Chapter 6
602 Words
Chapter 4
The sound of the door slamming forced Frank out of his thoughts and a familiar rush of feet thundered up the stairs to the flat.
“Hi, Dad,” Joe said before disappearing into his room. Maria shouted from the stairwell. “I need a hand here.”
“Joe, help your mother, don’t just disappear like that.” Frank put his newspaper aside and reluctantly got up from the sofa.
“Why don’t you do it? You haven’t done much today,” shouted Joe from his room.
“Hey, less of that! Come and help your mother now!” Frank’s authoritative loud tone boomed through the hallway and soon, a reluctant footfall followed Frank as they went back down the stairs to the front door. Frank gave Maria a peck on the lips, bent down and picked up Zak from next to his mother and a pile of shopping bags.
“Hey, big man. How’s the boss of the house doing today?” he cooed in the toddler’s ear. Zak chortled and waved his toy fire engine at Frank. “Mr. Fire Bug been on big adventures, has he?
“Big adventure indeed,” said Maria as she handed a shopping bag to a sullen looking Joe, who ran quickly back upstairs. “Three hours I spent in that supermarket. It was total chaos.”
“Blimey, that doesn’t sound good. Did any of that time include lounging in the café by any chance?”
Maria narrowed her eyes at Frank. “And what if it did? Don’t I deserve a coffee break?”
Frank started to make his way up the stairs, holding his youngest son.
“Of course you do. But that’s why it takes so bloody long.”
Frank put Zak down and walked into the kitchen where his eldest son was pouring orange juice into a glass. “Did you go to Cubs today then, Joe?”
His face remained sullen. “Yeah, we did some knot tying.”
“Oh, right? What kind?”
Joe glugged down the juice and then put the glass down.
“What do you care?”
Frank tensed.
“Hey, I asked you a question. The least you can do is answer your old man.”
Joe’s face turned into a scowl.
“I did a bowline, halter hitch, and the carrick bend.” He then promptly left the kitchen, belching as Maria came in.
“Joe! Don’t do that!” Maria rasped.
“Sorry.”
She began stacking tins of food into the cupboard as Frank shook his head.
“What is wrong with that boy?”
“I don’t know. You need to spend more time with him. Tonight’s a good opportunity as I want to go to a meeting. Can you look after them this evening?”
He sighed as he grabbed a loaf from the bread tin. “This evening? Hmm, I don’t know…”
“You have something special lined up?”
Frank shrugged and moved to the fridge for some ham and cheese. He didn’t have anything lined up, it was just a habit of never volunteering for anything.
“What’s the meeting?”
“Well, it’s more of a talk. By a man, I heard on the radio. It’s all about Liberty and Social freedom.”
Frank rolled his eyes. “Oh, God.”
“It’s important stuff, Frank!”
“Suit yourself. We’ll be fine. We’ll watch a stack of films or something.”
Maria nodded, feeling annoyed at him but saying nothing. It was about the world that their children were growing up in. What could be more important than that?
Frank rapped on Joe’s bedroom door. “Joe?”
“What?”
Frank opened the door and popped his head through to see Joe sitting on his bed with his arms crossed.
“What’s wrong?”
“Just bored. You never come with me to Cubs when you’re home. All the other dads go. You’re away all the time and when you’re here, you just drink beer and do nothing.”
Frank dropped his head. “I’m sorry, son. I’ll try and make the time. I work really hard when I’m away and just need to relax when I’m home.”
Joe stared down at the floor and said nothing.
“Hey. Your mum’s out tonight. Fancy a late film night?”
Joe’s face seemed to light up at this and he nodded his head.
“Great. Just don’t choose that one with all the animals that talk again.”
The boy smiled. “No, I’m well bored of that one.”
- Writer
