Chapter 3: A Present and a Storm
1093 Words
"Why don't you open it and see what's inside?" my father suggested gently. "I'm sorry, darling. I didn't realize a box would matter more than the gift itself."
"Come on, hurry up and open it!" Elina urged. "I'm dying to know what's in that tiny, ugly box."
"Don't make me laugh," Linda scoffed. "What else could it be? I bet it's a small wooden hairpin or some bead bracelet. I expect nothing more."
They continued their mocking, but their words held no weight for me. I opened the box, and to my surprise, it was beyond my expectations.
"Car keys?" I exclaimed; my voice filled with genuine astonishment.
They all rushed to look, their eyes wide with disbelief and a tinge of jealousy.
"What? A car?!" Linda shrieked; her voice laced with anger.
"I can't believe I'm getting my own car!" I said loudly, on purpose to provoke them even more. "Thanks, Dad. I really love this present. What a big surprise from such a small, ugly box! You must be a magician, Dad. You're the best."
It wasn't that I desperately wanted a car. My college wasn't far, and I could use public transportation like I always did. It was more convenient, and not as tiring, considering my mother always made excuses for the driver not to pick me up or drop me off anywhere.
"No, Dad, that's not fair!" Elena protested before I could even finish my sentence. "I can't accept this! Why would you..."
But before Elena could finish her complaint, my father interrupted, choosing to ignore her protests entirely.
"I've been thinking that you might need your own car at your age," he explained calmly. "You'll be graduating from college soon and starting to look for a job. It would be more convenient for you to drive yourself. I don't know if I did the right thing, it's hard to know what you need... "
"Darling, that's not the right thing to do," my mother interjected. "I don't agree with you. As you know, that was supposed to be Linda's present. We have already talked about this. You can't do that to me or Linda. She can't have her car before her younger sister. I can't let my baby suffer or let this girl look down on her. Now she won't listen to anyone. I'm afraid she'll even bully her sisters, thinking she's better than them because she has her own car. Isn't it enough to have a driver pick her up and drop her off?"
"Kathy, watch your mouth!" my father snapped, his voice booming with anger. "How can you say such a thing in front of our daughters? Is this how you raise them? You're a disappointment. Can't you stop being unreasonable, even for a second? They are all our daughters. Why don't you treat them equally? A driver, you say? Everyone knows how you always send him away or make excuses so he won't drive Laura around. Do you think I don't know anything about that? "
"I just said she's mature enough to take a bus or walk, that's all," my mother retorted. "And she's already used to it since you know!"
"No, Kathy. I won't allow you to keep hurting Laura anymore, not unless I'm dead!" my father declared firmly. "She can walk or take the bus, you say? Why can't Linda take a bus or walk as well? I think it would be helpful for her to manage her weight, which isn't healthy."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over us all. "One last thing. Laura is not your housekeeper; she's your sister, for God's sake. From now on, if I ever hear any of you bossing her around, you'll be sorry. This is a warning!"
"Mom, you heard Dad," Linda wailed, tears streaming down her face. "He just called me fat!" She ran upstairs, sobbing.
"Well done, Gio, well done!" my mother clapped sarcastically. "What a loving and caring father you are! I'm amazed. You even humiliated me in front of the kids for this girl. You couldn't even spare your own daughter's feelings for her sake. Was it necessary to mention her weight? If I knew this was going to happen, I would have just abandoned this..."
Before she could finish her sentence, my father cut her off. "That's enough, Kathy. You've said more than enough tonight. I don't want to hear another word!"
I was more concerned about the unfinished sentence my mother had started. I desperately wanted to know what she was about to say, but my father wouldn't let her finish.
"Laura, my daughter, I'm sorry for ruining your birthday," he said, his voice filled with remorse. "But Dad loves you the most, and I always want the best for you."
I didn't know about other fathers, but for me, he was the best father in the world. He was everything to me.
"I know, Dad," I replied, my voice thick with emotion. "And I love you too."
It was true what they said: God doesn't take everything from a person's life. At least He had blessed me with the gift of a loving father, the best thing of all.
It was as if I didn't have a mother, but I still had a father who loved me, who was always there for me.
Without him, I would be nothing but an abandoned, pitiful girl.
After dinner, we all left the dining room, except for my parents.
Would there ever be a day without arguments or fights? I wished there was, but I had no hope.
I wasn't strong anymore. I just wanted to run away and never look back, leave it all behind. I needed a fresh start, but where could I go?
I had nowhere to go, no one to turn to.
In this world, my father was the only person I could rely on. He was always there for me.
Whenever I thought about it, I couldn't help but wonder if he had me with another woman. But who could that be? His childhood sweetheart? His first love?
Who was my real mother? What was she like?
I couldn't sleep that night. The only thought in my head was how to find out about my real mother. Questions raced through my mind. Would she like me? If so, why hadn't she ever shown up? What if she was dead?
Or was I really adopted, despite what my father had said?
I couldn't close my eyes, not even for a second. It was the worst night ever.
- Writer
