Human Connect To Human

{Concert 1} Chapter 4: Monday

Concert 1

Chapter 4: Monday

Monday morning I wake up to “SCREEEAAM!” in my ear at full blast. After the initial ringing in my ear stops, as does the mild heart attack in my chest, I get up and glare at dad. He smiles and walks away, radio in tow. I reach for my iPod where it usually is and find it missing. Looking around my black-walled room, I see nothing but blurry. Reaching for my glasses on the nightstand while trying to get up seemed like a good idea... until I trip on the covers and fall on my glasses… breaking the glass.

“Shit!” I yell out as a shard of glass inserts itself in my hand. “Shit, shit, SHIT!” I bounce up from the floor and hold my hand in the air. Not a good day.

“Young lady, how many times have I-” dad says coming into my room. I stop bouncing and show him my hand. “Blood! Oh, baby what happened?”

That's dad for you, I tell myself. “I fell off the bed... my glasses broke... I hurt, daddy.” I say in a baby voice.

“You're not staying home from school,” He tells me pulling me to the hallway bathroom. “I need clippers and an arm wrap.”

“Thanks,” I reply as my hand begins to tremble. “Hurry up!”

We run to the bathroom and he pushes me on the toilet seat, thankfully closed, and riffles through the cupboard. My hand trembling and still bleeding, I see my iPod sticking out of his apron. I grab it, totally ignoring the fact that he took it, and flip through it. He added about 1,000 pictures and 200 new songs.

Flinching as he removes the glass from my hand, I ask, “You know this is my iPod, right?”

“I added some music... and pictures... and a few videos.”

“A few?” I say. “ You call 1,000 pictures a few?”

         He shrugs, depositing the shard in a paper towel before cleaning my hand with a wet rag. I hold in tears as the rag gets caught in my open wound. He grabs my hand and pulls it to the sink, holding it under the warm water, before drying and wrapping it in gauze.

“My dad, the nurse,” I declare looking at my hand. “I love you sometimes, you know that?”

“I love me, too,” He winks.

“Aw, ew!” I yell, leaving the room.

“What did I say?” He yells behind me, amused.

Too early, I tell myself as I open my closet in search of my uniform: Red plaid skirt, white polo and black tie. Sighing, I grab my towel and my shower bag and head for the bathroom to shower, before dad steps in my way, hands on his hips. He shakes his head and points to the clock on the wall. I turn my head slowly to the clock, squinting at it, and then snap my head back in shock.

“Eight!” I exclaim. “It’s eight!”

“Yes,” dad confirms. “No time for a shower.”

“Dammit,” I rush back to my room and change as fast as possible, running back to the hall a few minutes later, jumping on one leg, and pulling my stockings on. “Stairs,” I say sadly to myself, sitting down on the first step and putting them on completely. Muttering to myself all the way down the stairs, I somehow manage not to fall and get dressed at the same time. By the time I get to the front door, my dad is already at the car.

I rush to the stairs, elevator far too slow, and rush down... all 10 floors. Saying a quick good morning to Oto, I push open the front doors and get in the car. Dad, the ever absent-minded person that he is, adjusts his mirrors, changes the radio station, secures his seatbelt, checks mine and puts sun glasses on before driving off. At a pace of 45 mph, he drives me to school. I make it there at 8:45... a whole hour into classes. He kisses me good-bye and wishes me a good day before handing me a 20 and driving off. I can't fault him now, can I?