It is Just a Virus

Chapter nine

I have not been here for almost a year. The room is in perfect order, my mother always keeps cleanliness throughout the house, even in the V-world. She has a passion for perfect purity. The bed near the window is covered with my favorite veil, which shows teddy bears and hearts. Shelves with books and diaries, a desk with a pink table lamp and a soft plush unicorn. I was given this toy in the fifth grade by a classmate who I really liked. The soft light of the sun peered through the window of my room, raising my childhood memories from the bottom of my memory. I have changed over the year of university life.

I left the room and went downstairs to the first floor. First I looked into the kitchen, then into the living room. There were no parents in the house. They either went for a walk, or now in real life. I sat on the couch, made of white leather and activated the projector. I will wait for them for an hour, maybe two. If they do not show up, I will go home. Only I thought about that, my mother appeared in the living room, right next to me on the couch.

"Danna?! What are you doing here?" raising her eyebrows in astonishment, my mother jumped up from the sofa.

"Surprise?" spreading my hands to the sides, I said sadly. "Hi, Mom. And where's Dad?"

He appeared right after my question. On the other side of the couch.

"Danna?! What are you doing here?"

I rolled my eyes. Is the appearance of a daughter such an unexpected event?! "Hi, Dad."

Apparently recovering from my presence, dad and mom looked at each other ten times. They are hiding something. My parents always did this when they did not want to talk to me about something.

"Are we going to remain silent? And enough to exchange glances!"

"How are you?" Mom asked, now winking strangely at my father.

"Come on! I'm not nine years old, and I can see your winks!"

Mom turned around and went into the kitchen. Dad followed her. I waited ten minutes and followed them. I wanted to give them time to think up stories about why they behave so strangely. In the kitchen, my mother took out food from the refrigerator and began to cook something. Dad was sitting at the dinner table, twirling an empty jar of spices in his hands, and he was watching after my mother, then for me. I leaned against the wall and folded my arms: "Well, so what's going on with you?"

"We're going on a trip. Tomorrow." Mom muttered and began to chop the pepper.

"Where are you going?"

"A few days on the European island. There are many attractions that have been restored from the past. Then sunbathing in Alaska. And maybe to the Asian mountains. We still think. True, we wanted to the islands in heaven, but the next time. Have you seen their ads? There, the houses and parks soar on the clouds." Mom said thoughtfully, and then looked at me in anticipation of my reaction to her words.

"Wow!" I did not have enough words, because I dreamed of such a journey. Why did not they call me with them? Mom knows how much I wanted to visit the beaches of Alaska. But the parents could not afford to allocate money for the trip. 

"Danny - honey," my father called to me,"do you need money?"

"Why do you think so?"

"Because children come unexpectedly in the event that something unpleasant happened, or when money is needed. But most often, both. So what happened?"

I walked away from the wall and sat down at the table. I looked at my mother, then at my dad. How well they know me. And why did not I come more often so that they do not think about me like that?

"Happened a lot. And everything is not too pleasant."

"We are listening," looking into my eyes, my father said. Mom prepared to listen to me, continuing to cook.

I briefly talked about Pattie, about dismissal and concussion. I said that my card was stolen, of course, missing the detail that I later met with the thief. They would not understand why I still have not applied to the police or even to the cyber police. I do not understand myself. They listened attentively. Mom during my story several times cut with a knife, and all the time sighed heavily.

"And how much do you need?" dad asked.

"I need money to buy oxygen, and for needs before the first earnings. I'll get a job tomorrow."

"Danny - honey, I do not know how to help you. Jess and I spent all our savings on the trip. And put it on the nurse that he will take care of us in real life while we rest. She will come for money today. We have very little savings left on the card."

While my father was speaking, I held my breath. Exhaled after he fell silent. Failure.

Mom already roasted vegetables with meat. Nearby cooked the sauce. The aroma of my favorite tomato sauce with curry, pepper and herbs.

"So, I'll think of something. Don't worry. The main thing that you have a good rest," I tried to smile sincerely, but the smile turned out exhausted and tired.

"Nick, help put the plates," my mother said to my father, and they both came out of the kitchen.

Most likely went for a beautiful dish, for guests, which were stored in the sideboard in the living room. I got up from the chair and went to the stove. I opened the lid from the frying pan with meat and dipped into the fragrances with pleasure. I took a spoon and began to stir gently. As in childhood. I always helped my mother cook, washed and cut vegetables, interfered with various sauces, and when my mother had to leave for a while, I stood at the stove and watched the dishes so they would not burn. I smiled at the memories. Home is a place where it is always a joy to return.

Returned parents with plates. As I expected, plates for special occasions, with a pattern on the border of the sea waves. They arranged the plates and cutlery on the table. Dad sat down in his place, mom came up to me, took the spoon and with a glance showed me to sit at the table.

Lunch was always delicious. Mom, without much effort, prepares as a chef at an expensive restaurant.

"Honey," chewing meat, began the father, "as you feed at the university?"

"Fine. Nothing special. At home it is more delicious."

"You lost a lot of weight," mom said, examining me.

"I was in the hospital. For two days I was not allowed to eat, only droppers. And on the last day they fed me porridge and tea."

Mom stopped eating, her face faded. I just noticed that she has changed. She is older, her hair is more and more gray, the body is fuller, there are visible wrinkles.

"I do not understand why the doctors did not tell us about your injury.They had to call us! What do you think, Nick?"

"Yes, it's strange that they did not tell us anything."

I did not want to think about it, because I immediately remembered that floor with almost dead people, and scary looking Pattie. Maybe that's why they did not tell my parents, too afraid of publicity/

"The main thing is that I'm fine already."

I ate the last piece of zucchini, and with regret I thought that this dish would not be in reality. I need to be in time for lunch, which is brought to students in the rooms, so as not to buy oxygen cylinders for the dining room.

"Thank you very much for dinner. But it's time for me to leave."

"Thank you for coming to us. Your mother and I are very happy about your presence! Are you on the way out, or are you going to be in the virtual?"

"To the exit. Then I'll be back, after a real dinner," I smiled already sincerely to them.

Mom stood up, put all the dishes away from the table into the sink and left somewhere. She does not want to say goodbye? Dad reached into his pocket and pulled out something from there. The card.

"Take it, this is my little stash."

I looked at him inquiringly.

"It's not much there, but it's enough for the first time."

"And what about you?" I asked quietly.

"I have another card hidden," he winked at me and laughed brightly.

I got up from the table, went up to Daddy and hugged him. So hard that my bones crunched.

"Thank you so much, Daddy!"

My mother returned. I stepped back from my dad and just wanted to go up to her as I saw a piece of paper on the floor. Very similar to a business card.

“Dad, something fell out of your pocket,” I said, but my soul suddenly felt heavy. Dad immediately grabbed the piece of paper from the floor and put it back in his pocket.

 I went to my mother. She hugged me. Gently, calmly, deeply, as only mother can.

"Thank you for your lunch and support!" I said, scrolling through the last five minutes in my mind; Dad's actions and a business card on the floor. "Good rest!"