Chapter 4
1103 Words
Chapter 4
Atticus helps his father to go inside their house. His father passed out. He’s so heavy; he wanted to cry because that scene always happens to them. After his mother died they’re always like this, his father will get drunk, and he will clean his mess. Tomorrow, he would wake up to ask God why he is still alive.
He wanted to die, he’s always in pain but Atticus always told himself that soon he will be happy, he may face a lot of problems now but he knows that he will be happy at the end.
“At…ticus,” his father murmured.
He looked at him, his eyes were close. Atticus wiped his tears and continue to help his father to enter their house.
“Papa? Pa? do you hear me? You need to eat, did you eat at work?” he asked after they enter their house.
His father was on the sofa while he was at their small kitchen. He took the kettle and pour water on it. Life is so hard for the both of them but Atticus is still thankful that they have foods to eat. While looking at his father on the sofa Atticus felt a knife on his chest slowly moving, he wiped the tears the fall on his eyes.
“I can’t do it anymore, why am I still living a miserable life like this?” he told himself.
His life at school was a mess, and so his life at home. His father always beats him. With a blurry vision Atticus he can still see his father, he’s worried because he might get sick for always drinking and for always smoking. He’s been doing it since he was little, when his mother died. Atticus’ father Alfred, was so devastated and he can’t accept what happened to his wife.
“I need to have a new eyeglasses or else, I won’t be able to go to school.” He said.
Some students at their school bully him and his eyeglasses was broken.
“Where are you going, insect?” Dalton said
“L-Let me go, I need to go to the room to finish the activity in mathematics also the class will start soon.” He said
He doesn’t want to have a broken bones or a bleeding nose when he go home. Why are his classmates being like this? They’re not kids anymore for this thing.
“Let’s talk and I will release you. Is that okay?” He asked him.
He remembers what happened at the school, Dalton and his friends beat him again. He can’t even defend himself; he can’t even throw a punch. He’s a coward. Atticus wanted to be brave to defend himself but how can he do that? He was born weak and pathetic.
Since elementary he was always been bullied, he never get a chance to train how to fight because his father, Alfred, instead of encouraging him to defend and fight for himself he’s the one that’s telling him that he’s weak and he can’t beat them.
I mean, why would a father say that to his kid? I envy those kids who have supporting fathers. I wish I have one.
He said to himself while looking at his father. His vision was blurry but he can still see him. When Atticus heard the sound of the kettle he turns around and looks at the gas stove. The water is boiling. He immediately turns off the heat and put the water on a thermostat. He took a cup and put black coffee on it.
His father needs to drink coffee to make him sober. When Atticus opened their refrigerator he saw nothing. He then took noodles on the cabinet and cooks it.
“Papa, I made you a coffee,” he said.
He saw his father moved, “What time is i?”
Atticus looked at the clock on the wall but he cannot see it clearly. He immediately takes out his phone and look closer at the time.
“Atticus, didn’t you hear me?” his father asked annoyed.
“S-Sorry papa, My eyeglasses was broken when the students at my school bullied me.” He said.
He looked at his father when he laughed hard.
“Bullied you? Again? When are you going to fight and defend yourself, huh? I never raise a coward.”
You never raise a coward but you always tell me that I am weak, that I don’t have a match for those guys who’s picking up on me. Papa, Ijust wanted you to tell me that I can be brave and I can fight them, I just want your words of encouragement.
But Atticus knows that it is impossible. Alfred never ever gives him good words.
“It’s 9:00 pm in the evening, Papa, I made a coffee, please drink it while it is hot.” He said.
He turned his back and took a pan. Atticus look at the rice cooker, he opened it saw that they still have rice and he doesn’t need to cook again. He’s thankful that they have canned goods and noodles on the cabinet in case they run out of food to cook whenever his father gives him money he will buy it some canned goods.
He’s the one who go to the grocery to buy their stocks at home.
Atticus saw his father walking towards the table. He saw that he looked at the coffee and then he sits. He turned his back again to put the noodles on the boiling pan.
“Here’s the money, buy a new eyeglasses.”
He looked behind him for a second when he heard his father and then he saw a bill on the table he almost drop the plastic of the noodles on the pan.
I can’t believe he gave me money, I always asked for money to buy things that’s needed at school. This is the first time I didn’t asked him but he willingly gave me.
“Hurry, I am hungry, I didn’t eat outside.” His father said.
Atticus smiled when he heard his father; it’s not really a bad night for him, not really.
- Writer
