Frankly Told: Quarter Life Moments
The house had been peaceful that Sunday morning. On TV, videos played of some church choir and the gospel that spilled out from the speakers told of their praises to all the walls of the little bungalow.
She walked out of her room to find her mother and father, comfortably sat in the living room. Adorned in their church clothes, they silently sat through the online service. She looked at them in half-amusement. Her dad was in a three-piece suit, textured with an interesting weaving pattern. Underneath, a white shirt that blinded anyone unlucky enough to be found in the sun’s reflection on it. His mother spotted a beige dress, crowed with a flamboyant headdress which she often compared to a chicken’s crest.
She walked to the adjoining dining room and served herself a cup of tea. She was barely mid-stir when a voice cut through her autopilot morning routine.
“Are you not going to join us?” her father bellowed.
She turned and looked at them. Silence was her answer.
“I know we are in unprecedented times but that does not mean you can neglect your religious duty,” he continued. “Can you go and get dressed right now and come and sit here with us?”
“But…” she started.
“Now!” He commanded.
There was a pause and tensions rose. She took a step and then stopped in her tracks.
“You know what?” she said. “No.”
“Pardon?” her father pivoted in his seat to face her with his whole body.
“What are we even doing?” she asked. “Dressing up as if we are going to church yet we are just coming to sit in the living room. It’s all like some kind of… Of mindless cultic act!”
“What is the meaning of this?” her dad looked at her mother and then back to his daughter. “What are these foolish questions? I have said, go get dressed and come and sit here.”
“Why?” she insisted.
“Why?” he repeated. “Because I said so. In this house what I say goes! Was it not you who decided to come back to live here? We have rules and obligations and they will be followed. I don’t know what kind of life you were living in those few months but you are the one who chose to come back. You will do as I say for so long as you are under my roof, eating my food and enjoying these luxuries.”
“You think I chose to be here again?” her fists clenched. “This was not my choice. Why do you think… You just keep reminding me why I jumped at the first opportunity to leave.”
“Can we please…” her mum started.
“No, mum,” she shot. “I’m so tired of Dad acting like me being here is such a great burden. If it is, I’m doing everything I can to get out of your hair! Do you think I like being unemployed? Living in my parents' house? At 26? You think I decided to move out then back in because I have nothing better to do? Or do you still think of me as your good-for-nothing daughter? Huh?”
“Your brother-” he started.
“Ah! Always him! My brother, my brother, my brother,” she retorted. “To what end?”
There was a beat of silence before she reached back, grabbed the cup and walked to the kitchen. Pouring the tea down the sink she rinsed it out and went back to her room in the wake of her parents calling her name. She began to pull her things together, throwing them into a suitcase. She looked at her laptop with her repertoire of rejection emails and slammed the lid shut before stuffing it into her bag.
“My dear,” her mother’s voice came through her hurricane, as she inched through the smallest gap the door could open.
“No,” she said without missing a step. “I’m out of here. I don’t care what you have to say, I’ve tried. I am tired. I’ll get some random job. Find some random place to stay. Anywhere by here. I’m going to -”
She was interrupted by a phone call.
***
“ I don’t know how you are still in a relationship,” his friend said. “You are miserable!”
“I don’t know what to do,” he admitted. “Everything in life right now seems like it is not aligning and it’s a miserable life. She… She is the one good thing I feel like I have going for me right now.”
“You are delusional!” His friend exclaimed.
“Maybe I am! But love lives here,” he argued.
“Where?” his friend poked. “Outside your relationship? You must be out of your head, you. Something is wrong in your head. Weren’t you like this with this very same girl you are stepping out of the relationship with?”
“Come on, you are saying you can see it?” he sat up. “Her and me? We make a match made in heaven. Me as far as I see, this one was the one who was made for me. This relationship was just a stepping stone to greatness.”
“The audacity of men!” His friend rebuked. “Your girlfriend loves you!”
“And she will love again,” he said arrogantly.
“It is men like you that create problems for people like me,” his friend stated, visibly irritated. “I think you should just leave your girlfriend alone at this point. Even if you lie that you still want to be with her, you are going behind her back for someone who seems shinier and new. What the hell is wrong with you?”
“You know, I know what I want and I go for it,” he said. “This game of love-”
“It’s not a game !”
“You can’t leave your job that pays without knowing whether you have another job lined up,” he laughed.
“You are a stupid man. As daft as they come!”
“I’m calling her,” he grabbed his phone and sat there listening to it ring.
“May karma find you in the worst way,” his friend cursed and walked out of the room.
The phone rang and on the third ring, it was picked up.
“Can I come sleep at your place? I’m tired of this place,” her voice came through the phone.
“Of course !” he said gleefully.
