Calendar

Easily the worst sound he could hear. Any sound, even some drooling alien's hungry squeal, wouldn't be as bad, or as unwelcome, worse than scary, Abrahan thought, chuckling to himself. Everything was still so strange. As his uncle came down the long hallway, the pace of his stride could reveal his mood. Fast was not good, while slower was hopeful.

It's not exactly that Abe's uncle was mean. The ten year-old's guardian for the past thirteen long months, as the boy's parents awaited their second trip back to the US from Kuwait, the bureaucracy both impossible and corrupt. Abe didn't think it would be a whole year, the pandemic didn't help.

He missed his parents painfully, but appeared strong as was expected of him. His young uncle was harsh and cold. Maybe he didn't like the spot he was in, Abraham wondered. Who knows why people are as they are?

At night, Abe stared at a calendar on his wall. How much longer?