Rugged To The Core

Chapter 36

chinemeremma thanks for the beautiful cover ♥♥♥

Lucky

     Abel and I conversed casually, we talked about friends, we talked about favourites; we talked about dreams. Abel's dream was big — bigger than anyone else I knew of, it only enthralled me. He wanted to make it big someday, he wanted to be pro some day, his fervour was so immense. He told me he'd competed and won for neighbouring private schools – including ours – during leisure sports.

I fell in love with his dream.

     Soon, students arrived, the staff arrived, and then we separated as I joined my friends. During the assembly, Abel was absent like always, I lifted my gaze and caught him watching from the window in the rec room. A small smile graced my lips as I watched him.

     Hours later, school eventually closed for the day, and I found myself back at home. My family and I had dinner in total silence, and once it was over, everyone went to their rooms, living me to do the dishes and tidy up the kitchen.

     Half an hour later, I was done. I wiped my hands dry with a napkin and exited the kitchen. I ascended the stairs, ambling to my room at the very end of the passageway.

     The incoherent sound of my parents' voice halted my steps. I strained my ears but then decided to resume my journey, thinking it was probably just some insignificant argument. Perhaps, he wanted her to move out of the room again, they engaged in a heated quarrel the first time he asked her to move out, that was about a year ago. But It was my mother's words that almost made me trip, they froze me faster than a gorgon would.

"I want a divorce." I didn't even know how I heard it, but I did.

My father's laughter was laced with mockery. "You're a fool if you think I'm letting my child – first son possibly – grow up without a father."

"I'm not disabled, Philip." My mother snapped, her voice climbed an octave. "I can fend for myself."

"Is that so?"He sounded amused.

"Yes! I'm a graduate too, you know." Somehow, she didn't sound confident whilst saying that, rather she sounded frightened and desperate.

My father howled in laughter. "Oh please, you and your friend were bloody seamstresses, working in a container when I met you. You couldn't even afford a proper shop!"

"Why did you marry me then?" My mother now sounded close to tears.

Walk away, Lucky. You don't need to hear more of this. It's going to mess with your head.

"The resemblance..." He barked. "We've talked about this before, woman."

What?

"You never really could get over her." I could picture my mother crying now, it was now evident in her voice. "God, I'm such an idiot for loving you."

"I couldn't have said it better myself, love." My father retorted smugly.

"What did I even see in you?" Mum cried out.

God, mum just stop talking, please! You have no idea how pathetic he's making you sound right now!

"Well, in my defense, I was quite the stud back in the day."

Smug overrated...

"I curse the day I married you!" She squeaked out, there were sounds of struggles like she'd thrown herself at him, or even tried to hit him, I couldn't tell.