Excerpt: Elegy

He couldn’t ignore the fact anymore that his mother was hiding something, and it was probably something bad. The truth must be hurting her but she was suffering all alone. He could help her, wanted to help her, if only she would tell him what was wrong! Keeping secrets wasn’t going to do anyone any good. This was only going to separate them further.

At the same time, he was furious that she had taken them from the shelter only to collapse hours later, which only proved his fears right. She was in no shape to take care of Maria and him if they were attacked. Though he would try until it killed him, in his heart he knew he could not protect his sister for long.

Come back, he screamed in his head, directing his thoughts at his mother. Don’t leave us alone.

Maria ripped off another hunk of crust and threw it at a cluster of seagulls, which flapped and fussed as though it was a snake in their midst. They soared off the ground and circled overhead before rushing towards the food like white bombs, beaks open in anticipation. A lone bird hovered overhead like a wolf, surveying the feast. It began to drift slowly downward, webbed claws outstretched as it aimed for the edge of the table and the dry piece of dough sitting there.

Calmly, Lucas bent over and picked up a baseball-sized piece of cement. He watched the bird flip the crust into its beak and gag as it struggled to swallow the overlarge piece. The bird spread its snow-white wings to steady itself and Lucas hurled the rock at it.

Maria screamed as the concrete bounced off the table to her right with a loud crack, narrowly missing the seagull, which screeched indignantly and took flight in a flurry of feathers. It pleased Lucas to see the bird had to abandon the pizza crust.

“Sorry, bub,” he said, grinning a little.

Maria’s mouth gaped open. Lucas shrugged.

“What happened?” called Rosa faintly, pushing herself up on her elbows.

“Nothing,” said Lucas.

“You okay, Maria?” said his mother, more sharply this time.

Maria hadn’t taken her wide brown eyes off Lucas. “Um... yeah, Mama. It’s okay.”

Rosa shielded her eyes form the sun and stared at them for a long moment before lowering her body back onto the grass.

“Are you okay?” asked Maria in a small voice, drawing her knees to her chest.

“I am now,” Lucas muttered, though he actually felt worse than before. “Didn’t mean to scare you, you know.”

“Why did you do that?”

He shrugged again. “Everything is wrong.” Tears burned his eyes suddenly and he covered his face with his hands. He heard grass crunching as Maria walked around the table and then felt her sit down beside him and slip her hand through the crook of his arm.

“I’m really sorry,” he sobbed.

“Shh,” soothed Maria, patting his hand. “It’s okay. It’ll be okay.”

He gulped and nodded, the tears drying up as quickly as they had begun. “I hope so.”