Lullaby | Brahms Heelshire |

Chapter 4

Bring you sweet dreams.

Me and Jen sat in the living room unboxing some of my things. Before I bought the house, me and Jen were flat mates back at Oxford. She offered to bring down all my stuff so I wouldn't have to drive to get it myself. I didn't have much. Only three boxes.

I sat, soaking up the last moments of silence before my family arrived. I lifted colorful, worn out books from one box, and set them on the smooth floor.

"Why don't you sing anymore Danny?"

Jen's question threw off my concentration.

"Huh?"

"You were just humming your competition piece." I stopped what I was doing. I hadn't even realized that I was humming.

"Your voice is amazing Danny. Why don't you sing anymore?"

I pondered her question. I knew exactly why I stopped, but I didn't want to tell her. I didn't want her to know that I was a failure, that I got a low score on my solo, that I didn't qualify for one of the top music schools in the world. I just simply wasn't good enough.

I shrugged. "I don't know." I simply stated. I turned back to my work and continued to hum.

~*~

My whole family came at the exact same time. They must have met up and caravanned here, because they showed up all together. It was dark out and my parents were the first to come through the doors. They both hugged and kissed me. They repeated their speech on how much they missed me and how they hated that I was clear out in London instead of Miami with them and the rest of the family.

Uncle Rick and Aunt Wendy came in next. Wendy eyed the parlor like she was in a candy shop and rick wiped sweat from his brow as he lugged all his wife's suitcases into the house. I found it sad. But that's how it was with them. She was plump. He was small. She was the queen. He was the steward.

My cousin Melissa was after Rick and Wendy. She stumbled in with her two youngest children in arms, Maggie and Kaden. Melissa turned and shouted behind her "Jaren, Michael, Liam, and Ally! Stop playing in the bushes and get in here!" The sound of many running feet followed her voice. Jaren ran in, 12 years old, caring a nerf gun. Michael and Liam followed, both 9, and carried stacks of foam bullets for Jaren's gun. Little Ally then walked in,5, and carried her princess doll carefully like it was her child. Then Melissa's husband Mike entered looking bored like he would rather be watching a game.

Then next came my crazy aunt Fran. She is 48 and has never been married. She lives in my aunt and uncles basement and is afraid to go outside in the daytime because of street solicitors. Don't worry, it doesn't make any sense to us either.

Following her were the sad saps that share a home with her. Boring Uncle Stephen and Aunt Judy. If you looked up bland in the dictionary, you would find them. Jerome followed his parents and took the black hood off his head. He was 16 and way into being a punk. It was strange that this oddity was spawn from two bland people.

Then last but not least was my cousin Hunter and his wife Carry. They had three girls, Jessie, Jordan, and Jayla. They were big into outdoorsy stuff. One of the girls came in holding a leash. Their greyhound Abby padded in behind her.

The dog struck a nerve. "Hunter! I told you not to bring your dog!" I said sneering at the animal. He just teasingly looked at me and puffed out his lower lip. "But ol' Abby never hurt no one." His southern drawl just made me mad. "You know I have allergies to dogs!" I very sharply crossed my arms. "You are going to keep her outside okay?" My aunt Carry tisked at me. "Come on Danielle, lighten up." I could feel heat rushing to my cheeks. Lighten up? Lighten up! This stupid dog could kill me.

I suddenly became hyper aware of all the noise around me. Kids laughing and running everywhere. My uncles looking through the icebox. My aunts laughing too loudly about something stupid they heard on their flight.

People kept bumping into me on their way in and out the door, hauling suitcases and sleeping bags. 22. 22 people were in my house. I wanted to scream. I never should have let them come over. This is why I moved to London. This is why I got a big empty house.

I was so sick of being suffocated by family. We all lived on the same street family neighbors. We saw each other every day. I love my family, but it was too much. As soon as I got an invitation to go to school out of the country I left, But Jen followed me. She loves close family, and that is fine, but I need space.

I only had to put up with this for three days and already I couldn't handle it. I took a deep breath through the nose. Sound was pounding away at my ears. I looked around and there were people everywhere. They were doing self-guided tours, eating my food, and calling dibs on rooms. The kids playing in the living room caught my eye. They bounced on the expensive furniture, shooting nerf bullets at Brahms. The J girls suddenly picked it up and started tossing it to each other.

I was horrified. I know that the doll was a little freaky, but it was porcelain. You can't just toss around porcelain! I sprang to my feet and rushed over to the kids. I caught the doll in the air and held it close. "Aww! You suck Danielle." The girls said in unison. I ignored them and rushed upstairs to the room that I claimed as mine. I set Brahms on the soft blue bed.

My anger and stress levels were so high I began venting to the doll. At this point I didn't care. As I talked, my leg began to itch. I looked down and found swollen red fleshy bumps on my leg. "Abby!" I groaned. The stupid dog must have licked me. "Look at this!" I shouted to the doll gesturing to my inflicted leg. "The dumb dog gave me hives!" I resisted the screaming urge to scratch the bumps. "I told them not to bring it." I took a seat on the bed next to Brahms.

For some reason tears began to well up, tingling my nose. I held them back feeling quite stupid. "I know my family means well." I began, my voice was shaking. "But I don't like it when they suffocate me." I turned to the doll a tear slipped out and fell on the blue bed. "You know," I sniffed, "You are the best listener ever." For some reason I reached out and hugged the doll.

I then got to my feet and walked to the door. "Thanks Brahms." I said softly and left the room.