Bundling
The door suddenly shut with the bang. Steve lazily flipped over ― it was too early to wake up for school, it was so dark. Little Steve heard the mommy’s sister Irene whisper was merging into crying, there is no way to confuse her hysterical screaming. Why did she come so early? The father’s voice is being heard ― intent, but soft. He tries to convince aunt Irene, maybe her to go home. Steve hears heavy father’s steps on the stairs, then festinating little Irene’s steps after. They go to the room. The door opens, and Steve closed his eyes pretending to sleeping.
“Wake him up?”, Steve recognized quiet father’s voice.
“Yes, send him to grandmother. The child shouldn’t see it all”.
Dad stooped to Steve and gave his nappy bang a smooth.
“Hey, buddy”, he said calmly, “it’s time to wake up”.
Steve falsely stretched out, “It’s time to go to school yet?”
“You won’t go to school today, buddy. You go your granny instead”.
Aunt Irene hid her cry into sniffer and turned back. Steve noticed her face flushed and her shoulders were shivering. He took a rise slowly and went to wash up. When he left the bathroom he noticed the ironed clothes on his bed ― wool trousers, a sweater, socks and a plaid shirt.
Aunt Irene helped sleepy Steve to wear socks and trousers.
“I don’t understand, Steve thought, why shouldn’t I go to school and go to granny instead, I didn’t even see her before”. Aunt Irene pulled the sweater on Steve and looked at Steve with kind of anxiety.
“Be a good boy, my dear, be brave”, and then she burst into tears.
Steve couldn’t understand, how aunt Irene being nervous and emotional is mother’s elder sister. Mommy is always reserved and calm. Even when Steve broke her favourite vase she smiled only, and her dimple on a cheek became deeper. And then Steve was hit like a ton of bricks: where is mommy? Mommy is only person who always wakes him up to school. Steve started to generate all the conspiracy theories in his blown mind from the revelation his mystery of eating all the hidden sweets to the new world war, where robots kill the children.
Irene packed a petty suitcase with the underwear, some clothes and books. Steve caught to take his favourite toy earthmover and encyclopedia about dinоsaurs, which his mommy gave him.
“When is the breakfast?” Steve understood there was no scent of the toasts from the kitchen.
“We will have breakfast on our way, buddy”.
Steve was lead passing the living room, where there was a crowd of people ― men in white coats, policeman and a man who was asking father the questions. Steve noticed mother’s pale thin arm under the white sheet and a piece of her printed dress covered with blood.
