Why Me? ⚣

Chapter 2

"You", she seethed; her voice laced with evident irritation.

Nothing had changed about the woman before me, my mother. She still had her work clothes on and an apron tied round her waist, presumably cooking dinner before I had established my unsolicited presence at her doorstep.

"Hi mom."

Her frame seemed to relax ever so slightly at that word, as she begrudgingly took a step aside. I took that as a reluctant allowance to walk over the threshold into the familiar foyer, looking around me as the door clicked shut behind me.

"Did you finally run out of people willing to deal with you?"

"No mom," I sighed, opting to stay calm despite the sting her words left behind.

"Then why the hell...", she began, building towards a full-blown tirade. But I cut her off before she could unleash her displeasure.

"I came back to try and mend things between us after, well... you know what, but I guess that's not happening."

"Mend things? You're the reason my life fell apart and now you have the nerve to show up and mend things?"

"I'm running out of ways to convince you that I had nothing to do with dad! Why won't you believe me?", I was this close to pleading with her. Hearing her speak with such passionate fury made me want to cry. It still hurt to think about how close we were.

"You're a liar," she yelled, eyes wide with rage. It was the same story every time.

"What's all the hubbub down here?" a voice boomed from the direction of the staircase. I looked back towards the source of the sound and my eyes met a scruffy-looking man who bore an irritated expression, probably having just woken up from a nap of sorts.

"Who's this?"

His eyes were red and he wore a dirty white wifebeater with crumpled boxers. He looked to be a little older than my mother and had a menacing air to him, making me recoil slightly.

"Get. Out."

I sharply turned back and looked at my mother in surprise. Despite her commanding attitude, the look in her eyes changed as soon as the man made eye contact with her. She seemed almost vulnerable, a look that was foreign to me.

"But I just got here," I protested, knowing that it would be futile.

"I said get out, now!", she snapped coldly, her authoritative tone making me wince. She dragged the sleeve of my jacket to the door and shoved me out.

"Don't ever come back here, you got it?", her voice didn't contain as much rage from before but rather, a blend of fear and urgency.

Before I had time to decipher what it was about the man that disturbed her so much, the front door was slammed in my face, successfully breaking me out of my reverie. I also heard a male voice cackling loudly and then there was silence again. Not the kind with crickets, but complete and utter silence. The sound of the door slamming seemed to have silenced the birds as well.

I let out a deep sigh and made my way back to where I'd parked my car. The sound of my shoes hitting the pavement seemed deafeningly loud owing to the pin drop silence that surrounded me, however, offering a welcome change from the eeriness that would have no-doubt ensued.

I had somewhat, although not fully, expected my mother to react the way she did, but a man was someone I would've never expected to have seen in that house. I thought she was still distraught over my father leaving but I guess I was wrong.

After all these years, she's finally moved on.

Why would she still be mad at me if she'd moved on?

I decided to brush off all of the irrational questions that popped up in my head and focus on getting back to my hotel.

I got back into the car and started the engine, its machinery roaring to life in the still darkness.

Maybe tomorrow would be a little clearer. Maybe it wouldn't. But right now, all I could do was drive, and hope that eventually, the road would lead me somewhere better.