Why

Every week day, some time after 6 o'clock, he would see the same sight. His mother coming in, with the expression of someone so lost in thought a wandering spirit could take her seemingly vacant body at any moment. Then soon after, his father would struggle through the door. A man who's life of hard labor and little rest aged him more than the cigarettes he smoked. They would come in, greet him, and proceed to either make dinner or submit to the call of the recliner (depending on who's turn it was). He was no fool, even as a boy he payed close attention to detail. He could see the exhaust and pain in their eyes, in their souls. The world had beaten them down. One day he just had to say something out of concern for their health. He asked his parents, "Why do you guys do this to yourselves?? Why work as hard as you do?" 

"Who else is going to take care of you and your brothers and sisters if we don't? Unless you wanna get a job, we'd be more than happy to have you pay for rent," his father answered in a warm, joking manor.  

"Its killing you guys, don't you see your faces? Its not worth doing this, we will be fine if you do less work. We can eat less and go to bed faster!" He suggested, in a manor too simple and easy for reality to even consider. 

His mother and father laughed and smiled at him, and then lifted him to their bed (which was too high for him to climb up on easily). As he sat in between them, he could feel their love, their strength and their protection. Alongside that, he could sense their fragility for it grew more and more each day. His mother grabbed him by his cheeks and motioned his eyes to face hers.  Reassuringly she said, "We aren't as bad off as we look, its much easier work when we think about what we work for. You and your siblings. We don't just do it because we want to make life better for you all, we do it because we have to, because its right."  

At first he did not fully comprehend what his mother meant, not at the level she was trying to explain from anyways. He understood that work provided money, and money was necessary for survival. But that was just the flat surface, he was sure of that. He kept the thought in the back of his head, for many years to come. Preschool, middle school, high school and then finally college passed over the course of 17 years. Although he had changed from the shy, yet observant boy he once was, he never lost his good heart. Now, however, he was more of a whimsical, smart ass. His personality never fooled anyone close to him though, everyone knew he was still a good person that remained ever caring of others. His parents now older (but not quite old) and greying, live in a house that has been made a home far from the place where they grew together. All his siblings had gone to their own homes and families, and so had he. He had no girl to call his own, but he had loved ones outside of his family. He would go to his parents as often as time allowed, always checking in. Being the overprotective man he is, he could'nt help but do this. His father still worked his hardest despite his age, and his mother became to ill to do much of any labor. They still had their happiness though, they still had their life. More importantly, the two of them had their legacy and reward to show for all of their hard work; their children. On another routine visit, he drops by to see his parents for a relaxing day of TV and food. Nothing surpassed his parents cooking, nothing ever will. He came in, greeted them with love and sat himself down in his usual corner in the couch. This time he caught the attention of his parents; their glare could pierce through to his soul. They then smiled when they noticed what it was. It was the appearance of his face.  

"We know that look alright, what has you so tired boy??" Asked his father in his now raspier voice.  

"A lot of things, life has turned out to be a more than I had expected. In every sense," he replied while rubbing his face to relive tension.  

"Well why don't you tell us about it until your siblings get here, we have plenty of time," suggested his mother as she turned to face him.  

"You know, I wouldn't mind telling my story so far hahaha. Okay, I shall start from where.....well.....my stress started," he joked as he began his tale.