The Closet

On Sundays, after Sunday morning masses, my brother and I play hide and seek in our house. I'm usually the hider, and I always have the best hiding spots every round, or that's what my brother says.

Our parents on the other hand aren't so fond of our game, they never have and I can never put to mind why.

In the maze of our spiraling large house, I planned all week of new hiding spots, behind the curtains within our father's office room, in the shed where all our swimming gear lays gathering dust, or in our mother's vanity room, but today I chose to hide in the untouched part of my parents closet, in this very part of the closet is where they put all out traveling stuff so they only touch it when we go to visit Nana who lives by the coast.

Amongst the suitcases and unsorted laundry of our previous trip, that reeked of the ocean and still had sand sticking to the seams of the fabrics, I remained hidden and blended as if I too was one of Father's beach tops or one of Mother's summer dresses.

Hiding in the stillness, voices grew in the hallway, and then grew louder and more abrupt as they came into the room, it was my parents. I could recognize them anywhere, my mother had this sweet voice that reminded me of the soft gospel songs sung at church, my father one the other hand had this flat serious toned voice he sounded much like the pastor, but a less passionate one.

"Must they always play hide and seek after the mass?" my mother ushered in sudden frilliness, collapsing on the bed the other side of the room.

"I think so, I don't know why they like the game so much..." my father replied sounding suddenly loud and close, as he opened the farther end of the closet tucking his coat away into the racks above me, I remained unseen still.

"How long do you think they'll play for~?" she said in a strange tone. My father chuckles to himself as he closes the closet and makes his way to where my mother is.

"Probably awhile, Declan tells me Joshua is a good hider and always takes awhile to find him from what I've heard." I hear his voice fading to a low whisper now, I hear the bed rouse and shake as he sit beside her.

"Why, what did you have in mind my love?" he says as if attempting to mimicking her tone.

"Oh nothing, I just thought we could you know..." I hear voice grows quieter to a shy whisper.

"To do what?" my father continues as if not phased by my mother's shyness.

"Oh you know, make another bundle of joy" she said this barely making it a whisper.

By this moment I grew sickly in the closet, it grew hotter and sticky amongst the clothes which by now the stench was getting to my head and making me dizzy. I grew nauseous sitting there and my parent's sudden intimacy only made me grow more sicker.

As if blessed by good luck or some outer world fate, I hear the door knock at the opposite corner of the room, I hear my parents both getting up from the sound of the bed creaking, Declan's booming voice fills the room suddenly, not caring what our parents where doing.

"Have you guys seen Josh?!" in a stressed tone. "It's been over an hour and I still haven't found him!"

"Calm down Declan, he's probably hiding in my office again, like he did last week, go and check under my desk he's probably there." My father stated in a calm but rushed manner.

"Yes go and check there Honey!" My mother said as if mirroring my father's tone of talk.

"No he doesn't hide in the places he's hidden in before if what he does-" Declan is cut off as I tumbled out of the closet, I was at limit of tolerating it's heat and fumes; and bursted out toppling over the suitcases and dragging some clothes out with me, there I laid sunken on the carpet my face burning as I fell head first unable to catch myself as I was tangled in the smelly clothes and gasping for air as a fish out of water.

My parent's, one with a bewildered look, my mother, and the other growing cross, my father, waiting for an explanation of some sort as I only now remembered that our parent's room were out of bounds as my head slowly cleared of the closet's odors. I got up heavily and nauseously swaying about as making my way toward them, with only one thing in mind. How is a bundle of joy made?

Declan grew relived at my surprise appearance as I stood next to him.

Our parent's stood there towering over us both now streaming and beaming red.

"Explain yourself, you know our room is out of bounds Joshua." my father demanded out impatiently.

Suddenly, as the nauseousness slowly faded out. "No you explain yourselves, How are babies made?!" I demanded determined trying to mirror my father's tone.

Their faced dropped by my suddenness, my mother looking perplexed placed her hand over her mouth, in the same manner she does when Declan or father cuss, my father looked as weak as if he was now suddenly sick with the closet odors like I was. Glancing at each other, worriedly, that when Declan cleared his chest, breaking the awkwardness, and we all looked at him attentively.

"Babies...aren't made but brought to Mothers and Fathers by birds Joshua. Have you learn nothing in school?" He said in a matter-of-fact tone and gazed at me puzzled.

"But Mother and Father said they make them, so why would we need a bird? wouldn't a baby be too heavy?" I whined suddenly annoyed at his answer because I knew that was not how we came to be.

"No no Declan's right Joshua, a bird does bring babies to us, but not just any bird, a might Stork." My mother said suddenly rushing as if relieved.

"Yes, the mighty Storks bring you from Heaven, they predict the perfect matches for parents like me and Mother, that's how we ended up with Declan and you!" My father then continued.

Now I stood there before them dazed and confused, I don't know what to think anymore, I grew tired of all the thinking. Tired but for now satisfied with the answer, So I just stood beginning to lean tiredly on to Declan who had now been slowly picking me and take me out of the room to our shared bedroom. I fell asleep listening to my parents giggles grow quieter and distant, and Declan's breathing as I clung to him.