Fighting Life

Chapter Seven

Tana found that her life with either really busy, or really boring. It went in waves. Time passed fast and sometimes it passed slow. After the shopping date with her sister, she slightly purposely avoided family, aside from her visits to her grandfather on her normal planned days. Tough, she did find that on April eighteenth, a Friday night, she decided to stop in and have dinner with her father. They had not caught up for a while and he was a little surprised to see her.

With their normal greeting, smiles, hugs and how are you doings, they settled down int the lounge. Right now Tana's father was busy fixing some things up on his home. It meant that he had to keep moving things from one place to another and so it seemed messy and cluttered, but once looking past that, it was clear to be seen that things were coming along well. Mr Nillkinszon sat and started to tell Tana all about what he had been up to with the house. She listened, commented and like the ideas he was doing.

One thing she picked up on, was that her father was trying to sort a room out for her brother, who kept changing from living with their mother to their father and it would seem they were taking another try for him to stay with their father.

"I get worried about him dad." Tana stressed. "I do not think he looks after himself well enough and that is why he keeps getting the way he does."
"Yeah, but he is an adult, he needs to learn how to do it on his own." Her father commented.
"He does, but I also think you and mum should put your foot down more with him, restrict him, make him sleep at night instead of playing games all the time. That does not help him." Tana suggested. "Not to mention that he needs to get out more, be a bit more active. Otherwise, he will continue to keep having issues."
"Yeah..." he replied.

Tana let out a sigh, she knew that her father cared and yet, he was a proud man and did not show it well. With all the things he had been through in his life as well, it was no surprise he did not like to make too much effort these days. Though Tana still tried to get him interested in things, it just seemed he had no motivation for it any more.

They were both silent for a moment, glancing towards the television, football was on and Tana knew her father was keen on watching the game. She thought for a moment and then an idea came to mind.

"How about some pizza dad?" she asked casually.
"Yeah, that sounds good." He replied with a smile.

Of all the years she grew up with her father, Tana knew off by heart what he liked and so without much instructions from her father, she went to the kitchen, grabbed the number of the local pizza place and dialled. When they picked up, she ordered two family pizza's. One super supreme and another bacon and cheese. Tana knew she was not going to eat much of it, yet also knew when her brother arrived home from being out with their sister, he would be hungry.

Back in the lounge room, they watched the football together, commenting on the game like they used to when she was younger. They shared a joke here and there, having a laugh. In the add breaks, they would discuss other things. She asked her father how his work was doing, how he was coping and if he had any holidays planned, so he did not run himself down like she was always scared he would. They had a chat about her grandfather, his father, and about how he is still living at home, but may soon need full care if his memory kept fading. They even had a little discussion about Tana finding out about the heart condition she had.

During this whole time, they received the pizza and sat eating it, talking well into the evening and it was closer to ten when Tana decided it was a good time to go home, to let her father rest and then she could get some sleep as well. Upon leaving, they said good night and shared a hug, like always. While Tana did not have this close of a relationship with her mother, she was glad she still had a close relationship with her father. As much as he was wearing down these days, and she was getting worried about him too, she still loved him a lot, he was still her original hero.