Unspoken Colours

Chapter 4

It was Sunday. The day of rest, they say. Day of rest, they promise.

"Today I have an important work do, it's a barbeque today at 2pm," Dad announced suddenly. "And we are all going."

It was Sunday morning and George, Rosie and I were sat at the breakfast bar having (most ironically) our breakfast. Mum was also in the kitchen cleaning up the mess from when Rosie had made cakes earlier on and had painted the kitchen with flour. Sunday was a weird day at my house. Usually everyone is rushing around, but on Sunday even Dad had a rest sometimes.

"Darling, leave that, the cleaners coming today and we don't pay her to awe at the things you've cleaned for her," he snapped. "So this barbeque, you're all coming with me, but you have to be on your best behaviour okay?" he added. "This is very important and all of my colleagues will be there and so-"

"What's a... a collie?" Rosie asked sweetly in her little high-pitched voice. She had not only her pink tutu on but also a magic wand in her hand, leaving just the one hand to hold the spoon to eat her cereal.

"Don't interrupt Daddy, Rosie," Mum said calmly, but meant it.

"It means his work friends," I explained. "Like you have school friends, Daddy has work friends and they are called colleagues."

Dad gave me a harsh glare. "Yes, so as I was saying Michael, my colleagues will be there with their families and I would like it if my family could be there for me too. So are we all in?"

"I'll go Dad!" George shouted, because he hadn't yet learnt the art of speaking at a normal non-ear damaging volume. He got up and hugged Dad, who gave a satisfied smile and looked back up at me and Rosie.

"Good boy," he said. "So Rosie, do you want to help Daddy too?"

"Can I wear my tutu?" she asked.

"No, but what about you wear one of the lovely dresses that we've brought you?" he suggested.

Rosie frowned hard and put her hand on her chin, thought about it and then unwillingly agreed.

"I'm going out with Tom and Eric today," I said. "We're going to the skate park, so-"

"Michael," Mum growled. "You'll just have to do that another day, this is important for your Dad,"

"But I said I'd go and I haven't been out in ages, I've been studying or looking after George and Rosie while you two have been going out," I said. "So this is important for me."

Dad directly looked at me and leant against the door frame, a smile on his face but definitely not out of laughter. "I see how it is, your friends are more important than your family-"

"No, I-"

"no, no, that's fine then. I'll go with half of my family, then when people ask me where my eldest son is I'll say, well my son who I work hard to feed, clothe, pay for all his sport and music lessons and pay for him to go to one of the best schools in the country couldn't be bothered to come and do this one thing for his father, because he had to go out with his mates-"

"Okay," I snapped, irritably. "I get it, I'll go to your barbeque then,"

"No, no if you don't want to then don't bother," Dad retorted. "If you don't want to be there for me then I don't want you there."

"Fine then."

"Michael, just go for pity sake!" Mum pleaded.

"I did say I would go, what more do you want? I said I would go,"

"How dare you speak to your mother like that," Dad exploded.

He shoved George aside and took a large step towards me so his face was right in front of mine, so much that I could see a little red vein in his eye. Creepy.