Red supper by Luping
Jerky Chan crouched in one of the corners in his home. The home is not really a home. The whole area is only about thirty square meters. No television, no air-conditioning, no sofa. Expect for a bed in the left corner of his home, there is no other furniture in his house. The room is wet and full of humidity.
He looked out through the window. He realized it was in the morning already. The cold light of dawn made his face looked more impassive. Yesterday he lost in gambling again and all his money was gone. Nothing was left.
He trembled and groaned “Why is life so hard for me? I lost all of my things in my life! Even my wife and children left me! I am totally alone! Nobody bothers about me anymore!” He scratched his messy hair, tears was rolling in his eyes. He couldn’t control his sad emotion anymore, he wailed with bitter sorrow. The sobbing lasted for a long time.
There was still no sunlight in the room. The room is full of coldness and always under the shadow. He slept for a while.
Jerky was waked up by the sound of firecrackers. “Today is the Chinese New Year!” Jerky murmured “I’ve promised my younger brother that I will have New Year dinner with him and his family.”
Because of the promise Jerky went to his younger brother’s home.
“I am so glad that you come today!” Jerky’s brother Jacky welcomed Jerky with a warm hug as he opened his door. “Come in first, my wife cooked many tasty dishes for you! Take a seat! Oh, and you want coffee or tea?” “Coffee’’. Jerky looked around his younger brother’s home. The place was quite commodious and roomy. All the furniture looked very high-class. They also decorated their house in red to celebrate the Chinese New Year. The curtains were changed to red color with many dark red Chinese words on it. The window was also pasted with many pieces of red traditional Chinese paper-cut. A lot of hot pimientos toys hanged on the top of the room door. The whole room was filled with red and happiness. The family was in a festive mood. But Jerky found all these hurting his eyes. He thought of his own house and family. No one was with him, they all left him. Compared to his younger brother, Jerky found himself so pitiful and poor, living with no self-esteem and dignity. He felt ashamed. Bitterness oozed from his heart.
During dinner time, they had dinner at a round table. Two of Jacky’s cute children sat between their parents. Jacky and his wife smiled to their children and kept nipping dishes into the children’s bowl. The family looked quite nice together. But this scene only made Jerky felt more disgusted and pitied himself even more. He didn’t want to see others having a complete family and showing off how they love each other in front of him. He felt a little dizzy, he shook his head and looked up. As he saw all the red decorations, he felt giddier.
Jacky’s wife then said, “Jerky! Tell you some good news! You know, Jacky got a better job recently! That company treats Jack very nice! It gives him 1million per month. That’s really a good salary! We won’t need to be that thrifty in our life anymore! After Chinese New year we are going to Europe to have a relaxing holiday!”
Jacky nodded: “Thank God! I am so lucky to get that job position so successfully!”
Two children cheered “Wow! Our father is the best!”
Jerky smiled bitterly, he thought about how he never had a steady job. His wife was also not as beautiful as Jacky’s and even she took his children away from him. Now he was broken. As he listened to his brother and their family sharing their happy life with him, an anger of fired filled his heart! A flame was burning in his heart. His mind kept saying: That’s not fair! That’s not fair! We are brothers but why do we have such different destinies? God is not fair! I hate...I hate you! Why do you treat me this way!”
He could not breathe. A sudden pain shot up his skull; closed his eyes tightly and tried to ease it a little bit. But at this point of time, all his bad unwanted memories came out of his mind and replayed again and again. It was just like having a nightmare. He opened his eyes. His eyes went totally red and grieved tears were rolling. As he opened his eyes he saw his brothers and his family smiling happily to each other, they looked so perfect just together. A sense of jealousy and unfairness feeling broke from the dam of reason. Suddenly, his vision turned red!
He shouted, “Stop! Stop! Stop!”
Jacky’s family reacted with a great amazement. They tried to say something but now Jerky could not hear in a word. All that occupied his mind were jealousy, grief and indignation. All that his sight fall within were red! He shouted with madness and took up the fruit knife on the tea table and lunged towards the two children. Unexpected things happened within the next few moments. Jerky took the knife and stab them into the children’s forehead with all his energy! Red hot blood bedewed the knife. As Jerky saw the blood he burst out laughing. Two children dead! Jacky was shocked and his wife screamed loudly! Jerky turned to Jacky’s wife and stabbed the knife into her stomach hard. Lurid blood sprouted out and flowed all over the floor. Jacky was in a huge indignation, he shouted and gave Jerky a big punch. Jerky’s eyes were hurt and fresh blood flowed out. He wiped away the blood carelessly and laughed freely. Jacky cried hoarsely “Freak! Crazy! I will…I will kill!” Before Jacky could finish his words, a knife found its place inside Jacky’s heart! Jacky collapsed in the pool of blood.
Jerky looked at his hands which was full of fresh red blood as he look in the sight of the liveless bodies soaking in the pool of red liquid. He laughed, louder and louder, the laughter changed to a cry. After a conniption of screams he plummeted on top of the dead bodies. The house was as red as the red festive decorations.
