Page 242 of The Bonus

I reply.

A sandwich and some fruit.

A bottle of water and a few cookies or something.

Their lunch boxes are in their bags.

Dominic appears at my door. “Hey, buddy.” I smile and hold my arms out for him, he comes and cuddles me for a moment. “You need to wake your sister up and go down and check on your father.”

“What’s he doing?”

“He’s making your lunch and might need a hand.”

“Oh no!” we hear Gabriel yell from downstairs. “What the hell do you call this?”

“What’s he doing?” Dominic asks.

“I have no idea, go down and check on him, please.” Dominic gets up and walks downstairs.

“Oh my god!” Gabriel cries. I hear a sound and I listen to try to make out what it is…wait…is he dry heaving?

“There will be no school today,” he bellows through the house. I hear the front door open and slam.

I hear a shuffle up the stairs and Dom appears; he’s panting and looks panicked.

“What’s going on down there?” I ask.

“A banana has gone rotten and smashed all through Lucy’s bag, it’s all on her pencils and everything. Dad is heaving and threw the bag out the front door.”

“Oh.”

Gabriel appears at the door; his eyes are wild. “In what universe do you put a banana in a school bag without a container?”

I stare at him.

“It’s all slimy and…it stinks and…” He dry retches as he thinks of it. “I’ll never eat a banana again.”

“You’re going to have to clean it.”

“How?”

“With a wet cloth?”

He dry retches at just the thought of it.

“Okay, she can use another bag. You need to wake her up first.”

He limps off, and I listen to him talking to her. “Wake up, baby girl.”

“No. Go away,” she snaps. “I’m tired.”

“Join the club.” I hear him hobble down the stairs. “Get up.”

Lucia walks into my room and crawls into bed with me. “You need to get ready, honey, we’re late today.”

She disappears, and I hear more things slamming around downstairs.

What is he doing down there?

---