Adventures of Steve

Context

          I was awakened by a loud shutting of the door.  It  had  always  been  a  sleepless  night  for  me  since  I  don’t  know  when.  My  parents  had  always  been  quarrelling  until  my  mother  just  gave  up  and  decided  to  leave. 

My  mother,  Maria,  tried  to  bring  me  along  with  her  but  my  father  strictly  opposed. My father, Julius, threatened my mom that he would kill her if she left with me. That did not stop my mother from leaving. Now, I am living with my father.

          Surely now, Julius had come home from wherever he might be. It had always been the same scenario again and again. My father would come home drunk, beating me to death if a made a single mistake. That’s why I am making sure I do what is right for him. I am already getting tired of it. Sometimes, I would just wish that I was not born to live in this miserable life of mine. It seems that I am unwanted by everybody. I don’t have friends. My existence seemed to be of no importance.

          “How come people say life is wonderful? No it’s not.” I said to myself. Life is so unfair for me. There’s just one thing I wanted to do most. I want to go to school and continue my studies. I am only an elementary graduate. I want to go to high school and college. I am thinking of asking my father to send me to school; however, I am having second thoughts doing it for I know how my father would react. He would surely get mad.

          “Steve, where are you?” my father shouted. I got up from bed and went out my room. I answered him slowly. “I’m here father.” I went near him. Not too near though. “You make tea for me, you useless child.” he ruthlessly said. I obeyed right away. I am not sure what my father had been doing. Surely, it is not something legal. Somehow, I am worried about it.

          “Here’s your tea father.” I placed the cup of tea on the table near where he is seating and then I moved away at once. When I saw my father drink the tea and didn’t utter a single word, I slowly headed back to my room.

          It was already nearly midnight. I am planning to talk to my father tomorrow about schooling, when he is already sober. After all, my study had been a year overdue. I am already thirteen and maybe it is high time to go back to school. I am already excited, at the same time nervous. Well, it’s not bad to dream for a good future. All I could do is hope. And with that dream and hope I had, I fell asleep again.

         

          It was still five o’clock in the morning and I am preparing our breakfast. I am with full energy doing it even though I didn’t get to sleep well last night. “This is it Steve. It’s now or never.” I tell myself. This is the time when I am going to tell my father about my plans of going to school. Before my father woke up, breakfast is already served on the dining table. I sighed as I looked at the food on the table.

          And then my father came out of his room. I sighed again. I greeted him good morning but he simply nodded in response. I would never get used to his cold treatment. I am his son, yet he never treated me one. I am just a child yearning for a fatherly care. But I doubt he would ever give me that. We ate silently, not even one of us states a single word. When I noticed that he was nearly through, I grabbed the chance to speak.