"Dad... please come inside," Dave pleaded, his voice trembling. "I made dinner tonight. It's chicken—you'll love it."
Roger sat on the terrace, his bloodshot eyes fixed on the dark horizon. At first, he didn't respond, but then, without warning, he turned to Dave, shouting.
"Didn't you hear me? I told you to go downstairs!" His voice was sharp, cutting through the still night. "Don't take me for a fool, boy. Go now and sleep. Don't make me say it twice!"
The sudden outburst startled Dave, his small frame trembling under the weight of his father's anger. Tears welled in his eyes, but he fought to hold them back. He was only nine, powerless against the man before him, he dearly wished to grow up big and strong to face his father.
Hearing the commotion, Lila climbed the stairs, hoping to calm Roger. But her presence only made things worse.
"You… you," Roger slurred, pointing a shaking finger at her. "This is all your fault! You ruined my life! Even my son looks at me with those eyes now!"
Lila stood her ground, her voice firm but steady. "Roger, enough. You're drunk. Come inside before the neighbors hear."
Her words hit a nerve. Roger's face twisted with fury. "Don't you tell me what to do!" he roared. "You think I don't know? It's because of you that everything fell apart! You're unlucky! Worthless!"
No matter what they said, they apologized.. Roger got even angrier and started to make more aggressive movements, shouting… Everyone could hear him now.
It was almost midnight. Roger's brother and mother, Dave's uncle and grandma came running. They all lived in the same building but in different flats. "Don't shout brother.. Look, kids are growing up.. Look how scared he is. Don't make a scene again. Let's go in and talk about what happened" calmed Ronald.
"Yes, listen to your brother and come inside.. Don't worry about these old bones anymore", grandmother went and grabbed Roger's hand to calm him down.
"Mother, this woman ruined my life. She is unlucky."
"You forced me to marry her.. Now look what happened" shouted Roger, pushing his mother Hera's hand away.
Hera sighed deeply, her heart heavy with both anger and sorrow.
Enough was enough!!!!
"What did I do, Roger?" Lila shouted back, her voice shaking with frustration. "I gave you two sons! I work from morning to night to feed this family! I manage the shop, take care of the kids—what more do you want from me?"
"Look look at this shameless woman, she is saying that I don't have enough income to support my sons. This is why my life is ruined. Fuck you.. Did your father make this house? Did your fucking father give me money to feed you all?" Roger started shouting.
Roger's face contorted with rage. He lunged toward her, but Ronald and Hera quickly restrained him.
"Calm down, Roger!" Ronald shouted, struggling to hold his brother back. "Sister-in-law didn't mean it like that. Just stop this already!"
Hera, her voice steady despite the chaos, added, "Roger, you're angry now, but you'll regret this in the morning. Let's go inside and talk later."
Both of them knew who was in the wrong and who was in the right in this, but they could only calm him down. He has done this before and correcting or scolding him has always backfired. He will become even more violent.
After a whole night of drama, Roger finally slept.
Once Roger had finally gone to bed, Hera approached Lila. "Don't be angry, my dear," she said gently. "You've done so much for this family. We're all grateful to you."
Lila nodded, her eyes filled with unshed tears. "Thank you, Mother," she whispered. Hera gave her a comforting pat on the shoulder before retreating to her flat.
Roger, before turning in, called out to Dave. "Don't be scared, son," he said, his voice unusually soft. "You're a man now, okay? Go to bed. You have school tomorrow."
Dave didn't respond. He simply nodded and went to his room.
Lying in bed, Dave stared at the ceiling, his small fists clenched tightly. Anger, fear, and frustration churned within him.
"I won't talk to him tomorrow," he thought bitterly. "Not until he promises never to do this again."
In the next room, Lila sobbed quietly, her cries muffled by her pillow. No one checked on Daniel, assuming he had fallen asleep. Whether he was truly sleeping or lying awake, silently absorbing the chaos, only he would know.
And so, the house fell into a fragile, uneasy silence.