The Expansion

Farewell to relatives

I came out of the company. Different feelings dominated me: happiness, responsibility, fear, and excitement. I did not have a lot of work to do. I hadn’t been to work for a long time; meanwhile, I had no influential person whom I couldn't tolerate their separation in my life. I was braced for it right from that moment. I remembered mom and dad for a moment and preferred to stay with them in the days to come. I wished I would win my father's affection.
It took a few hours to hand over the house provided by the government and pay maintenance fees.
Then I took all my belongings, which were packed into a single suitcase, and went to my father's house.
I knocked the door and my mother opened it as usual. She smiled as she saw me.
Without recourse to hyperbole, the only person I would miss was my mother's smiles. I’d thought many times how a person could always be well-mannered and kind.
“Hello my son,” she said. “Why are you carrying a suitcase?” “Are you coming or going?”
I said hello and went on, “I’m both coming and going. Am I allowed to come in?”
She stepped aside and said: “Yes, my dear. Here is your own home. You don't need to ask for permission.” Then, she said loudly, “John, here comes our son.”
I heard my dad reluctantly and quietly said, “Okay.”
I grinned and went into the house. As I opened up my shoe laces, I told myself I would miss my father's irritability.
I don't know why I was overwhelmed by a nostalgic sense when I saw everything, no matter it was good or bad. My habitually bad-tempered father had always saddened me, but it was hard for me to leave him behind then.
Dad came out of the room. He was carrying a book. Without approaching me, he went and settled down on a sofa in front of TV. Then he took a look at me over his eyeglass lenses and said, “How are you doing? How come you’ve ended up here? You're nowhere to be found!”
I sat beside him on the sofa. “I’m here to stay with you for a few weeks, and I handed over my house,” I said.
My mother, who heard what I said from the kitchen, came with a glass of juice and said, “Are you serious?” “Why two weeks?” “Now that you handed over your house, why don't you stay with us forever?”
Dad has obviously become surprised. The habitual sullen appearance had disappeared. He was awaiting a positive answer.
I didn't want to spoil his party. I decided to tell the story of my trip slowly within the following two weeks.
I replied, “Let me stay with you for two weeks; perhaps you’ll throw me out.”
Mom gave me the juice and said, “What are you talking about?” “Your dad and I are growing older and we feel the need for your companionship,” she added. “It’s good you come today because I wanted to cook your favorable dish,” she said.
My task was getting harder. I went home to bid farewell to my dad and mom, yet they would pass the buck if I talked about going forever.
I had been living independent of my parents for a few years and forgotten how enjoyable living with them was. Legally, everyone who turned 16 would be entitled to leave parents and live independently in a house provided by the government. Unfortunately, I chose the second alternative.
In the previous years, I didn't used to eat breakfast out of sheer boredom, but once I entered the kitchen I saw the breakfast table was prepared and even my mother had sweetened my tea.
As she saw me, she said, “Drink your tea my son until the breakfast gets ready.”
I was thinking that we tend to keep distance from out parents at the first opportunity. We don't feel comfortable at home and seek peace somewhere far away from them. We are totally unaware that it is the mere presence of them that brings real peace to our life. When an infant cries for any reason, it is pacified in the arms of its parents, yet, as we grow older, we tend to keep distance from this affectionate embrace, and that is the reason of all people's distress!
This would be one of my regret that why I took the presence of my parents for granted.
Although they had told me to complete my unfinished jobs and I thought I had nothing to do, I had the feeling of someone who were going to die and called for a further chance to complete all his tasks.
For the first days, I would go to the café to see my old friends, but, as time passed, I would further like to spend my time with mom and dad and I didn't feel like leaving home. A week had passed, but I didn't have the gut to tell them about my trip. One night, when we had dinner in front of the TV, a program was on the air about the latest developments of Earth and the achievements of Noah Company. I told myself, “That's alright! When the program is over, I can open up the discussion.”
Dad turned the sound off in the middle of the program.
He used to do so, when he wanted to talk so that everybody should pay attention!
Without an introduction, he said, “I believe a person who goes on the Earth mission to help science and humanity should be both brave and self-devoted! Those who are ready to sacrifice their lives are a source of pride not only for their families but also for humanity. They are like soldiers who put their lives in danger for their country and nation. No war has been broken out for years in the world. This makes some words like valor and self-sacrifice meaningless for many.”
I got stunned with the spoon near my mouth. That was a weight off my shoulders! My father had been always reading history book. He was fond of the movies and stories featuring a hero fighting for his country. It was a really beautiful interpretation.
I knew dad would get upset if someone leave the table while he was talking, yet I went to the room and brought the company's letter of introduction. I placed it near the dad's plate.
He frowned and kept eating without paying attention to me. He kept a glance at the letter. He wore his eyeglasses, which hung around his neck all the time except for the time he read a book, and perused the letter.
Mom was curious and asked him to read it loudly.
His eyes were roving over the lines of the letter, as if he had not heard what mom said. Although the letter was short, it took a few minutes for him to read it. It seemed that he read it several times.
He turned his look off the letter and gazed at my eyes. His eyes gave me the shivers. We both quietly got off the chair. Dad opened his arms, and I threw myself into his arms. My face was wet with tears. Dad kept crying. He gradually tightened his grip and say continuously, “What can I say to you son?”
Having been confused by the scene, mom said, “Why don’t you tell me anything?”
She grabbed the letter from the dad’s hand and read it. I felt she hugged me from behind. I heard mom's calm voice saying, “I don't let you go Adam.” “Please don’t go!"
After a few minutes, we all calmed down and sat down, but we did not talk. The three of us just were gazing at one another, but we didn't talk as we all had a lump in our throat. Mom took one of my hands with two hands and was caressing it.
After an hour, Mom said, “You'd better sleep my son.”
I said good night and went into my room. Then I sat down at the bed. I was not sleepy at all. After years of escaping from home, I began to feel how hard it could be to live far from parents. I'd always been pleased about not being sentimental, and I'd thought I was a strong man. That night, I was very sensitive and fragile though. I sat into despair for hours. A gleam of light was pouring into the room from the gap beneath the door. Apparently, mom and dad did not feel like sleeping too.
I cannot remember when I fell asleep at last. I woke up shortly before noon. Habitually, I went to the kitchen. That day, the breakfast was more leisurely than ever. Mom was trying not to let me see her face. I felt that her eyes had been swelled up from the night before and she didn't like to be noticed. I tried not to lift my head from the plate.
A few days passed and not too much opportunity was left to be with mom and dad. After that night, nobody would talk about my departure.
One evening, I was studying at the tablet. Mom was taking care of her plants. Dad had gone out. The door opened and dad came in with a big box.
He gave the bow to me and said, "This gift is from me to you. I like you to take it when you go.” I got stunned. Although I didn't know what was inside the box, I told myself I couldn't take anything with me but I felt ashamed to tell him so. I didn't say anything in order not to upset my father, I was so surprised. There was a military uniform inside the box. Dad asked me to try it.
At first, I didn’t have any special feeling toward it, but I developed an interest in it as I put it on. It was fabulous. I was exactly like a soldier. I'd seen a dress like that just in movies. Mom and Dad were very excited to see me in that dress. In the remaining three days, I wore it except for the time I was asleep or doing exercise. I came to believe that I was a soldier and was going to save my compatriots in the war.
There came the promised day. I went to the address that was given by the company along with mom and dad, like the school-goers. To the best of my recollection, it was mom who accompanied me on the first day of school, and dad never came to know where my school was. I put on the military uniform. It was the first time to leave home without my wallet and tablet. What I wore gave me a sense of confidence and I walked in a more determined fashion. In that clothes, everyone was looking at me in the street. As we arrived, I got surprised because all my friends had come. Even Johnson and Sarah and their kids had come. Dad said he had told them. The farewell was not boisterous. Mom was just quietly crying.
Seemingly, neither they nor I could believe it was the last time we saw each other.
I passed the glass entrance of the organization and handed over the introduction letter to the security. He asked me to wait until someone came to receive me. I stood by the window and looked outside. Everybody who had come to see me off was still standing behind the door. Except for mom, who was standing at the corner wiping her tears, they all were talking and laughing. It had my spirit dampened. It seemed that nothing had happened to them and nobody was sad that I would be leaving. My feeling resembled the one's who had died and others were laughing by his grave. Against this backdrop, I heard the voice of a lady from behind, saying, “Mr. Adam, please follow me.”