Seven
1017 Words
“I'm home,” I yelled as I shut the front door behind me and slipped off my trainers. It had been a crazy day.
I had no idea what my mother wanted to talk to me about but it seemed pretty serious the way she had texted me to make sure I came straight home.
“In here.” I heard her call from the dining room.
Walking into the room I was surprised to see her sitting alone. It looked as if she had been crying which was strange because she never cried.
“Umm... Is everything ok?” I eyed the screwed-up tissues with concern.
She sniffled and wiped her nose before gesturing for me to take a seat.
“Where Dad?” I asked half expecting him to walk into the room.
“He's gone, Sassy. Your father is gone.” she started to cry again. Heavy sobs made her shoulders shake.
I was shocked.
What did she mean that my father had gone?
Where had he gone?
When was he coming back home?
“Mum, what is going on?” I reached across the table and squeezed her hand. It was horrible to see her so upset but I needed to know what had happened.
“When is he coming back?” I asked.
She shook her head and tried to get a grip on herself. Clearing her throat and then taking a deep breath, she looked across at me and smiled weakly.
Then anger hit me.
We had been pulled out from everything that we knew and loved to move here for my dad's new job. And for what? For him to just abandon us like we were boring old toys.
Who the hell did that to their own family?
A coward!
Yes. A coward. That is all he was.
I hated him!
How could he do this to our family?
“Why?” I spat the words out. I did not want to know the gory details but something told me that I needed to know. I needed answers.
He needed to face the music and explain himself. He owed us that at least.
“I found out he was having an affair and well, she. Well, he got her pregnant when he came out a couple of months ago to sign the paperwork for the new job.” my mother dabbed at her eyes as she explained it to me. She did not look at me once as she spoke.
My dad had left us for another woman and his unborn child.
Wow!
What a man he was. Not!
We would be ok without him.
I got up and walked around to my mother and gave her a big hug.
Then I went into the kitchen to prepare a lasagne for dinner. I was determined not to let his mess up ruin my family. We would be just fine without him.
It was going to hurt that he would just leave us like we meant nothing to him, but we would get through it. I would not let my mother lose herself over him.
“Thank you, Saskia. I do not deserve you.” she sighed sadly causing me to frown. I had no idea what she meant by that.
“You will understand one day,” she said before retreating to the lounge. She stopped and turned back to look at me.
“I forgot, how was your day?”
Thinking back to earlier, I almost laughed out loud but managed to stop myself.
“Well, it was interesting. Let's just put it that way.” I raised my eyebrows and finished frying off the mince for the lasagne.
“That's good to hear. I am glad.” she nodded and went off.
My thoughts returned to Anaya and the weird moment she went all crazy, making these strange claims about me being one of them. Emie and me had laughed about it for ages afterwards. She was a strange one.
Once the food was ready we were about to sit down when the phone started to ring. My mum looked up in surprise and went back to her food, ignoring the phone.
I rushed over to answer it seeing it was an unknown number, I answered it.
“Who is this?”
Nothing.
Probably a prank call.
Stupid idiots.
Ending the call, I went back to the table and sat opposite my mother. She looked exhausted. I felt terrible for her. She deserved much better than this.
My father was such an i***t.
I do not understand how he can do this to us.
“Wrong number.” my mother laughed but it was more of a forced sound.
I suddenly did not feel so hungry anymore.
Pushing the plate away, I scraped my chair back and went up to my bedroom. Throwing myself onto my bed, I let out a frustrated shriek.
How did our lives end up so damn complicated?
We could easily just pack up all of our belongings and fly back home and forget all about this.
Well, we were here now, I was already getting used to my new school, and new friends and mum even enjoyed her job.
I fell asleep because when I woke up it was pitch black outside and I was still in my school uniform. Getting up, I grabbed some pyjamas and headed for the shower.
Thankfully it was the weekend tomorrow so I did not need to be up early in the morning. After my shower, I felt a ton better. Checking my phone, I saw that I had a message from my dad. It only read one word.
Sorry.
As if that was going to make up for all of the hurt and pain that he had caused my mother. How dare he!
Deleting the message and scowling, I chucked the phone across the bed and lay down. Staring at the ceiling I sighed and wished that things were normal.
Tomorrow I was going to have it out with my father and his stupid mistress!
- Writer
