched my shoulders free. “You God-damn bastardo salami-eater!” And I grasped the strap of my book bag and ran like the wind. I sprinted toward Orvieto, and didn’t look back.
But if I had, I would have seen Papa pick Mamma from the floor and
“Gabriel…”
“I said I haven’t seen her,” I spluttered.
“Gabriel…” Mamma’s eyes were wide and she stared into mine, pulling the truth out of me.
“I haven’t seen her!” I cried. “Leave me alone.”
“ Leave me alone, leave me alone ,” repeated Mamma.
“That’s what I said!” I screamed, slamming the milk glass back on the table with more force than required. It splintered and shards of glass fell on the floor. I ran into my bedroom.
“ Leave me alone !” repeated Mamma, and then shook her head hard, like a dog emerging from a river, trying to regain control of herself. “Well, I would leave you alone, Gabriel, but I think you know something that you should tell me! Tell me, tell me !”
“I don’t!” I wailed from my bedroom. I grabbed my book bag and starting stuffing my homework into it.
“ Leave me alone, leave me alone !” said Mamma, and entered my room. She stopped still for a second, pressing her forehead with her shaking hands, willing herself to concentrate. But she was angry and her disease was betraying her. “You had better spit it out now, young man, what did you do to her?”
“Nothing!” I yelled, planting my feet solidly on the floor. “Nothing! Nothing!”
And Mamma blinked her eyes rapidly and held up her hands with fingers splayed like a mime, and her little fingers began to twitch demonically. “ Nothing! ” she shouted. “ Leave me alone! Nothing! Leave me alone! ”
I ran to the door, my book bag flopping over the floor, and pulled on my boots. Mamma had not been up in time to make my lunch, so today I would go hungry, but I didn’t care. “You get back here this instant young m— leave me alone !” shouted Mamma, and suddenly a violent tremor coursed through her body and she sank to her knees.
I swung around and glared at her – my own mother, clad in a threadbare nightgown, breasts exposed from the upheaval, lined with stretch marks like rings on a tree trunk. Her wild hair, all black and grey, tumbling from her head like a mad woman, as it jerked on her neck. Her hands had landed on the shards of the glass and began to bleed. Here she was, pathetic and textbook ridiculous: the reason why no one spoke to me and teased me so unmercifully, while I tiptoed around on eggshells for her sickness, fraying my nerves, and now she was blaming me for a stupid damn bird-girl who had tricked us into thinking she couldn’t understand a thing.
“Get back here, Gabriel!” she cried.
So I did. I took two steps toward the house and said, “I hate you, you know that? You’ve ruined my life!”
“ I hate you !” echoed my mother, and began to cry. “ I hate you, I hate you !” She covered her eyes with her bloody hands, and her fingers convulsed savagely. “Why do you hate me, Gabriel?”
And seeing my own Mamma crying on the floor made tears well up in my own eyes too, even though I hated her. But I would be strong, or else she would start about Volatile again, and I would be undone.
“I hate you because you’ve ruined me! Everyone hates me and it’s because you’re a retard!”
A strong hand on my shoulder and suddenly, someone was shaking me so forcefully I could feel my teeth rattling and I bit down on my own tongue – hard. “What did you just say to your mother?” bellowed Papa, his spit flying on my face. His spectacles fell to the ground and in my clumsy haste to get away, I stepped on them and they shattered. I squeezed my eyes shut, but the tears coursed down my cheeks regardless. “You will answer me immediately!” he shouted.
“ Leave me alone !” shrieked Mamma. “ I hate you! Retard, retard, retard !”
“No!” I screamed at Papa, and wrenched my shoulders free. “You God-damn bastardo salami-eater!” And I grasped the strap of my book bag and ran like the wind. I sprinted toward Orvieto, and didn’t look back.
But if I had, I would have seen Papa pick Mamma from the floor and
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