“That motherfucker!”
I raised my head and watched mom storm over to her bedside table. She reached into her handbag, pulled out her phone and started pressing buttons like she was trying to break its screen with her thumb. Then she placed it against her ear and folded her arms.
The look in mom’s eyes would’ve sent a shiver down the spine of Charlie Manson. I could hear each breath that passed through her nose. And her foot tapped at least three times per second. I’d never seen her so irritated. And there was a time I got suspended for being intoxicated in school.
“This bastard switched off his phone!” She turned her attention to me.
I dropped my head again.
“Peter! How dare you do this to me?” I presumed she was leaving him a voice message. “Isn’t it bad enough that you pulled this shit on me last year? Now you’re doing the same fucking thing again this year! Peter, what kind of a marriage is this!?” mom’s voice sounded like she wanted to cry. “It’s a farce of a marriage, that’s what it is.
And to top it all off, you don’t even have the balls to tell me you’re not coming yourself! Like the coward you are! You have your son do your dirty work for you! Nick.” She started snapping her fingers, making me raise my head. “Bring that thing here, whatever it is.” Mom walked up to me and snatched it from my hand before I could even get up.
“I’ve got your so called gift in my hand right now, buddy.” She walked over to her window. “Well guess what? I don’t want it!” Mom tossed it through her open window, sending it into our backyard. “Uhhnngg, I can’t believe you would do this to me! Peter, you’re such a fucking pig!”
The pitch of mom’s voice kept rising as she stomped, waved her arm and insulted dad for what felt like an hour. I’m pretty sure it was only a couple of minutes though.
“And don’t ever bother coming back home, because you’ve fucked me for the last time! Literally and figuratively, motherfucker!” Her phone was the next thing that was flung into the backyard.
“Uuhhh!! That bastard!”
Mom stood still for a few seconds, looking at the floor with her arms folded and was panting like she’d just won the hundred meter sprint in the Olympics. I didn’t know what to do or what to say. What could I do or say?
“I’m sorry you had to hear that, Nick.” In a twitchy manner, she began moving her hand over her bright red forehead and cheeks. “And for throwing the gift you bought me out the window like that.”
“It’s okay, mom.”
“No, it’s not okay.” She shook her head. “But, could you…could you please give me a few minutes to compose myself?”
“No problem, mom.” I got up and walked out of the room.
Man, that was intense! I thought after closing the door behind me. I mean, I knew she wasn’t going to take the news very well. But here’s the thing, I wasn’t expecting to see that reaction, because it wasn’t customary for mom to go off at dad like that. In fact, it was the first time I’d ever seen it.
But I guess it was only a matter of time before she vented her feelings. A woman can only take so much neglect, right? I walked down the hallway and entered my bedroom, where I took a seat by my PC. I put my headphones on and played some music as I played a few games of chess against the computer.