The End.
Anna Dang
“You guys are my world. I would risk my whole life for your happiness anytime, any day,” Dad would say.
He always kept his word. Our family was always together because of him. It HAS always been him, Mom, Aaron, and I. Our family has never been perfect, but he was always there to fix it when something fell apart. Ever since I was young, Mom had a drinking problem. Trails of beer bottles would be left around the house and she couldn’t care less about it. My mother is someone you could describe as horrendous. She used to scream at me and Aaron in the middle of the night, throw bottles at my brother whenever they fought, and just overall never put any care into us. Aaron might be two years older than me, but no one has the capability to handle a mother like that. He never wanted to rely on anyone for help except Dad. It’s still like that to this day. Though Aaron and I are now eighteen and sixteen, and my beloved mother is in rehab, everything’s still the same. I think, in a way, that’s why he left. I presume people get tired of being the glue to something constantly being broken. He couldn’t have stayed in this cycle forever, it’s tiring. I wish he said something before he went away though. Not saying bye was the worst part of it all, but I can’t do anything to change that. That day felt so normal, Dad was yelling for Aaron and me to come downstairs.
“Aaron, Arrabelle, come downstairs, breakfast is ready,” Dad yelled from the kitchen.
“Hold on, I can’t find my sock!” I screeched.
My brother, Aaron, and I intersected in our hallway. We pushed and shoved each other down the stairs, giving each other the death glare. Our dad greeted us with a warm smile and a cup of coffee. He handed us both a twenty-dollar bill, he said, “Here you go kiddos, get takeout for lunch. Your old man’s too tired to cook today.”
I immediately screamed at Aaron, “You’re driving us!”
With a startled look he retorts, “Why me?! Tell your little boyfriend to!”
“You’re my older brother; you’re supposed to take care of me!”
“Uh-huh. More like babysit you.”
Our banter was quickly interrupted by Dad’s outbreak of laughter.
“You two settle this in the car, get out of here,” dad chuckles.
Both of us gave him a tight hug before we rushed out the door. Aaron dropped me off at the school’s entrance and went to find his parking spot. Marshall, my boyfriend, greeted me with a big hug. He walked me to my first period and kissed me goodbye. All my classes went through smoothly. Nothing too complex, yet nothing too simple. I was content. After school, Skylar, my best friend, and I walked to the art room. It was my place of relief. I felt like it was the one place where I could be myself. I smile as I see Marshall already waiting at the door. Greeting him with a kiss, I busted the door open. As I walked in, the smell of undried paint and new canvases hit me. I looked over to the other side of the room and see Marshall putting an apron on, getting ready to sculpt. After admiring him for a short amount of time, I proceeded to whip out seven different pallets and a shiny new canvas. My love for art has my dad written all over it. Since I was a little girl, my dad has always told me to pursue art. I remember all the times he’d bring me to art stores for hours on end. We spent most of our time in the painting section. He taught me the difference between gouache, acrylic, oil, and watercolour paints. He told me about the hundreds of different brush techniques artists use and what canvases would work best with whatever I wanted to create. He told me to never give up my dream of being a big artist, and that’s a huge part of why I still hold on to that dream. As I reminisced my memories, Skye put on some soft ambient music. God, I wish could stay here forever, but I guess wishes don’t come true because my peace was interrupted by the intercom.
“Arrabella Stafford please report to the principal’s office immediately.”
Marshall, Skye, and I looked at each other perplexed. I had no idea what had happened. Hastily putting down my paints, I slowly crept to the principal’s office. I knocked on the door and stood there patiently.
“Miss Stafford?”
“Yes ma’am.”
“Come on in and take a seat.”
The first person I saw when walking through the door was my brother. He looked at me, asking if I had a clue about what happened. Both of us assumed it was about my mom. She’s tried to leave rehab multiple times and it was up to us and dad to find her. Neither of us thought much of it until the principal says,
“Your mother is on the phone for you.”
Aaron and I looked at each other in utter shock. Mom? Reaching out to us? Something has to be wrong. The last time we spoke to her was when we sent her to rehab. Aaron and I couldn’t care less about her. Aaron gestures at the phone, telling me to pick it up. He is the last person who wants to talk to her. Hesitantly, I took the phone and spoke.
“Hello? Mom?”
“Oh, hi sweetie. How are you?” she replied in a worn-out voice.
“I’m, uh, good. How about you?”
“Not so great sweetheart. I have something to tell you.”
“What is it this time mom? Do you need money?”
“No, it’s about your father.”
“What about dad?”
“He left.”
“Mom, are you drunk? We saw dad this morning. He didn’t leave. I thought the care center would take better care of you than this.”
“No. honey, he’s not home.”
I was infuriated. How could she just say that? Dad left? Yeah right. He loved Aaron and me more than anything in the world. She shouldn’t be joking about something like this. She was probably not sober anyways. I looked up from my feet to see Aaron staring straight at me. He cocked his head.
“What happened?” He mouthed.
“Nothing.” I gestured.
Giving my attention back to the phone, I said, “Mom, thank you for telling us. Please just take care of yourself. I’ll see you this weekend at the center.”
I rapidly hung up the phone and bid the principal goodbye. My brother trailed behind me as I catch him up on my conversation with mom. He was just as flummoxed as I was.
“I swear she’s batshit crazy,” Aaron complains.
“She’s our mom, nonetheless. Marshall’s taking me home, I’ll meet you then.”
As we part ways, I see Marshall walking towards me with my backpack. He smiles and gently flicks my forehead before handing me my bag.
“You ready to go?” he smiled.
I gave a small nod and grab onto his arm. He walked me out to his car and drove us to a small hot pot shop downtown. We entered the shop and were greeted by the owners, Mr. and Mrs. Cho. They were like a second pair of parents to me. Marshall and I sat down and talked about our upcoming essays and projects for different classes. Math test on Wednesday, art projects due on Thursday, and science test on Friday. We stayed at the shop talking for three hours. When we checked our clocks, it was six pm. Marshall and I thanked the old couple for the food they provided and he took me home. The car ride was normal right till I got a phone call. Incoming call from Aaron.
“Yo, Aaron? What’s up?”
“Ari, I need you to get home now. Mom wasn’t lying. Dad left.”
“What? What do you mean he left?”
“He’s gone, Ari.”
“Gone? Do you know where he went?”
“You’ll see when you get home, just hurry.”
Marshall looked at me concerned. I look back puzzled.
“Okay Aaron, I’m on my way.”
Right, when we hit my block, I unbuckled my seat belt. Eli barely pulled into my driveway when I threw myself out of the car. As I bolted inside, I see Aaron on the couch. He was hunched over holding a piece of paper in tears. I walk over and sit down beside him.
“What happened?” I asked.
He hands me the letter. It reads:
Dear Ari and Aaron,
Please when you receive this, know that I love you with all of my heart. My life was completed whenever you two were born. I’m sorry if I haven’t always been able to be there for you guys. I know your mom isn’t perfect but please take care of her. You guys are my pride and joy. I am so glad I was gifted with such a great family, despite the flaws. Both of you will be able to achieve amazing things throughout your life. Please try your best for me.
Love,
Dad
I looked at Aaron in disbelief.
“Where is he?”
Aaron points upstairs. I bolted up the stairs fast as I could, almost tripping over multiple steps due to the blur caused by my teary eyes. I open the door to my parent’s bedroom, in there, I saw him. He was laying on the bed, pills in his hand, dried tears on his face. He was in so much pain. Why didn’t he ever tell us about it? Did it have to get to this? I rush over to his side and embrace him.
“Dad, I’m so sorry.”
He always kept his word. Our family was always together because of him. It HAS always been him, Mom, Aaron, and I. Our family has never been perfect, but he was always there to fix it when something fell apart. Ever since I was young, Mom had a drinking problem. Trails of beer bottles would be left around the house and she couldn’t care less about it. My mother is someone you could describe as horrendous. She used to scream at me and Aaron in the middle of the night, throw bottles at my brother whenever they fought, and just overall never put any care into us. Aaron might be two years older than me, but no one has the capability to handle a mother like that. He never wanted to rely on anyone for help except Dad. It’s still like that to this day. Though Aaron and I are now eighteen and sixteen, and my beloved mother is in rehab, everything’s still the same. I think, in a way, that’s why he left. I presume people get tired of being the glue to something constantly being broken. He couldn’t have stayed in this cycle forever, it’s tiring. I wish he said something before he went away though. Not saying bye was the worst part of it all, but I can’t do anything to change that. That day felt so normal, Dad was yelling for Aaron and me to come downstairs.
“Aaron, Arrabelle, come downstairs, breakfast is ready,” Dad yelled from the kitchen.
“Hold on, I can’t find my sock!” I screeched.
My brother, Aaron, and I intersected in our hallway. We pushed and shoved each other down the stairs, giving each other the death glare. Our dad greeted us with a warm smile and a cup of coffee. He handed us both a twenty-dollar bill, he said, “Here you go kiddos, get takeout for lunch. Your old man’s too tired to cook today.”
I immediately screamed at Aaron, “You’re driving us!”
With a startled look he retorts, “Why me?! Tell your little boyfriend to!”
“You’re my older brother; you’re supposed to take care of me!”
“Uh-huh. More like babysit you.”
Our banter was quickly interrupted by Dad’s outbreak of laughter.
“You two settle this in the car, get out of here,” dad chuckles.
Both of us gave him a tight hug before we rushed out the door. Aaron dropped me off at the school’s entrance and went to find his parking spot. Marshall, my boyfriend, greeted me with a big hug. He walked me to my first period and kissed me goodbye. All my classes went through smoothly. Nothing too complex, yet nothing too simple. I was content. After school, Skylar, my best friend, and I walked to the art room. It was my place of relief. I felt like it was the one place where I could be myself. I smile as I see Marshall already waiting at the door. Greeting him with a kiss, I busted the door open. As I walked in, the smell of undried paint and new canvases hit me. I looked over to the other side of the room and see Marshall putting an apron on, getting ready to sculpt. After admiring him for a short amount of time, I proceeded to whip out seven different pallets and a shiny new canvas. My love for art has my dad written all over it. Since I was a little girl, my dad has always told me to pursue art. I remember all the times he’d bring me to art stores for hours on end. We spent most of our time in the painting section. He taught me the difference between gouache, acrylic, oil, and watercolour paints. He told me about the hundreds of different brush techniques artists use and what canvases would work best with whatever I wanted to create. He told me to never give up my dream of being a big artist, and that’s a huge part of why I still hold on to that dream. As I reminisced my memories, Skye put on some soft ambient music. God, I wish could stay here forever, but I guess wishes don’t come true because my peace was interrupted by the intercom.
“Arrabella Stafford please report to the principal’s office immediately.”
Marshall, Skye, and I looked at each other perplexed. I had no idea what had happened. Hastily putting down my paints, I slowly crept to the principal’s office. I knocked on the door and stood there patiently.
“Miss Stafford?”
“Yes ma’am.”
“Come on in and take a seat.”
The first person I saw when walking through the door was my brother. He looked at me, asking if I had a clue about what happened. Both of us assumed it was about my mom. She’s tried to leave rehab multiple times and it was up to us and dad to find her. Neither of us thought much of it until the principal says,
“Your mother is on the phone for you.”
Aaron and I looked at each other in utter shock. Mom? Reaching out to us? Something has to be wrong. The last time we spoke to her was when we sent her to rehab. Aaron and I couldn’t care less about her. Aaron gestures at the phone, telling me to pick it up. He is the last person who wants to talk to her. Hesitantly, I took the phone and spoke.
“Hello? Mom?”
“Oh, hi sweetie. How are you?” she replied in a worn-out voice.
“I’m, uh, good. How about you?”
“Not so great sweetheart. I have something to tell you.”
“What is it this time mom? Do you need money?”
“No, it’s about your father.”
“What about dad?”
“He left.”
“Mom, are you drunk? We saw dad this morning. He didn’t leave. I thought the care center would take better care of you than this.”
“No. honey, he’s not home.”
I was infuriated. How could she just say that? Dad left? Yeah right. He loved Aaron and me more than anything in the world. She shouldn’t be joking about something like this. She was probably not sober anyways. I looked up from my feet to see Aaron staring straight at me. He cocked his head.
“What happened?” He mouthed.
“Nothing.” I gestured.
Giving my attention back to the phone, I said, “Mom, thank you for telling us. Please just take care of yourself. I’ll see you this weekend at the center.”
I rapidly hung up the phone and bid the principal goodbye. My brother trailed behind me as I catch him up on my conversation with mom. He was just as flummoxed as I was.
“I swear she’s batshit crazy,” Aaron complains.
“She’s our mom, nonetheless. Marshall’s taking me home, I’ll meet you then.”
As we part ways, I see Marshall walking towards me with my backpack. He smiles and gently flicks my forehead before handing me my bag.
“You ready to go?” he smiled.
I gave a small nod and grab onto his arm. He walked me out to his car and drove us to a small hot pot shop downtown. We entered the shop and were greeted by the owners, Mr. and Mrs. Cho. They were like a second pair of parents to me. Marshall and I sat down and talked about our upcoming essays and projects for different classes. Math test on Wednesday, art projects due on Thursday, and science test on Friday. We stayed at the shop talking for three hours. When we checked our clocks, it was six pm. Marshall and I thanked the old couple for the food they provided and he took me home. The car ride was normal right till I got a phone call. Incoming call from Aaron.
“Yo, Aaron? What’s up?”
“Ari, I need you to get home now. Mom wasn’t lying. Dad left.”
“What? What do you mean he left?”
“He’s gone, Ari.”
“Gone? Do you know where he went?”
“You’ll see when you get home, just hurry.”
Marshall looked at me concerned. I look back puzzled.
“Okay Aaron, I’m on my way.”
Right, when we hit my block, I unbuckled my seat belt. Eli barely pulled into my driveway when I threw myself out of the car. As I bolted inside, I see Aaron on the couch. He was hunched over holding a piece of paper in tears. I walk over and sit down beside him.
“What happened?” I asked.
He hands me the letter. It reads:
Dear Ari and Aaron,
Please when you receive this, know that I love you with all of my heart. My life was completed whenever you two were born. I’m sorry if I haven’t always been able to be there for you guys. I know your mom isn’t perfect but please take care of her. You guys are my pride and joy. I am so glad I was gifted with such a great family, despite the flaws. Both of you will be able to achieve amazing things throughout your life. Please try your best for me.
Love,
Dad
I looked at Aaron in disbelief.
“Where is he?”
Aaron points upstairs. I bolted up the stairs fast as I could, almost tripping over multiple steps due to the blur caused by my teary eyes. I open the door to my parent’s bedroom, in there, I saw him. He was laying on the bed, pills in his hand, dried tears on his face. He was in so much pain. Why didn’t he ever tell us about it? Did it have to get to this? I rush over to his side and embrace him.
“Dad, I’m so sorry.”
I don't think any of my story lines could ever be neutral. Writing about heartbreak or death is just so much fun. Though that might make me sound a little crazy, every person finds there entertainment in different things no? Some like watching comedy and sports, yet others like myself find themselves watching murder documentaries in their free time.