"Do you have everything?" Baldwin asks Mylo with pure disdain in his eyes, not like he actually cares. He just doesn't want Mylo to leave a stain in the now empty house of God.
He is lucky to have seen a last minute buyer to buy the church.
The neighbors and the members of the church will wake up to them gone from Pentoville with a new owner of the property knocking on their faces.
Mylo jumps involuntarily at the sound of the car boat closing. His stepmother spits at his face before she walks by to her car seat. He grabs his stash of rags tightly as he bows, he doesn't dare clean the spit off of his face. He continues bowing until his father finished a bottle of beer and then he invisibly gets into the back of the car, he doesn't take the seat, he squeezed in between them.
Mylo doesn't stop the tears falling on his face as their car drives out. He has been in Pentoville for only two years where he finally managed to finish his high school after moving six cities since he understood the nature of his parents life and work.
He even had the audacity to think that life will be better here as he was immediately placed on scholarship to Pentoville University due to his academic achievements and performance. He was already transferring when he had just started.
The car was loud with gospel upbeat music as his parents sang out loud happily, teasing each other and smiling lovingly at each other, Mylo totally forgotten.
He weeps quietly with beads of sweats rolling down his temple in an endless stream. His body aches, his skin feeling itchy at the uncomfortable position. They had been driving for over a day already and he didn't get any breaks. His body had learned self control the hard way. After all, they are just thin skin that spreads his fragile bones.
He doesn't pee casually as they always have one bathroom in their house. He had to stay away from as much as possible as his stepmother always claimed he was infected. Just like he doesn't eat until he is given food.
He doesn't take anything unless it is given. Mylo learned the hardest way. That is why a sign of relief washed over him when they finally arrived at their new home in Northern Lantern City. He couldn't believe his eyes at how luxurious it looked.
"What are you looking at?" Catherine glares at Mylo, "Do you need me to pack my bags myself?"
"I'm sorry, mother. I will carry all of them, don't worry."
"Tch, such a good for nothing," Catherine remarks, hating every step that Mylo takes to the back of the car.
Mylo quickly uploads their luggage and drags them inside. His father was still talking to the man in a black shirt and a bible under his armpit. He looks like another fake pastor, just like most of his father's friends but he doesn't dare blaspheme.
When he was finally done, his stepmother shoves a worn out blanket in Mylo's hands.
"You will sleep outside, in the car."
Mylo is too frozen to ask why, this is the most luxurious house they have ever gotten and it has three bedrooms and two bathrooms. Why can't she let him have one?
Baldwin returns, clearing his throat, he drops a file on the floor, "That is for your new school, take them with you tomorrow."
"Father… I…I."
"Mylo, you have to stay invisible in this city. As you can see this is a big city which means big money and big things will come my way. You can't let me or anyone notice you in any way and listen to your stepmother and take the back of the car. You should be very happy I didn't give you the dog house."
Catherine sways her waist to Baldwin, grabbing his arm and tangling their fingers together. She kisses Baldwin on the cheek before leaning on his big chest, "Honey, you're so responsible, you make me wet with your ways. Even our prophet said spare the rod and spoil the child. You discipline him in God's ways and it makes me want to give you a child as soon as possible."
Baldwin scoffs, grabbing Catherine in the ass as he kisses her roughly, "You nasty bitch."
Mylo knew it was time for him to disappear from the living room. He quietly walked out and ran to the back of the car, taking the seat this time as he was alone. He shuts the door and sits quietly, he stares at his school file, the blanket and a few clothes in his stash thinking that this could be a good opportunity to run away.
But he doesn't have the guts. He is not a spoiled child and he doesn't want to be a prodigal son like the one in the Bible. Although in his case he doesn't have an inheritance nor a home he will return to. It is a sin to disobey your parents so he won't disobey them.
Mylo rested his head on the windshield, watching sleepily as a few specks of snow began falling.
"No wonder this city is so cold," Mylo thinks out loud, blinking tiredly. It seems he had fallen asleep too deeply as he was receiving a constant repeated back hand slap from his father, it was morning already.
"It's your first day at school, are you planning to waste my effort in raising you up? Get the fuck up and go inside and take your bath. You smell!"
Mylo doesn't bother wondering what the time was because he doesn't have it. He rushed inside and saw his stepmother having breakfast. He immediately bows, "Good morning, mother," He greets her and goes in hurried steps to avoid morning problems.
Soon he returned back with the same clothes he wore in the last few days.
"Did you say the Lord's Prayer this morning?" Catherine asks he she placed a jam on a slice of bread. She throws it to the floor, glaring at Mylo, "Kneel down and pick it up and eat."
"Thank you, mother," Mylo kneels and picks up the slice of bread with both hands. He takes a bite and smiles at Catherine, feigning a grateful expression.
"You give me creeps, I asked you a question, Mylo. Did you say the Lord's Prayer this morning?"
"I… I didn't, mother. I was in a hurry."
Catherine walks up to Mylo and snatches the bread from him, throwing it away in the dustbin, "You don't deserve my kindness."
"Not now, Catherine," Baldwin spins the car key in his finger, "We are going to be late."
"Get out of my sight," She said to Mylo who immediately hurried after his father. He is silent throughout the car ride to his new campus. He doesn't say a word when his father throws his bag pack with his school essentials and a new pair of jeans and a blue shirt.
"Wear them, I don't want people associating me with a beggar."
Mylo quietly wears his new clothes in the car, unable to say any words to his father even when he knows he should say words of gratitude.
"Get out," He said to Mylo as soon as stops at the parking gate, "And remember what I said to you, stay invisible."