VIII
657 Words
“Dad!”
My Dad is finally back. He’s a soldier. He’s on military leave so he is able to come home to us right now. The last time we saw him was 9 months ago. I hugged him.
“Hey, Bud! Looks like you’ve grown from the past few months when I was away.”
“Of course, Dad! I’ve been a good boy, I’ve been eating my veggies like you want me to.”
“That’s good. I’m proud of you.”
“Thank you, Dad.”
“Hi, Love!”
My parents hugged each other.
“I miss you so much, Love.”
My Dad muttered while lovingly looking down on Mom’s face.
“And I miss you too, Love.”
They kissed on the lips.
“Such an eyesore! This is not the kind of scene I want to witness to start my day.”
Aunt came out with a toothbrush still in her mouth. Foams are all over her lips.
“Such bitterness early in the morning, Alicia. Why? Do you feel envious that I have a husband who comes home to me, and you don’t?”
She looks at Mom with disgust. A hand from behind her hit her on the back of her head.
“Ouch! What’s your problem?”
When she turned around to look at who hit her, she saw Grandma seething with anger.
“Why did you hit me, Mom?”
“Why? You’re asking why? Does a proper woman go out in their pajamas? And worse, while brushing her teeth? Huh, Alicia?”
She ignored Grandma and looked up instead.
“By the way, Love, this rowdy person is my sister Alicia.”
Aunt squints at Dad.
“Don’t look at me like that, Alicia. I still remember you.”
“Good.”
Then she ignored all our stares at her and Dad by going back inside the house.
“You know my daughter, Timothy?”
Grandma asked Dad.
“I met her once. Love, remember when I proposed to you before I went back to service that time?”
“Yeah, why?”
“I think it was a week later, someone visited me at our camp.”
“Alicia did?! Why?”
Mom was bewildered at what Dad said.
“To threaten me. She went there just to say that she'd have my head if I made you cry. I think she even said that she'd make my head roll on the highway. And that she'd butcher my body if I cheated on you.”
So Dad didn’t even escape her craziness? Like who’ll go to a military camp and threaten one of the officers?
“You should have had her head rolling at that time instead. Promise, I won’t blame you. I’ll give my thanks instead as I receive her headless body.”
Grandma coldly stated. Now I know where Aunt inherited her mind. The apple never really falls far from the tree.
“Mom! Tobias is here. He’s only six.”
Why do I feel like the people around me always forget that I’m just a kid?
“I’m sorry that you have to hear that, Tob.”
“It’s okay, Grandma. I understand.”
She smiled at me and tapped my shoulder twice.
“I’ll leave you three. I have something to say about that headache of a daughter of mine. I forgot to tell her that I registered her for a matchmaking event.”
She hurriedly headed inside. She still hasn't given up? Poor Grandma! She didn't even know why all her past attempts failed.
“Let’s not mind them. Why don’t we, our family of three, go out and bond today?”
Mom suggested.
“Can we go to an arcade, Dad?”
“Sure, Son.”
“Yes!”
So we spent the rest of the day out. After how many weeks, I felt like a child again.
- Writer
