The next day when I come home from school, I can't believe to the sight that is displayed. My dad is home. He is busily reading a book, which is excessively thick to carry it with one hand. He is less dressing like a businessman and rather relaxing under loose, comfortable pair of pajama bottom and the collarless shirt.
From the side, not laying a hint of my appearance, I shoot to my room before he would weave his eye on me. I splash some water on my face and turn off the faucet. The water stops running. I dry my wet face with the towel and walk out the bathroom.
In my spare time, I settle on the bed, wondering how can dad be home this early. Is everything okay. What can possibly go wrong.
I contemplate, fixing my vision on to the dull color carpet.
The evening sky is darkened by the night. It seems like sky is wearing a black velvet fabric and the tiny stars were hanging at the longest distance. I drive out of my bed and set forth to the living room. Dad is watching t.v, now. Some random sports channel is playing on the screen and I know he has been flipping through channels to find something interesting to watch. For couple of minutes he battles with the boredom and then mom calls us for dinner. She has set the plain grass green color dinner plates for each of the member and under her great knowledge there are three people to be exact. Then the big bowl containing the dinner food is put in the middle, with another bowl which appears smaller in size, is put next to it. The big bowl contains the fried rice and the small one contained its curry. And the salad is not forgotten, lying among the main food dish.
I take my usual seat and begin by adding the rice first and pour two spoons of curry over it. After taking the salad I mix to eat.
"How's the food?" mom ask, as our mouth move.
The chewing of our bite, is the only sound that keeps us entertained, and not feel the loneliness hidden in ourselves.
"I will give you rating five. Looks like I am gonna be the last one to get up from the table." Dad chuckles to make it sound less awkward.
"Really?" Mom says in an usual reaction. She doesn't act dramatically. "How is it sweetie?"
She targets me. Then I say, "It's tasty," fill in the less affectionate smile.
The metal spoons are constantly clinking with the plates as we are making bites.
"How are your grades in school?" Dad poses a question from nowhere. I wonder if it even fits the mood.
"They're good."
"Are there any parent teacher meetings? I still think about the last one I missed. If it wasn't for that seminar I would have headed to the school."
He manages to take one more bite after finishing talking. As his mouth nibbles on food, he drops the spoon, making an another clank and reaches for the glass of water.
"There is no reminder from teacher. Maybe they will also inform parents on the phone."
"Yeah that sounds easy." He gulps in the water from the glass tilted over his mouth.
I run my eyes to mom to see why she is quiet. There is no sign from her, except the natural expression, calm and ominous. She has her hand moving the spoon and eyeballs scrolling around in her plate.
As I have just looked away from her. The question rises from her side and I flinch.
"What did you do with the doll then?" she asks incisively and purposefully.
I want to remain silent. But her voice begins echoing in my head and poke my brain cells. I then swallow a breath and say, "what do you mean?" I raise a slight sense of unawareness.
"I told you to throw it out, did you do that?" She makes her point crystal clear and there is no chance to escape.
"I will but I haven't yet."
"What's taking so long. You know I don't like these things picked from somewhere like outside in my house." The agitation has difficult and more ferocious reflection on her.
As when dad hears the word "Outside" his last not least attention climbs up to the sudden tension. He can't willingly sit still in his spot and keeps more interest in our mom daughter conversation, rather beginning to take a harsher turn.
I feel like holding my temples for that absurdity that is causing a great deal of issue and just leave the table for the particular moment.
"You bought something from outside?" my dad asks in awe. He holds his spoon steady in his hand, little above the plate and was watching in my direction.
"Yes. But what so bad about it. It's not cursed or anything."
I get up and immediately leave the dinner, going to my room.
It is enough. I don't want to take it that seriously. It's not like end of the world that mom and dad are making fuss about. Now I just know it, that they don't love me and if they love anything so that is their work. Only their work. Their life.
Tessie is still hidden in the wardrobe and I want to take it out. I take the Tessie in my hand and stare at it wistfully. Thinking, how badly my parents want her to be thrown out and have no sign of her in the house. But it is too late. I have already accepted Tessie from my heart and it is impossible for me to send her faraway from me.
I tightly press Tessie against me and the tears form in my eyes. Tessie is not just a doll but she is more than my sister. She is my greatest company and my most beloved friend, after Julia. But there is something different about Tessie. She is with me at home, sleeps by my side and keeps me from feeling darkness of life.
In my book bag I have a drawing of Tessie. As I look at it again, dad's voice bang in my ears and his exact words hold me down. I am downcast.
What is so bad about it. I should have known better that when he first feed backed on my drawing, it only meant that he was also not going to like Tessie. No matter if either was cautioned or not, a natural emotion of rivalry exploded out of him when he saw the picture of Tessie. And a coincidence when he uncontrollably reacted in the similar style talking about the actual Tessie.
This time the decision was in my hands. Nothing values me, except Tessie.
I dive my head in the flabby, dreamy pillow and maintain the perfect vision to the ceiling. But unfortunately, consistently looking at the same thing sends me feeling dizzy. I get up and start watching out the inky night. What a peace is in the air. The wind which is so thin that it can hardly contain any tension, any sorrow, any pain and any challenges. Why can't life be like that. Why everyday is a like a vigorous wall to our face.
I know nobody understands me. So I glance at my Tessie. She is lifeless but happy.
"Where do you come from?" I ask her. But there is no response.
Her glinting fake blue eyes are deadly watching back at me. I don't give up either and keep meeting my eyes to hers.
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An Innocent Mistake (#Wattys2016)
Adventure[Completed] ( Unedited) A young girl named, Bethany. She belongs to a wealthy family. But as she is growing up, she feels that her parents have lost love for her because they are always busy handling their business. Her father is a businessman and...
