"Do you have everything?" Baldwin asks Mylo with pure disdain in his eyes, is 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 to his chest as he bow his head, he doesn't dare clean the spit off of his face. He continues bowing until his father finished a bottle of beer and then get into the car before Mylo does.
He gets into the back of the car but he doesn't take the seat, he squeezed in between them.
Mylo doesn't stop the tears falling on his face as their car begin driving 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.
Yet 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 spreading over his fragile bones.
He doesn't pee casually as they always have one bathroom in their house. He had to stay away from it as much as possible as his stepmother always claimed that he was infected.
That is why he does not eat or take anything, unless it is given to him.
He 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 could not believe his eyes at how luxurious the place 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. He noticed his father was still talking to a 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 new 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 else notice you in any way. And please 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 cheeks 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 ass as he kisses her on the lips 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 does not have the guts. He is not a spoiled child and he does not 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. And it is a great sin to disobey your parents so he won't disobey them.
Mylo rested his head against the windshield, watching sleepily as a few specks of snow began falling outside.
"No wonder this city is so cold," Mylo thinks out loud, mesmerized by the snow as he blinks tiredly.
It seems he had fallen asleep too deeply because he was waking up to a constant backhanded slap across his face from his father, it was morning already.
"It's your first day at school, are you planning to waste all my effort in raising you up? Get the fuck out 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 then hurried away to the bathroom 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 Mylo accusingly as she places 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 down 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," Catherine shivers, hating the mere sight of Mylo, "I asked you a question. Did you say the Lord's Prayer when you woke up this morning?"
"I… I didn't, mother. I was in a hurry."
Catherine walks up to Mylo and snatches the bread from him and throws it into 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," Catherine says to Mylo who immediately stood up and 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 him a new 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 some words of gratitude.
"Get going," Baldwin says to Mylo as soon as he arrives at the parking gate of the university, "And remember what I said to you, stay invisible."