Fighting For Ava

*28*

When Mother T returned home late in the evening and silently moved into the kitchen, not talking to anyone, Jethro decided it was right to go meet her and settle things. If he was ever going to be the man of the house as he always claimed himself to be, then settling quarrels with the two females he had in the house would be a test he had to pass.

He shuffled to the kitchen and tried to gain the woman's attention by humming her favorite, ' We are one happy family song'. Mother T just pretended not to hear him as she laid her eyes coldly on the bacon she was chopping. The woman wanted to get a pot from the top of the cabinet and while she struggled to reach it, Jethro sidled up to her with a chuckle.

"Why not call the tall boy to get it instead?" He laughed and easily brought down the pot. He handed it over to the grumpy woman who would still not say a word. He continued humming his song, noticing her sullen state and whenever she wanted to pick a thing, he would quickly help her grab it.

"I think I have hands to get them myself." The woman eventually broke her silence in a stiff tone as she snatched the ladle from him.

Jethro laughed at her behavior, "Now, here's the part of the movie when the boy wants to finally help with kitchen works but the woman said no." He sang comically and watched an amused expression coming on Mother T's face before the woman swiftly snuffed it out.

"Don't think you're smart," Mother T frowned as she ladled the chopped meats into a raging oil, "I know you're not here for the kitchen works. You just want to check if I'm still mad at you," She paused and turned the meats in the oil, "And yeah, I'm still very mad at you."

"Mum." Jethro laughed at hearing her. She had caught him. That was the motive for his coming to the kitchen. To check if she was still mad at him and to apologize for all that happened between them the previous night, "Mum, do you know it takes 43 muscles to frown and only 17 to smile." He joked when the woman ignored him and continued scowling.

"Nice lecture from someone suspended from school." Mother T sneered, scooping a couple of eggs from the rack.

"Jeez.." Jethro chortled, "Suspended from school doesn't mean I know nothing, Mum." He said with hilarity and then added, "Plus, the suspension ends tomorrow."

"Good," Mother T said curtly, "So, you could go knock another boy on the head again."

"I've changed, Mum," Jethro's voice dripped remorse as he broke the short silence that the woman spent breaking the eggs and mixing with the sliced tomatoes, "I'm sorry for what happened last night. We're one happy family, we shouldn't always fight, should we?" He said in a tone hovering between being joking and serious.

Mother T poured the mixture into the oil and finally glanced at him, "You know what to do if you want us to be on good terms." She croaked, staring hard at her son.

Jethro only shrugged when their eyes did a double, "Honestly, I don't." He said sincerely.

"Stop seeing that girl, she's making you do shits." Mother T snapped in a stern voice and returned her attention to her cooking.

Jethro gulped and stepped closer to her, "Is that what you want?" He asked softly but the woman would not answer him, "Alright. I will stop seeing her." He promised but Mother T only gave a scoff, showing she did not believe him.

Another awkward lull was already creeping in and Jethro acted quickly to stop it, "I've missed your chitchat with Rose. When are you both reconciling? The house is getting boring." He said in an enlivening tone.

"You should be asking her that, she hasn't spoken to me since last night. She's even becoming more bratty." The woman huffed, drawing a plate of lettuce closer while Jethro gave a quiet laugh.