Side Story - Percy

JUNE 1986

He had hoped they would remember. He had told them. He had even drawn a reminder and put it up over the fireplace.

But Percival had awoken that morning of his 12th birthday, crept as silently as he could downstairs to the dining room, expecting an elaborate breakfast feast in his honour and was greeted with nothing.

Father and Mother were both seated along with his three siblings, eating in silence as is the usual form of greeting the day in this family.

His Father looks up from his plate and sees his son standing by the door, a blank expression on his face. “What are you standing there for, boy? If you don’t eat now you’ll wait until lunch.”

His Mother sighs and gives her third-born child a tired smile, beckoning him to the table. Obediently the young boy sat in his seat and stared down at his empty plate. His Mother scooped some eggs on his plate and a piece of toast.

She paused for a second and brought over the salt. The food tasted like nothing as it went into his mouth, not even the salt helped. “Orla sit up straight” their Mother says and the little girl next to him complies with a scowl on her face.

Father finished first, mumbling about having work to do and left the house without a goodbye. Their Mother kissed Percy on the head and walked to go to the parlour where she spends most of her days.

Once his parents are gone Percy drops his fork loudly, enough to get his elder brother’s attention. Salvatore raises his eyebrows, “do you want something Percy?”

Percy leans back in his chair and crosses his arms, hoping that makes him look more serious. “Does anyone know what today is?”

Orla shrugs a shoulder as she carefully peels his orange, his youngest sibling opens up their eyes really wide “are we going somewhere? To the park?” they ask that last part to Sally.

Sally smiles at them, Percy’s inside’s turn as he watches them. Sally looks back to his brother “not that I know of, what’s today?”

“It’s my fucking birthday you dick” Percy spits.

“Don’t swear,” Sally says sternly. Percy glowers at Sally as he wipes his mouth with a tablecloth, “yeah I just remembered this morning when I saw the sign” he adds.

Percy waits as Sally begins cleaning up his plates and utensils, crazypants – as Percy calls his youngest sibling when Sally isn’t around to hear – quickly shovels food into their mouth. Orla delicately eats an orange slice, chewing as she watches Percy.

“Mother and Father are a bit busy today so I thought maybe we could go to the lake?” he raises an eyebrow at Percy. “Does that sound good?” Percy’s heart leaps as he thinks of being near water.

A smile threatens to break out on his face but he holds it back by replying “yeah I guess that’s cool.” Crazypants finishes their food and Sally piles their dirty dishes on his plate, he reaches over for Orla’s and she moves her arms off the table.

Sally checks his watch and says “alright we can go in thirty minutes, get your things—” the other three quickly get out of their seats and run up the stairs “don’t forget towels, floaties and your sunscreen!” he yells from the dining room.

…

The Crown siblings all stand in row on the shores of the town lake. Oldest to youngest. Percy runs to the water and Sally grabs his arm “sunscreen.” Percy rolls his eyes as his older brother applies that heavy white lotion to his face, arms, torso and back. Percy tries to run back to the water and Sally grabs at him again “floaties.” Percy groans impatiently as Sally slides up the small plastic floaties to Percy’s arms.

“I’m twelve I don’t need floaties I look like a fuc—” Sally narrows his eyes at Percy and Percy coughs and says “I look like a baby.”

“It wouldn’t matter if you were 25, these waters are deep and things like grabbing people’s ankles. If I see you taking them off we’re going home” Sally warns.

Percy blows a raspberry at his brother and jumps into the water. Orla lays a towel down and then lays herself on it, sunglasses on her face and holding up a magazine. Sally looks around to make sure no perverts are looking at her.

Percy sees Crazypants on the shore, flopped down on their stomach and leaning their head over the edge to see their reflection in the water. Weirdo, Percy thinks. He rolls onto his back and stares up at the gray sky, the hazy sun shining down on him.

At this age he doesn’t think about the concept of peace but this is the feeling that floods throughout his muscles. His eyes close for a moment before he hears a loud splash next to him. Annoyed, he wipes the water from his face and twists to see Sally surfacing from the water.

His older brother smiles at him and splashes Percy again. Percy makes a face and pretends to be irritated as he splashes him back. Sally retaliates with a force that drenches Percy. The boy can’t help but laugh and tries to dunk Sally’s head underwater.

“Get any water on me and it’ll kill both of you” Orla says coolly from the shore.

Percy and Sally both exchange glances and grin at each other. They swim closer to the shore and Orla shoots up and tries to run before both of them push and push more water on her. She shrieks and slips on the grass, landing on her butt.

“Come and kill us Orla!” Sally taunts and Percy laughs out loud as he sees Orla’s hair dangly down her head making her look no different than a drowned cat.

“OH MY GOD!” Orla screams and rushes towards her brothers. Before they can react she lands on both of them and all three plunge down under the surface. Pushing aside limbs and hair, Percy resurfaces with a cough and soon his brother and sister follow.

They rub their eyes and look at each other. A moment passes before they all burst out laughing, finding it all so ridiculous. Percy laughs even as his stomach hurts. Sally’s eyes are red from laughing so hard and Orla runs her hands through her hair, a big grin on her face.

Orla punches Percy on the shoulder and says “happy birthday you big baby.” Percy punches her back and she passes on that punch to Sally. Sally rubs his shoulder and he smiles softly as his eyes look from Orla and Percy.

“Happy-” he begins to say when his eyes wander over to where Crazypants is and his expression changes to that of alarm. “Sweetheart?!” he yells and quickly swims over to where their sibling has their face down in the water.

Percy and Orla watch as Sally reaches them and lifts their face out of the water. Crazypants begins coughing and Sally jumps out of the water and lays their head on his lap. They cough painfully a few times as Sally caresses their hair.

Crazypants coughing calms, only coming in short dry rasps. “What happened?” Sally asks softly.

Their sibling wipes their eyes with the back of their hands and blinks up at Sally “I don’t know. I wanted to see what it would feel like” they whisper softly.

Sally grimaces and cradles their head, whispering words of reassurance to them. Without looking at his two other siblings, he says “we’re going home. We’ll have the cook make a cake but we’re leaving now.”

The two kids swim side by side, their shoulders brushing. “They always have to be the poor little victim, don’t they?” Orla says between clenched teeth.

Percy shakes his head as Sally picks Crazypants up in his arms and makes them sit on Orla’s towel. A twisting feeling in his guts, but not out of anger, out of something else as he watches how Sally dotes on them.

“Always have to ruin everything” Percy replies.