Have you ever wondered about the distance between yourself and someone you’re related to? What I mean is that you could be sitting across the table from your own brother but
between the both of you is a feeling of dissonant musical notes that will never harmonize. Of course, your blood is always your blood but is it normal to have nothing in common with your own brother? We tried as kids to be brotherly but we were better off playing on our own, there was never an interest in whatever toys my brother had and he certainly was not interested in mine. Sure, we stuck up for one another in school because that’s what brothers do, but it always felt like we were going through the motions. It was the same thing with holidays, parties, weddings; it was always a formality. After our parents passed away within days of one another we split the cost of the services because that’s what good sons do.
….……..
‘Ick,’ that’s my brother's name, its short for ‘Icaraus’ slides a paper across the table where it stops in front of my plate of steak and mushrooms. “What’s this?” I ask him.
“Read it,” he replied while cutting his steak and dipping the chunks into a small pile of ketchup on his plate.
I’m going to spare you the long details by saying that the paper stated that Canon and Fera Pacheco were not our biological parents. We were adopted out of the same foster facility where we were abandoned; Ick by his parents and me by mine. “So, mom and dad are not our parents and we're not brothers?”
“No,” Ick replied shaking his head. He didn’t look up at me once but chose to concentrate on his steak which he was ruining by dipping the cut up chunks in ketchup. “I guess we’re not.”
“This is it? Just this paper that says that none of us are family? There’s no apology or anything or something that can tell us who our biological parents are? Something?” I was chewing and talking and spitting out rice at the same time, I needed to calm down.
“There’s nothing we can do about it at this point,” Ick shrugged his shoulders. “They raised us, fed us, put a roof over our heads, gave us a warm bed to sleep in. They are our mom and dad and we are their sons and you are my brother. All that other shit is a technicality.”
“What about your real parents and mine? Don’t we want to know who they are and maybe meet them?” I asked while washing down my food with a gulp of my beer.
“It would be moot at this point,” Ick stopped eating and looked directly at me. “They’re the only parents I’ve ever known. To me, it would be like a slap in the face to mom and dad, I couldn’t do that. If you feel like you have to then, by all means, go ahead.”
I was still stunned, I didn’t know what to say or think. I mean that fact that Ick and I are not real brothers and that our parents……………it was too much info in one sitting. Ick got up and cleaned off his plate while my mind was still blowing up. He disappeared somewhere into the house while I cleaned off two more beers at the table along with one more steak. After that I was stuffed, I figured I'd go find Ick to say goodbye before I left,
"Icarus I'm heading out," I paused for a second and waited for him to come downstairs or at least answer from somewhere, there was no response. "Ick? I'll give you a call tomorrow okay?"
Still no reply.
............
In the morning the inside of my mouth tasted like steak and beer because I didn't bother to brush my teeth as soon as I got home. It must have been 4 am when I finally got home. I just hit the pillow and I was out. I woke up to the pinging sound of text messages from my phone, it was almost eleven in the morning. It was Ick, "Come over," he messaged. "Got something you have to see, you'll appreciate it."
"Give me an hour and I'll be right there," that was my reply but it was half-hearted. I really didn't want to go anywhere......buuuut....there I was an hour later. Ick opened the door and motioned for me to follow him upstairs. I could see that we were heading to mom and dad's room, "Ick, this isn't more paperwork about us being adopted is it?"
"No, it's even better," he replied calmly as he opened the bedroom door, walked in and stepped to the side. On our parent's bed lay four dead bodies next to one another, two men, and two women who looked to be about the same age as mom and dad. Their throats were sliced open from ear to ear, their wrists were slit from below the palm and up to the inside pockets of their elbows. The bed sheets were soaked in their blood. "On the left are Mabel and Walter Loy, my parents, on the left, are your parents Stephen and Catherine Medeiros."
"Ick what the fuck is this?! What the fuck are you doing?!" I screamed at him.
It was odd that he was so calm, "Don't worry Jerry they won't bother us ever, they'll never get between the both of us being brothers."
I was still trying to wrap my head around this when Ick put his hand on my shoulder; we'd never physically touched or shown one another any kind of affection. It's sad that the first time this has to happen that it's not a hug. I pushed his hand away and took a step back. "Did you.....fucking kill these people and brought their bodies here?"
I could see the hurt in Ick's eyes and as he began explaining there was a glimmer of hope that I would somehow understand the reasons for what he did. "I didn't just kill them, I did research and I found them. Then I invited them over for pupus and some drinks after you left and I told them about who I am and who you are......they didn't fucking care Jerry, they did not fucking care. Do you know who my parents are? They run a discount tire warehouse where they price gouge people for tires that aren't shit! All those accidents on the freeway where people's tires blow up and they get killed? That's these two right here! Your folks Jerry? Oh ho, ho.....your folks,......you're gonna love this...they are the cooks at juvie hall and they also trade food for sexual favors from those kids! There's no crime being committed here, we're helping society out! Don't you see? With them gone they can't come sniffing around for money, or who knows what else? Tell me you understand Jerry? Tell me you're with me on this?"
"Dude, you're fucking killing me," I walked off and headed to my old bedroom, Ick was hot on my heels.
"Jerry, you can't be mad about this, I thought you'd understand? Jerry?" He was frantic now, I could hear it in his voice that he was worried. I got to my room and held it open for him, when he stepped in he screamed bloody murder. On my bed lay the exhumed corpses of our parents, Canon and Fera Pacheco. Ick was hysterical, he finally cowered into the far corner of my room with his knees up to his chest and his hands covering his mouth. "What did you do Jerry? What did you do?"
"I heard what you said about mom and dad, I mean I really heard it deep inside. So, after I left here I went to the cemetery and dug them both up and snuck them in here. I mean I heard noises but I just thought you had company over. I didn't get home till four in the morning. I thought I'd come by later and let you see them.....we can really be a family with no possible way to break our bonds." Ick was inconsolable, he put his hands out like I was some disgusting thing that he was repulsed by, he wouldn't let me near him.
" I can't believe you, Jerry,"
.............
Our house was one of the last houses in the Kaimuki area that was built in 1921. It was really well maintained when our folks got it after they were married in the early 70's and right up until now. It was a shame that I had to burn it down but how could Ick and I go on as the only children of Canon and Fera Pacheco if he doesn't want to be my brother anymore? It's better that he goes with mom and dad, I can't say the same for his wayward parents and mine but at least they won't be a burden to anyone from now on. Good-bye Icarus, this as close to the sun as you'll get before your wings melt.
Wtf kind story is that? Holy smokes!
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