My Step-Brother's Baby

€15

I couldn't help but laugh at the guy who was fixing in our oven. He was a real comedian, and has been the first person to make me laugh hysterically with just words. He was an older guy who was probably in his 30's. You could tell he was a family man, and I wish I had a father like him. He was alright looking too I guess. He was a Far East Asian guy with a fairly toned body, he was bold, with a mustache/beard,he also stood around the same height as me. 5'6.

"Do you have any kids?" I asked curiously with a smile on my face.

"What?! Does the stress show on me?" He chuckled.

"No no, I was just curious, because you said you had a wife so I assumed you may have had kids." I explained before grabbing an apple from the fruit bowl. I rinsed it under the tap, before I took a big bite.

"Ah I see, and I do. I have an A* student, who just turned 17, and married to his skateboard and iPod. He listens to nothing but that ratchet emo/heavy rock music, and has recently started painting his face so it looks like a skull. Trust me when I say I pray for him." He chuckled and I smiled, whilst chewing on my apple. "I also have an introverted 16 year old who spends the most of her days in her bedroom. She's bright, but tries to skip school. I guess it's all the bulling, but we've moved her from school to school and don't have enough money for homeschooling. So right now she's doing online courses. " he sighed, and shook his head in pity and disbelief. "But lastly, we have our baby. He's ten years old, but we call him baby though he doesn't like it. He has autism, but that doesn't stop him from being happy. Many think he's retarded because he's not good at a lot of 'simple' things on his own. However, set him an A-level maths paper and he'd complete it under an hour. He's known as a mathematical mastermind." He grinned as he thought about his last bright child. It was sweet that he gave me an insight on his kids few personality traits as well.

"You're blessed to have three very bright children. And did you have your kids young, because you look good in your age." I asked.

"I had my first son at 25, daughter at 26 and a half, and final child at 33. So not young really." He chuckled as if he knew he looked good for his age. I was definitely shocked that he was in his forties.

"How are you 42 and look so good?" I shook my head before I put the apple in the bin.

"I guess it's the genes." Pointed at himself in a jokingly boastful way.

"Lol. One thing, though I'm not trying to intrude, but try speaking to your daughter please. By how little you've just described her to me, she reminds me of me. When I went to school I tried to skip and isolate myself, because I was bullied. And that's half of the reason why I'm doing online courses as well." I told him, which he then had a questioning face to.

"Huh..? So you in college?" He assumed wrong.

"No I would still be in upper school. I'm seventeen this year, and so I've got my A-levels coming up." I said straight forwardly.

He almost had a mortified expression on his face. I felt judged, which was no surprise. He looked as if he was about to say something, but paused in the process. All his brightness went out the nearest window and I felt as if I should have kept my mouth shut from the beginning. He shook his head and gave me a questioning look.

"You're only 16?" He said a little hysterically. I nodded. "So young." He said as if he was in fact talking to himself. "You live in a better place than me, and you're on your own, at just 16?!" He had 1/3 surprise, 1/3 anger and 1/3 crazy that was hinted in his voice. His demeanor seemed as if he was a completely different person. Like I understand it's not right for a 16 year old to be pregnant, unlike far back in the day.

"I'm sorry that it's such a surprise to you, Mr. Gee-Yang. Oh and I'm not on my own, I live with my boyfriend and baby." I said defensively, as I felt tears well up in my eyes.