The Turning Point

In Jay's viewpoint...

"Ouch! Jay, it hurts." Alfie started to complain when pain spread through his wounds and got into his nerves. Ignoring Alfie's intentions, I held on even more tightly on a metal forceps and used it to press a tiny ball of cotton onto Alfie's wounds. Earlier, Alfie was hit by his dad again. That man had a bad temper and got pissed off easily even if it was just a tiny little thing. Although I knew what made that man turn into like this, I never understood it. He was always releasing his anger to the outside, but he didn't seem to quite understand what this would cost in the future. As I put myself in my mind, I continued to treat Alfie's wounds. But Alfie kept on resisting me.

"Don't move, Alfie. If you keep on moving, I can't treat your wounds," I stated and pressed the cotton ball again on Alfie's arm.

"Sorry." Alfie understood me and tried to stop moving but his face betrayed him. He sure didn't like the feeling of having his wounds sterilized with alcohol.

"Today is a terrible day, isn't it? You got bullied by classmates and got kicked by Dad. So many wounds, so much pain......"

"Stop it, Jay. I don't want to recall my memories." Alfie interrupted me. My eyes got darker again when I remembered what happened today.

".....sorry, Alfie. It's half of my fault though. This won't happen if I buy the right bottle of wine......." I apologized. Alfie looked up at my face immediately when he heard me saying sorry again, he didn't like my answer.

"Come on, Jay! This is not your fault. None of it is! It's not the first time Dad got mad like this," Alfie explained.

"Then whose fault, is it?" I asked. My question startled Alfie, he remained silent. Although I wished him to do the opposite. If only he could be a bit more cold-blooded and braver, I would have done something to solve all these problems already.

"Err.........let's leave that aside, Jay. What did you do today while I was at school?" He asked.

"Well, I was bored staying at home so I went out to the street today. There are some restaurants serving new dishes and drinks. They all looked so delicious......but......"

"But?"

"......remember that delicious pearl milk tea shop I often went to before? When I was on the street, I heard some people saying that that shop will be relocated to another place. And tomorrow will be the last day of operation. I guess we can't go there anymore."

"I wanted to take a look at the shop for the last time but you know......that shop is far away from school."

"Oh. What a shame. How about we go there tomorrow and buy some drinks before it relocates? I haven't tasted a drink of pearl milk tea for a long time."

"Really? I love it! Let's go there tomorrow!"

"What about you, Alfie? Has anything interesting happened at school?"

"Not really. There is nothing interesting at school........but in the morning, there is something special. I met a male reporter near the school gate. His name is Carlo Eric."

"A reporter?" I felt strange, why would a reporter come here and visit Alfie's school?

"That's weird. Why did he come here?" I asked.

"Who knows? I didn't ask him. We just met for a couple of minutes. We didn't talk much."

"Is it?" I replied, I didn't show much interest in that man. I'm sure he is just an ordinary reporter.

"Anyway, I guess you must be exhausted today. While you were downstairs, I picked two games." I placed back the forceps in a first-aid kit next to me and took out two different kinds of board games.

"You want to play the murder-mystery game called Clue or the strategy game Catan?"

"Let's try something else. I don't want to use my brain. My brain hurts when I think." said Alfie as he patted his head with his hand. I floated near a bookshelf full of board games and grabbed one box inside.

"How about Jenga? The one with many wooden building blocks? That's easy enough." I suggested. Jenga is a board game of physical skill. Players take turns removing one block at a time from a tower which is constructed of 54 blocks. The game ends when the tower falls and the last person to remove and place a block successfully is the winner.

"Good idea!" Alfie agreed and we both quickly piled up a tower of blocks together on the floor. A few minutes later, around one-third of the blocks are being removed. It was my turn again. I sat on the floor and had my eyes fixed on the tower. I observed it precisely, thinking what kind of block the best would be to take. I had stared at the tower for five minutes already, Alfie wanted to rush me but he kept silent and tried to wait patiently. At last, I finally moved my hands on one block.

"Don't fall.......that's right.....don't fall....don't fall......" While mumbling at the same time, I took away the block carefully, preventing the tower from falling. It didn't. I sighed a deep breath and felt relieved.

"Phew! Your turn, Alfie," I stated, looking at Alfie.

"Ok. I'll pick.......this one." Alfie allowed one of his fingers to touch one certain block in the middle of the tower. In my eyes, that block was very dangerous, it would let the tower fall any minute. I stared at him, watching him see how he was going to go out of my expectation.

"Good.....good....got it!" Without noticing, words were spoken outside of his mouth, he shouted out aloud when he got the block out successfully. Still, he packed his head too near the tower, the smell of wooden blocks seemed to be touching his nose, itching it.

"Err....emm....ac.....ac......ACHOO!" Alfie sneezed. The tower collapsed immediately.

"Ya! You make the tower fall. I won!" I cried out in joy, with hands rising up. Alfie got angry.

"HUH? Of course, not! I sneezed after I finished taking out my building block! Once I get my block, it is your turn already! So, you lost, Jay. Not me!"

"Come on! I didn't touch the tower before you sneezed. Admit it, you lost already. Now, this is my sixth winning streak!" I declared happily, surprisingly, I found myself good at these physical skill games.

"No! This game is not fair! One more time!" Alfie cried.

Alfie couldn't let himself keep on losing the game, so he kept on insisting I play with him. I had no choice but to agree. Finally, after eleven game rounds, Alfie won at last. Grabbing his victory, the burden flew away from his shoulders, sleepiness crushed on his head, he lay down on the floor comfortably.

"Alfie? Don't lie on the floor and help me tidy up the building blocks." I complained. But he didn't seem to hear me.

"Alfie?" I called him. I looked closely and heard some snoring sounds coming from him. He had already dozed off to sleep.

"Sigh....if you sleep there, you'll catch a cold." I sighed heavily. I guessed he must be very tired today. I carried Alfie gently in my arms and put him back on his bed, covering him with a blanket. Looking at Alfie sleeping comfortably in his dreams, I was glad he could regain a happy face, even if it was just a tiny moment.

But for me, I wish this happiness can last forever.

I must do something to stop all his pain.

I must do something........even Alfie disagrees with me.

On the next day, I floated near the windows and opened it, the cool summer morning wind blew through my body and hurried inside the room, flipping over the pages of a calendar hanging on the wall.

"Wake up, Alfie! Wake up! You'll be late." I shouted, shaking him at the same time.

"Err.....no.....I don't want to wake up." said Alfie with his eyes closed.

"Sigh....that's why I told you we shouldn't play too long yesterday. You can't wake up the next morning." I complained. Alfie tried to open his eyes slowly, he nodded his head sideways.

"No. I didn't mean that. I mean I don't feel well." I raised my eyebrow, Alfie's voice was a bit different from usual. I touched his forehead.

"Oh no. It's hot." I exclaimed and grabbed a thermometer in a drawer and checked Alfie's temperature.

"You got a fever. I'll go and get a wet towel." I carried a small towel from the closet and went out the door. Walking down the stairs, that man was not in the house. He didn't come back home after he went out at night yesterday. It was not an unusual thing though. He sometimes went outside and disappeared for a few days. God knows where he went. I never liked that man. I hoped he would disappear just like that woman. The only thing I appreciated of him was he would leave some money on the table for Alfie. Soon, I stopped thinking and came back with a wet towel and placed it gently on his forehead.

".........thanks, Jay," said Alfie, his voice sounding weak.

"Just take some rest. Call me when you need me," I said, smiling.