'Hello and good evening, ladies and gentlemen. What a day, look at the crowd James,' said a commentator.
'You are right Shawn, this is it! The final of the world cup where two beasts are going to affront each other for the title of the world champion, aren't you excited?' James replied.
'How can I not be, there is history to be made, now let's get ready and rock and roll these two footballing teams exemplify in the spirit of the football that grace displays in different ways!' Shawn announced.
.
.
[The loud fan noises, together with the cooking and radio sounds mixed with a child crying in the background]
.
"Aron, the little one is crying; can you go and check her out? My hands are full right now." Called a female voice as she cut fresh vegetables on the chopping board. "Aron?" She called once more, then turned on the stove, and poured some oil together with garlic into the wok, and started to fry the vegetables. The oily smoke came out from the kitchen, followed by a tasty smell.
.
'Brilliant play from swaddles it was again no more jumps in front of Jameson the fourth minute ticking down...'
.
"ARON!" She called for the third time.
Aron picked up the remote and lowered the volume. "WHAT?!" He barked while his eyes rested back on the flickering screen.
"The little one is crying; leave the TV for a second and go check if she is okay, would you?!" The women shouted from the kitchen.
"Relax, she cries all the time!" He tapped out the crumps into his palm then threw his head back at the sofa. "When she'll get tired, she'll stop by herself," Aron replied and then increased the volume.
.
'It's a good call by the referee and Alvaro coming through flipping the angles...'
.
The woman in the kitchen stopped whatever she was doing and walked towards him in a huff. "Are you kidding me?!" She threw the wet kitchen towel at his face."
"What the hell?!" Aron complained as he removed the towel from his face and threw it at the table in front of him. "It is the World Cup Finals!"
She stood up in front of him so she could block his view. "Since when the game is more important than your daughter?" She crossed her arms.
"Don't put words in my mouth," He moved to another spot on the sofa so he could see the television. "Instead of annoying me, why don't you go check on her yourself..." Aron replied as he sipped a beer.
"Don't give me that attitude!" She snapped.
"Piss off Rhéa!" He raised the volume.
.
Rhéa made a step aside and blocked his view again. "I am fed up working for you like the servant! I have to make the dinner, clean the house, to take care of the little one, and when, for once, I ask you to help me - 'PISS OFF' that what I get from you?!" She accentuated ironically.
"I think that you gotta calm the fuck down; it is just a goddamn match, stop making a drama out of it!" Aron replied while his eyes stared at the blue screen.
"It is just a match for you, but a daily routine for me. I am tired of all this," she sobbed. "Why it's okay for you to sit down and not doing anything while I have to run the whole house 24/24? That's not normal!"
.
"Give me a break..." He stood up from the sofa and pointed his finger at Rhéa's face. "You are the one who decided to quit your part-time job to stay at home with the kid."
"I had to do it because we could not afford a nanny!" She argued.
Aron smashed the TV remote on the ground that exploded in pieces. "Since when you and I became 'WE'?! His body language looked threatening. "There was no 'WE' when you decided to keep the kid!"
"Because you said that you wanted one!" Rhéa replied on the verge of tears.
"Yes, I did, but not fucking now! We are barely 19 years old, for fuck sake!" He started walking in circles around the tiny glass table that would separate them. "I never begged anyone in my life, but I did beg you not to do it, yet you didn't listen... Do you know why? Because there was no 'WE' back then! There was only you, full of your ideas that 'YOU ALONE' was enough to raise her on your own! And now you are trying to shoulder all that parental responsibility shit on me? You are mad if you think that I will care for a kid who I never wanted to be born in the first place!!" He shouted.
.
Rhéa slapped Aron. "How can you say such horrible things? She is your daughter..."
"You are in this situation because of your stupid and selfish decisions! Look at you, not only you fucked up the best times of your life, but you also involved me along with your irresponsible bullshit..." He stared at the broken remote under his feet, then resumed. "If tomorrow, I happen to leave... What's going to happen to you two, without any income? What are you going to do? Going back to your mother in Némless?"
Her eyes became red and swollen as she kept crying. "I will manage it..."
Aron realized that he said too much and stepped back. "We aren't even fucken married..." He let a small sigh and headed to the children's room.
.
Rhéa stood in the middle of the TV room, trying to wipe the endless tears streaming from her eyes, yet, the faster she moved the corners of her pullover the faster they streamed... So on, she sank deeper and deeper in the infinite darkness as mountains of pressure threatened to rip her chest. She closed her eyes and heaved her last thought as the negativity consumed her. The blue light coming from the television panel flickered like timed flashbacks reflecting everything she just heard. Each of his words penetrated her heart like the broken glass that would slip through her fingers. A sharp, broken sob pierced the air; her mind became an icy wasteland. She longed for the hope that her decision was right, that the sacrifices she made meant something, but the reality was telling her otherwise.
.
.
The doorbell ringed, followed by a couple of knocks. "It's me," introduced a gentle male voice.
Rhéa walked to the doorway entrance and then stared at the closed door, unmoving. "It is not the best time for you to come..."
"We need to talk," the voice came from the other side. "Please, open the door."
After a dozen seconds, the door swung half-open. "What do you want?" Rhéa asked with a forced smile.
"You're all red! What happened?" He asked.
His words took her by surprise, so instinctively she reached for the handkerchief, and tried to wipe the remained shreds, then smiled again, "That's okay..."
.
"What do you mean that's okay?" He insisted. "Did something happened? Did he hurt you?"
The man tried to force his way into the apartment, but she blocked his way.
"Please, don't..." She sobbed, then pushed him back as the wet hot tears filled up her eyes.
"You cannot continue like that-" He tried to convince her.
"Stop." She mumbled.
"He is destroying you, Rhéa..."
"Stop..."
"Let me talk to him!" The man tried to make his way in once again, but she pushed him back with all her strength, making him almost fall to the ground.
"Do not make it more complicated than it is..." Her lips trembled as she cried in silence.
.
"I just want to help you-" said the man as he regained his posture.
She cut him off. "Where were you when I needed your help...?"
"I can explain everything-" He tried to persuade her.
"A year without a word from you and now you are back as if nothing happened..."A great sob escaped her. "Leave..."
"Rhéa, I can help you... I can help both of you..." He offered his hand. "Let me help you, please."
"If you want to help me... Leave me alone..." She slowly shut the door in front of his face, then leaned against the door and waited for her unwanted guest to leave.
"I am sorry... Too many things happened, I needed some space... I am sorry for leaving you like that..." Said the man behind the door, then walked away. His footsteps echoed sharply around the deserted corridor; each footfall resonated as a heartbeat until there were no more.
.
As all the sounds disappeared, she opened the door in a rush. "Noah?!" She called out his name into the void, but he was already gone.
Aron heard her shouting and came out of the room. "Who was that?" He asked.
After a short moment of silence, Rhéa locked the door and headed to the kitchen. "Nobody..."