Unexpected Visits
Miron rode wearily towards his house, his body aching from the workload he had been given at the bakery for the community Tuesday. All he wanted was to go home, collapse on his bed and avoid spending the rest of the day with the people in the Townsquare. He was looking forward to his meeting with Billie and Ivan, but he suddenly remembered that he had forgotten to check up on Ivan.
"Maybe I'll check up on him when we meet up," he thought to himself.
He entered his house and looked warily inside, feeling anxious as he tiptoed to his room upstairs. Suddenly, he heard a loud crash and felt a searing pain at the back of his head. He stumbled forward, blood dripping from his wound, and turned to see his father standing behind him, eyes wild with fury.
"Where have you been, You fucking bastard?" his father snarled. "Trying to humiliate me by working those lowly part-time jobs?"
Miron remained silent, his heart pounding in his chest. He slowly made his way up the stairs to his room, but then his father grabbed him by the hair and started beating him up. Miron could've easily overpowered his father, but for some reason, he couldn't bring himself to do that.
The beating continued, the sound of bones crunching and skin bruising filling the air, until finally, his father collapsed onto the floor in exhaustion.
Miron lay there for a moment, bloodied and bruised, before picking himself up. He knew he had to get out of there, away from his abusive father and the suffocating town that had trapped him for far too long.
Just then, someone rang the bell of the house. It was so sudden that his father was taken aback, and a moment of fear crept onto his face. He signaled Miron to go upstairs, nodding his head and went to get the door.
Before entirely hiding himself from view, Miron looked back to see who it was. His heart sank when he saw the familiar face he had seen years ago.
"Well, well, if it isn't the moron I was married to once. Still jobless and hopeless, eh?" the woman at the door entered the house, speaking vaguely and looking around, squinting her nose.
His father was too stunned to speak. His mother had left him as a child with his father after his father went astray and reckless, and got fired for not being sincere at his work.
It was hell for Miron, passing by each day meant so much to him, and now his mother was back? He felt a little happy and slowly got back down the stairs.
As Miron descended the stairs, his eyes were fixed on the scene unfolding before him. His father stood rooted to the spot, his face ashen with shock and disbelief. Miron's mother, whom he hadn't seen in years, had suddenly reappeared at their doorstep like a ghost from the past. The memories of his childhood, the endless arguments, and the constant feeling of emptiness came flooding back to him, but there was also a glimmer of hope in his heart.
Miron's eyes met with his mother's, and for a brief moment, he saw a flicker of tenderness in her gaze.
"Miron, my baby," she said, sounding kind and spreading her arms for a hug.
He hesitated for a moment, his mind reeling from the sudden appearance of his estranged mother. But as she spread her arms for a hug, he felt an overwhelming sense of relief wash over him. It had been years since he had seen her, and he had always secretly hoped that she would come back and rescue him from his miserable existence. He quickly walked down the stairs and wrapped his arms around her.
As they embraced, his mother carefully looked at him, patting him on the back. Suddenly, her expression turned to one of grim determination as she turned to face his father, who had a look of horror.
"I'm taking my son with me," she said, then turning to Miron. "Take what's necessary, my boy. You'll not need much since you'll turn 18 at the end of this month, and I will buy you anything you want."
Miron hesitated for a moment, looking at his father, who had been his only caretaker for years. He felt a pang of guilt and sadness at the thought of leaving him behind, but the sight of his mother's welcoming embrace was too tempting to resist. He rushed upstairs to pack his things, feeling a mix of excitement and apprehension about the unknown future that awaited him.
Miron's father was too stunned to speak. His face was a mask of horror as he realized that he was losing his grip on his son. He had always known that Miron would leave him one day, but he never thought it would be like this.
"You...You're not taking him anywhere," he managed to blurt out, his trembling hand pointing at his mother.
Miron had now sneakily slid behind his mother as he came back from his room.
His mother laughed, a sound that was bitter and angry. She looked at him with disgust, as if he was nothing but a pathetic creature that deserved to be pitied.
"Oh, yes I am," she said, her voice laced with venom. "I don't think you can do anything about it".
"How dare you threaten me like this in my own house?!", His father snarled back refusing to accept his defeat.
"Your house?" Said His mother mockingly looking around the house. "I believe it was Golubev Family's not the asset that you had earned?" She raised her eyebrows at his father.
His father's face was flushed with rage, and the way he clenched his fists and gnashed his teeth made it seem like he was on the brink of exploding. Miron could sense the seething anger radiating from him, but he was relieved that his father couldn't take it out on him at that moment.
"You bitch, I will kill you -- I swear!" his father spoke gritting his teeth.
His mother's expression turned cold as she said,
"Listen up, you shithead! You've been abusing my child, and I will gladly take you to the police station with my husband's influence." She had purposefully pressed on 'husband,' implying that she was doing better off without him.
"Now, we don't want that do we? You're already in a mess", His mother smirked at his father.
His father stood there helpless and pathetic as he stared at them walk past him.
Miron couldn't believe what was happening. He had dreamt about this moment countless times, but never thought it would actually happen. He quickly gathered his things and followed his mother out of the house, not daring to look back. He felt a mixture of relief and sadness wash over him as he walked away from his old life.
As they walked down the street, Miron couldn't help but feel a sense of familiarity with his mother, despite not having seen her in years. She had a kind aura about her that put him at ease.