Nashed+and+Raisa+=)

Everybody Loves Holidays.

The best part about school, are the holidays. Whether it is Easter Break, Summer Break, Hari Raya Break, Christmas Break, or a simple three day exeat, everyone loves the holidays. Unfortunately, I had one of the worst holidays last summer. I will never look at holidays in the same way again. I will never go home feeling the extravagant bliss I felt when the first set of holidays arrived.

(Nashed) I scanned the the people at the airport looking for a familiar face but unfortunately, there was none. I figured no one came to pick me up and so I got a ride from a taxi to get me home. I went back home to find that my parents were sleeping. They didnot get up to greet me. A solemn note on the table said, " Food's in the oven and clean the dishes after you are done." After I had my dinner, I dragged my heavy feet to bed and fell asleep right away. When I woke up in the morning, things did not get any better. My parents continued to give me the cold shoulder for the rest of the day and an uncomfortable and adverse air prevailed.

(Raisa) I was not very sure how to handle it, so I decided to get out of the house and take a breather. City air may not be the freshest, but it was definitly better than smelling the awkward air of the presence of my parents. I was not sure where to go first, so I just followed the side-walk and let it lead me to where ever it took me. I found myself at a rather old and shabby house at the other end of the side-walk. I stared at it for awhile and let the eerie air send a few chills down my spine. I was excited to see what this house had to present me with, so i headed towards it.

(Nashed) As I trugged over the meandering path of gravel towards the house, I was greeted by a wave of cold, frosty air which sent shudders down my spine. The house cast long lonely shadows over the long neglected and untrimmed garden. The bare trees rustled with the cool summer breeze as if conveying some secret sinster message. When I finally reached the door, I was awed to find that this stony house was much bigger than it seemed. Nervously I knocked on the huge aging door, scarred with countless cracks and tiny holes.

(Raisa) I knocked a few hundred times, but no one seemed to be home. I decided to push the door to see if it would open and to my surprise, it did. The house was dingy and extremely stultifying; it was an utter mess. The room behind the door gave of a foul odour, which made me feel a little sick to my stomach but I was determined to explore the house. It was as if the house was drawing me closer and closer to the depth of its secret existance. I made my way to another door behind a flight of stairs leading to what seemed like the basement of the house. //What is this place?// I thought to myself.

(Nashed) Curiously I crept into the room. I looked around myself, trying to adjust my eyes to sudden darkness. I surveyed the room around myself, with a grim satisfaction. The room was hardly furnished but it was very cozy and had a warm welcoming air. There was a medium sized couch in the corner of the room with a table in front of it. There were a few faded lopsided portraits clinging on to the walls. A serene sensation of excitement swept across my body. As I was rooted on to the spot with shaking legs, thoughts raced through my brain and all on a sudden an idea flashed into my mind. I came to an abrupt conclusion. This shabby basement was my getaway, and homely shelter from my parents and the outside world.

This was my ultimate sanctuary.

(Raisa) I came back to the house the next day. I was smiling heavily and had blissful chills running up and down my spine. I walked into that room and sat on the odd couch. I closed my eyes for five minutes and fell into another world of darkness. All of a sudden, I heard a voice. It was vaguely familiar, I knew that voice. I opened my eyes and rushed to hide behind the couch. A light turned on and I saw someone I never thought I would see with another man. My own father with the next door neighbour, Mr Keenson. Carrasing each other lustfully, I felt a squirm in my stomach. I couldn't take what I was watching... I jumped up from under the couch and stared at my father. My father and Mr Keenson immediatley seperated themselves from their lustful entanglement. My father stared at me with a state of shock in his eyes. "So, this is why I've been trated like stool. Thanks dad, really. I'm telling mum. No wonder you guys don't even sleep in the same room anymore." "I'm sorry Slebenev. Mum already knows. We're getting a divorce. I'm gay, and I knew you wouldn't accept me if i told you." "I love you, dad. But I wish you knew that I would accept you for who you are. I'm disappointed in you for not trusting me. I'm leaving. See you mister Keenson."

I'll never look at school holidays in the same way again. Thanks to my father and Mr Keenson, my mother and I are now living far away from the two of them. I think about it and i still wonder how in the world my mother ended up marrying him.

Message form Joss: I feel that this is a very interesting story that was well thought out and very captivating. The grammar and vocabulary used in this story is exepionaly good and i think that the two of you will be able to write better storie in the future. I look forward to reading more of your stories in the future Mr. Suresh: Joss, thanks for editing your post. I've deleted my original comments.

Message from Trent: Wow, I never thought Mr Keenson of all people to be the miserable whore to split apart the family! I was taken aback by the twist ending, but to be honest, it seemed thrown out of the blue, like it was just a means to finish the story and get it out of the way. It was not a satisfying ending, especially with the foreshadowing in the first paragraph. The conclusion just doesn't deliver. But it does make me laugh. Good job. Besides the ending I really have nothing else to complain about. Everything else is pretty good.