Rough Edges

6. House of sticks

Nick Vadera was a pretty easy going guy. There were very few things that infuriated him - one, his ex-wife who always made it to the top of the infuriating list pretty comfortably. But, two, was a vice of his wife, the love of his life.  Nick hated it when Lyana hid anything from him. That was what he blamed for the relationship that they had since the last eight years, or lack thereof. It infuriated him whenever she hid anything from him. It infuriated him when she tried to do things herself without letting him help. He was infuriated with her 'I can handle everything myself' attitude more than anything. 

"Why can't she just tell me things, huh?" he asks Lana. She was in the loft along with Sid and Ari. They were working on this project for school. They had to build a house out of Popsicle sticks.

"Who?" Lana looks at him curiously. He was lying on the carpet flat on his stomach, looking at the bare bones of the house she had already put together. Ari was sitting beside them with her Dad trying to make the house faster than Lana. As of course everything was a competition with with Ari, she was annoying her Dad asking him to hurry. "Faster Dad!"

"Noooooh, Lyana the great doesn't need any help." Nick continues his rant ignoring all that.  "She can fix the thermostat, she can fix the washing machine, she can fix the house, you kids, everything.  She is the fixer ultimate. She doesn't need a damn thing from me! I am just the namesake husband and namesake father right! She didn't think she needed me to raise you both either - that's why she took you away from me!"

Lana frowns at him. "What are saying Dad?"

"Ignore him Lana." Adi laughs.

"....and look how you turned out. You turned out exactly like her. Oh, I don't need Dad's help although my leg is hurt. I don't need to bother Dad with my problems. I need to be a perfect girl and not get in any trouble because Dad cannot be bothered with my troubles!"

"I don't understand what you are saying."

"Of course you don't." Nick sits up.

"I will be right back. Leave her alone Nick." Adi goes downstairs.

"Mamu, can you help me? I need to finish the house faster." Ari immediately demands.

"Look at this little weasel? She cannot wait a second without someone helping her. Have you even asked me for help?" he looks at Lana.

"No." Lana looks at him confused.

"Why not?"

"I didn't think you knew how to build a Popsicle house?"

"No. But, that's not the point. You didn't even ask me."

"I don't need help. I want to do it by myself!"

"Exactly!" he lies back and stares at the ceiling exasperated.

"Daddy?" Lana kneels her way towards him.

He looks at her sulking.

"Are you fighting with me?"

"No."

"Do you want to help me with my popsicle stick house?"

He rolls his eyes and sits up. "What do I do?"

"Hold the glue." she gives him the glue bottle.

"I can do that..." And he sat there with her holding the glue bottle as she applied it on either ends of the popsicle sticks with the little brush and piled it artistically to the tiny house she was building. He watched her work amazed by her dexterity and skillful construction. He knew for a  fact that his daughter is insanely smart and talented, just like his wife but he just couldn't take that she was as independent as her. He wanted her to need him, come to him with her troubles, fight with him if he didn't give her the attention. Yeah, right! She would never fight with him.