Barbecue.
I'd remember him grilling chicken cuts on our back porch in the cold of the winter.
His smile when little snowflakes melt on the grill. His eyes would light up and sparkle, his teeth would shine brighter than the Christmas lights. The littlest things gave him joy.
I remembered him as I stared at the grill that had been covered with tarp sitting on the back porch with snowflakes landing on it. He would've brought it out and set up the coal. He constantly battled with the winds.
"Honey get back in here. It's too cold to do anything outside right now".
"Cold weather calls for some hot chicken darling". He laughed.
"Darren it's the middle of winter! You can't just-"
"Honey," he clapped his hands after he'd successfully gotten the coal hot enough, "bring the chicken out of the freezer"
"Your father is crazy. I married such a lunatic" my mom jokingly said to me as she went into the kitchen
"Nicole!" My mother's small voice managed to ring in my ears.
"Yes mom!" I got up from the couch and went to her bedroom. "I'm here"
My mother was snuggled up on her bed with a hot water bottle practically glued to her chest. "Where's Jedidiah?" She asked, looking at me through her sleepy eyes. She knows the answer, it's the same answer most of the time. I don't know why she keeps asking.
"He's at work mom"
"It's seven pm Nicole. That boy's going to get home late!"
She worries about him so much but she does have a point. He's going to get home extremely late if he's still at work by now.
And she's going to start crying about him dying in a car crash just like dad did.
"I'll check on him in a few minutes. Are you hungry though? I brought home some chicken casserole from the restaurant" My mother hated me working at the moment. She feels I should just go on with school and focus on getting into college. But I can't just sit around like a princess while everyone works their butts off for me. I decided to get a job as a cleaner in a restaurant close to our house. Not the most convenient job, but it had a good pay. That way I could support my family and not feel guilty.
"I thought I told you to quit that job Nicole-"
"Mom. Are. You. Hungry."
She merely nodded and I went downstairs to heat up dinner.
A few minutes later, I was done and had set the tray for my mother when the door busted open and Jed stormed into our tiny living room.
Nervously, I dropped the tray on the dining table and went to lock the door behind him. He'd sat down and was rubbing his face with his palms.
"Hey, Jed?" I sat down beside him and placed my hand on his back. "What's going on? You don't seem fine-"
"Well no shit I don't"
I froze on the spot. He'd never responded to me like this before. I looked at him and he seemed to get more tense.
What is wrong with this man?
I shifted in the seat and something scratched my thigh. Reaching under my shorts, I pulled out a torn envelope, with folded sheets of paper sticking out.
"What's this..."
My speech slowed in shock as I scanned the documents.
"Tamara and I are having twins"
~
That's good news right?
I mean it should be.
It would've been good news if we had enough to take care of them
"I don't know how I'm going to do it" he muttered.
He is so stressed.
"Look I'm sure by the time they're born you'd have enough to take care of them. Just calm down..."
"How? How will I get the money?! With those tiny jobs? I can barely scrape up enough for us Cole. I've only made just enough for one child. Now there's two of them?"
"Can't Tamara's parents help?" I looked at him and he stared right at me.
"They don't know she's pregnant. She's scared to tell them. And I can't go straight up to them and tell them because it's not in my place to do so, even if I was involved" He stared at me, looking lost
I didn't know what to say. It's been three whole months. Her bump has started growing. Rapidly. They'd find out soon enough and it would be worse for her. I love Tamara but can she NOT be a coward for once and just tell her parents? Jed told my mom he got Tamara pregnant the day he found out. She was angry but she's calm now. The sooner she tells her parents, the better it is.
"Nicole!" My shouted. I glanced at my brother one last time before getting up to take the tray upstairs.
"It's going to be alright, okay?" I think.
YOU ARE READING
DELUSIONAL
General Fiction"I really don't know what to say to her anymore. She's so stubborn. She won't talk, she won't even sit down on the couch. She stands for thirty minutes and leaves without a word. I want to help her, I really do. But she acts like she's alone when I'...
