The Riverside

Part 2

The next day I was sitting on the porch, biting my nails and I saw Oliver walk towards our house from down the road. I waved to him energetically. He waved back. Dad had already left for church considering it was Sunday. 

-"How come I never see you here?"

-"You know me. Wait, what happened to your arm?", I asked, pointing to his bandaged forearm. 

-"Don't ask. Yesterday there was a football tournament in my locality and I thought you would be interested. So I came in looking for you but you were out. I'm usually a substitute but in your absence, I had to play. Do you remember that big old Mark who wouldn't stop flirting with the girls? He gave me such a massive push that I landed on my arms three yards away and cut it really badly. I was taken to the medic who washed the wound and applied an ointment, putting on a bandage later."

-"You have been on your own adventures here, I see. Damn, I hate that Mark. He just wouldn't shut up about this grandfather and his heroics."

-"Where were you? Sleeping under that old tree again ?"

-"I went to the riverside."

-"THE riverside ?"

-"Mhmm"

-"Why ?"

-"I don't know, really. Anywhere but here, I thought. Had a nasty argument with dad the previous night. You have those moments when the boundaries of right, wrong and temptation dissolves and all become the same and one. " 

-"What argument ?"

-"About not continuing my studies. They had high hopes from me which I couldn't fulfil and now he wants me in the weaving business..", I took a small pause and then continued "...and you know what hurts the most? He is right. I could have continued studying if I wanted to, but I didn't." 

-"You do have the yarn business and the village admires what your father does. You can continue his legacy. Who knows you might even come to like it, you know. Many people don't have that luxury of carrying on their folks' business. I know how he behaved in the previous years and your source of frustration, but he has tried to become a better person since then, at least as far as I've heard from you and he doesn't drink anymore."

-"Doesn't really matter what he does now. Once you hammer an idea or a personality in someone's head, it doesn't just go away that easily. You know I had a hobby of making stuff as a child. I made origami, small clay figures, boxes and so on. One day, I made a kite. It was quite ordinary but it was the first time I tried making something like that and I was quite proud of it. Then the next morning, dad came home drunk and when I woke up, I found all the origami, boxes, figures and the kite - torn up, disfigured and broken. He never apologized, even after he got sober."

-"You never told me about this incident before. If the business doesn't work out for you, you can always start over again. Do you have any clue how many people learn to write in their old age? You are not even old. Why not give yourself a second chance ?"

-"What about you? How's Ellie ?"

-"Not bad at all. Yesterday she learned how to spell 'vegetable' and has not stopped boasting about it ever since."

-"Don't you ever feel tired of all this and just disappear ?"

-"Never.", he said smiling. "Ellie is five years old now. Ever since mom passed away three years ago, dad has kept himself busy in the fields. So, it is my responsibility to see that she is taken care of properly. If I was to just disappear (he said finger quoting), then who will take care of her?"

-"Your dad can do that or you can fix a nurse or maybe you can take her with you."

-"Sorry Josh, I'm not into running away from my duties or ask someone else to do my job. Why would I run away if I'm completely satisfied here? I even took her to the football tournament so that she didn't feel alone at the house. Dad has his own business to attend to. I'm happy to stay home with Ellie. You don't have a sibling Josh, so it would be hard for you to understand. Dad, on the other hand, returns home drenched in sweat and mud during the late evening. He is content with some salt and rice, that's it. I don't ask anything more from him nor does he from me."