Terribly Jinxed

  His morning breath warmed the pillow, and he changed the subject in his mind. The unusual noise of a never ending music playing from the next room, coupled with the loud chatting of grown men on national issues, children gathering together in glee to play around.

   It was not a day for second-guessing or regrets,it was a day for doing.Downstairs, he could hear the return of a long-lost sound: mum making breakfast. Banging wooden cupboards (rump-thump!), rattling containers of tin and glass (ding-ring!), shuffling and sorting a collection of metal pots and iron pans (ruzz-shuzz!). A culinary orchestra tuning up, clattering vigorously toward the finale.

  Lost in thoughts of where to go to get free of the choking Saturday atmosphere, mum gave him a warm smile to assist,but he could not seem to even notice. His mind was still rambling through a series of suggestions.

  She faked a cough to draw his attention, the day was about to get chilling. It never gets old for timid Tom.

  He had no choice than to bear the 

pain to get the gain.

  "What are you up to today?" She asked with a smile. 

  He moves over to wash the dishes" Nothing. Just my usual boring weekend". 

  "Awwwn. My little boy". She sympathized.

   "MUM!!! I am 18". He fumed as he tried to pass across the spice box over.

   "So?"

    "So..." He went on,"there is no reason to keep treating me like a child. For goodness sake".

   "Well you know you're momma's boy". She focused on cutting tomatoes. 

   "MUM!!!" He shrilled and walks out of the kitchen angrily.

  The nightmare of a typical weekend was just getting started.

   Loud music kept playing, he could not take anymore of it when it seemed to be the only one disturbed by it.

   He marched back upstairs like going to a war. He stormed in the room.

   "Hey. You could have knocked or opened it gently. Now you've sent it to door heaven". Melvin drops from his pull-up bar and walks towards the almost damaged door." Now you owe me a 100dollar".

   "Will you please kill that music? It's driving me nuts". He yelled.

  "No can do bro. It gives me the inspiration". Melvin replied.

  Tom left the room with frustration and comes back in " I do not owe you anything". Then leaves again now slamming the door harder.

   He could not go back to his room,nor could he go downstairs. Still in his misery, he saw his seven year old sister running towards him. He never knew what was coming to him.

  "Will you help me with Mr Snuggles?" She asked.

   He could not resist the cuteness. They went into little Lily's room, it all looked pinkish, toys scattered all over the room.

  His attention was drawn towards the little table and the stuffed toys sitting on each side of the table,with little teacups and a little jug on the table.

  "Looks like a teaparty here". He said with a lasting smile.

  "Am I invited?"

  She turned to him "yes. But after you fix Mr Snuggles".

   He collects the Bunny-like figure from her and fixed the dislocated arm for her. He asked her to close her eyes while he was fixing it.

  "I have a surprise for you". He beamed. 

   She opened her eyes and saw Mr Snuggles fit as a fiddle. "Yay you are welcome to join the party". She said with joy.

   "Oh sorry, I have to go".

   "Bye". She grinned at him.

    Attending a little girl's teaparty was definitely not what he planned for the day. If he had one.

  The frustration of having to watch every one doing something was sickening to him. He just prayed for a call from his friends or someone else, just for him to be rid of the frustration. But miracles are not constant.

  Mum calls everyone for breakfast. Surprisingly, he got to the table before everyone else. He waited patiently at the table, he watched them coming one by one except Dad who was still chatting outside the house on the news reports in the papers.

   "Where have you been Jenny?" Mum asked.

   "Upstairs in my room. Doing my nails". Jenny replied.

   "And you?". She turns to Melvin as she serves everyone seated.

   "Working on these bad boys". Melvin said, boasting at his muscles. He kissed his biceps.

   "Tom?". She asked.

   "At a teaparty". He deadpanned. Lily giggled.

   "My poor baby".

    "Mum!!!" He yelled, making a Stern face at her.

    "Oh sorry, I forgot". She said." Why don't you try something?".

    "Like what?" He asked.

    "Like being a nerd". Melvin teased.

    "Stop that. He is your older brother". She scolds him.

    "Like a hobby". She said.

    "Am tired of reading". Tom said.

   She takes her seat by his side"try something new. Something different".

   "Maybe playing chess with Melvin or nail painting with Jenny".

  He didn't seem to care. He just kept stuffing his face with soup and bread as the rest did. Jenny was never bothered with all that was going on. Her eyes were glued on her phone like she was awaiting an alert. While Melvin didn't stop teasing and Lily didn't stop giggling.

  Maybe he was a little inspired by his mother's advice, but he won't have anything to do with Melvin and certainly not Jenny.

   After breakfast,each person went to their usual stuff. Tom's only special stuff is reading. He wants something new and excitingly different like his mother had said.

   He went online for indoor hobbies he could try. The first on the list was cooking, followed by yoga, knitting, playing games and the list goes on.

   Cooking was not something that interests him, even though he spends more time with his mum in the kitchen than the rest. 

  "Yoga. That's it". He whispered to himself.

  He watched yoga videos online and decided to take an adventure into it.

  "At least I'll get some peace and quiet". He said.

  He followed the instructions carefully. It looked easy at first, he followed the nitty-gritty of every tutorials. His day was going perfectly fine until the loud video game music emanates from Melvin's room. He lost concentration and never found it.

   Frustrated,he calmed himself and not allowing anybody to ruin his already wrecked day.

  He went straight down for option no 1. He started out with making fries. He sliced the potato as the tutorials instructed, then soaked it for an hour. Heated the oil while the soaking the potatoes. He waited patiently for an hour to pass by, he took a nap to while away time.

  He chocked on the smoking hot oil he heated. He forgot to turn off heat from the oil. In a matter of seconds the smoke spread throughout the whole house. Everyone came to see what was burning, Melvin could not stop laughing. He wanted to make himself happy but ended up making a fool of himself.

  After series of interesting attempts that failed,he finally yielded to Melvin. He was ready to play Melody in a chess game.

  Melvin was a redoubtable opponent, not only because he plays it well but also makes fun of everyone he defeats, which sticks for a long time.

   Melvin was delighted to add to his sorrows. He played Melvin well almost near victory, his two Rooks laying siege on the King,out of the blues came Melvin's Queen accompanied by his Rook.

  "Checkmate". Melvin declared. At first it looked like good sportsmanship spirit when he offered a handshake to Tom. But he only drew Tom closer to take a selfie of his devastated look.

  "Crushed. Any Challenger left". Melvin mouthed aloud as he uploaded it to his social media page immediately, making a public shame of Tom.

   He was so ashamed of himself,he went to meet Lily for the teaparty. She was ecstatic to receive him.

  What could possibly go wrong in a seven year old teaparty,until it he went from frying pan to fire. 

  The teaparty started well until he broke the little teacups. Lily would not stop crying, he left.

  The day started to close up. He was disappointed in himself at the failures he had most especially at the teaparty.

   Dinner time came. Everyone was at the table for dinner. Everything was going fine.

  "Bro. Take a look at this. It's got over a thousand views already". Melvin showed him the picture he posted. "So hilarious". He laughed hard.

   "Son. How was your day". Dad asked.

  "Terribly Jinxed". He replied.