How To Kill Love

Chapter 5- Family

I walked home since it's just a few miles away including the fact that I'm saving cash for my college tuition fee.

"Good eves, guys!" I greeted my family knowing Mom is still cooking while Dad is probably drunk.

"Hey!" Dad replied. "How's my working daughter?" Dad smiled and I knew then on why. "Do you have a little cash for your old man?"

"My allowance is still going to be given by the end of the month, so I'm still broke." I replied with a frail smirk.

"Elly, go to your kwarto. (Elly, go to your room). Your Dad is drunk again and you know how he is when he runs out of money for his alcohol." Mom insisted while heating up dinner. "I'll call you when dinner is ready."

I nodded and realized how Dad is failing us as the head of the family knowing his state right now.

My Dad used to be a lawyer with a great name, but then someone sewed him for somewhat lying in court. Since he is a free lancer, no one was able to defend him nor bring him back to glory. He then blamed everyone around him including me when I was 10 years old. He said things such as me being useless and whatsoever, so I tried to prove my worth by being the best daughter even to a father who forgot his role. I still owe him a lot and maybe he is just like that because of his failures.

Failures change people either for the good or the worst. As for my Dad, it broke him completely. He thinks alcohol is the only solution. Not only that, he only drinks the most expensive types of wine that costs more than my daily salary which I can't afford. He even decided to consume his bank savings for his alcoholic ways even if it means abandoning his responsibilities as a father and a husband.

I know one day Dad will realize that he is lost and he needs to find himself back into our lives. I still love him because I still believe he is still the best Dad in the world.

***

"You're the best Dad in the world, Dad! Yay!" I squealed as I bit the cone from my soft served ice-cream.

"Maybe not in the world, but in your life." He replied with a smile.

"But you're my only Dad! That's silly." I laughed and showed my toothless gums without shame.

"Those teeth will grow and will be complete once you're older." Dad laughed.

"Promise?" I giggled

"Promise."

***

His promise came true though. I am now a teenager with complete pearl white teeth. I also know and will forever cherish the fact that he can still change.

Mom's voice echoed from the kitchen counter. "Dinner is ready!"

"Coming." I replied with a weak smile plastered on my face with tears.

As I walked by the kitchen counter, Dad slapped my Mom in the face. A red bruise was marked on her cheek.

"Dad stop!" I screamed with the most high-pitched voice I can since this is getting way out of hand.

Dad looked at me not with guilt, but anger. "So you're like that already?" He made a sinister laugh. "You have a job now and you feel like you're the boss now, huh?"

Tears rolled down my eyelids as he began to trash talk lies to me. "No, it's not like that! Don't treat Mom like some-"

"I decide how I want to treat your Mom or you because none of you are the boss of this house nor the right ones. I say what I want to say, I do what I want to do because I am the boss of all of you. Understood?" Dad interrupted only to have Mom crying with me at my side. We are both slaves to our emotions.

"Just stop Andres! You are too much already. Iha, go back to your room and sleep. We'll do fine." Mom said and as much as I want to stay I had to follow her for our safety.

I walked to my room worried and instead, I stayed at the back of my door to see them and witness anything that might happen again tonight.

"Andres, I've been like a martyr for you for 8 years ever since your broke self came out. I love our daughter so I'm willing to give up my dignity for a complete family." Mom squealed and her tears made me want to cry even more. "But things are getting out of hand that you're mentally and physically hurting us. I do believe that a happy family doesn't need to be complete. A family needs love and I don't know if I still love you-"

Mom at this point couldn't speak and Dad looked at the ground with no emotion plastered on his face.

"We're leaving by tomorrow. You need to change because our daughter doesn't deserve a father like you." Mom continued with no tears left to cry.

Dad didn't even look sad nor happy nor anything. He was just staring at blank space and it meant he didn't hear anything or he just couldn't believe Mom would stand up for the both of us. Mom walked out and I kept on crying with tears full of regret. I wish I could've helped my Dad figure things out before or anything to heal him.

Mom looked back and confronted again with a serious tone and it almost seemed like she didn't even cry. "Your dreams Andres. I remember the times when you told me your dream was to have a perfectly imperfect family with me. I always had that in mind, but you changed. It seems like your only dream in life is to be a lawyer, to be successful and rich that when you lost your job you thought you lost your dreams that you forgot the dream you had with me. We imagined things other couldn't imagine like having a restaurant one day named after our daughter or just a simple yet happy family. I can't live with a man that thinks being successful is being wealthy without his family. I don't care if we're poor or rich as long as we're happy because I want to spend my life with the man I loved."