Dyani

Part 16

After my preparations for dinner, dad walked in with a large bouquet. He came close and unwillingly I took a step back. He seemed to have wanted to kiss my cheek. His eyes flashed to angry for a moment, but went to guilty straight away.

‘I’m very sorry,’ he mumbled. ‘I bought flowers to apologize.’

He came close again and gave me a small peck on the cheek. I took the flowers from his hand and started looking for a vase. I had to watch my cooking as well, since I had put all the pots and pans on the stove. Soon we were all at the dinner table, eating in utter silence, a large bouquet in the middle of the table. I wasn’t really sure what I should say, I didn’t feel right thanking him. To me, that would feel like, thanking him for beating me senseless. I still felt the red painful places on my back stinging when I’d use my back. When I finished eating, I put away my plate and cutlery, I also fixed a dessert for my father and Thijn.

‘I have to go to work,’ I said, leaving quickly.

During my bikeride, I couldn’t help but think about the changes in our household. Me and Thijn hardly fought anymore, unlike two weeks ago, when we fought every day. Dad seemed to want to prove he was dominant over me, even though I had never had or shown aspirations to be his superior at home. I felt Thijn and me really grew up, became more mature and that dad was growing more immature, especially when he had been drinking. I arrived at work a few minutes past six, Jennifer immediately gestured I should hurry myself to the kitchen, so I did. One of my colleagues was sick, so some of the preparations hadn’t even been done yet. I quickly bound my hair in a ponytail and started working.

After forty five minutes I finally caught up with my colleagues. Luckily, most  of the unprepared work was for dessert, so as I finished that I could help with making up plates and cook the food. Several hours later we finished up, without anyone being able to wash the plates, we had to do them after work. As I arrived home, it was way past one in the morning, but we had some laughs during the work in the kitchen. I could almost forget about the horrible things happening at home, but I certainly had to go back there. We exited the kitchen and everyone was in awe. I looked around, but I didn’t see what they saw.

‘What’s going on?’ I asked.

Jennifer pointed at the flowers, they were all blooming, every flower in the immediate vicinity had come up with utter beauty. Daffodils, daisies, dandelions, roses, lilies, there were even some flowers that had come up outside of their season.

‘They are beautiful. Someone must have planted them,’ Jennifer mumbled.

‘I have to go home,’ I said and got on my bike.

I arrived home just around two in the morning. I locked my bike and opened the door carefully. Usually my father would still be awake, but I didn’t want to wake up Thijn. I closed it gently as well and looked outside the window for a moment. Everywhere I had looked, I had seen blooming flowers, but not in our own garden. Jennifer must have been right, someone must have planted the other ones. I tiptoed through the kitchen, from the hallway I could look into the living room. I saw my father lying on the couch, passed out with a empty bottle of whiskey on the table. There was a glass next to it, almost empty. I decided not to disturb a sleeping lion and walked to the second floor on my toes. Carefully stepping over the creaking steps. I looked in Thijn’s room, he was sleeping sound and I bent down to give him a small kiss on the forehead. He turned to the wall and luckily didn’t wake up. By the time I got upstairs, to my attic, my feet felt so heavy I just dropped myself on my bed without taking off my clothes. I pulled my blanket over my body, Elmo crawled on top of me and I fell asleep almost instantaneously.

Just before my alarm went off I heard someone entering my room. I felt a pounce on top of me and curled myself up as a ball. I started to shiver, but quickly noticed that the object that had given me pain on my old bruises, didn’t leave.

‘Wake up, sleepyhead!’ I heard Thijn yell enthusiastically.

It was thursday, so I had to get him ready for school and myself too. I ordered Thijn to get dressed and did the same for myself. I tossed some books in my bag and went downstairs. Thijn was still in his room, struggling with the zipper on his pants. I let him be, I knew he could do it and if it became too great a challenge he would come down to ask my help. I prepared Thijn’s lunch and made him breakfast. While I was in the kitchen I heard dad leave through the front door, without eating breakfast or preparing lunch for himself. It didn’t bother me, now I didn’t have to see him the entire day. I quickly cut up an apple and ate it for breakfast and Thijn came down to eat his bread. I decided to buy my lunch in the cafeteria today, that would save me some time now. I had to urge Thijn to eat his food quickly and made him drink a glass of milk too. Then we had to leave to get there in time.

‘See you this afternoon, I’ll be as fast as I can be!’ I said and kissed him on the forehead.

‘See you then!’ he said and went into the building.

I quickly had to race off to school, only to get there just in time.

Time went by fairly quickly, I had to pick up Thijn from school and together we went for some last minute groceries. I got them two microwave meals, because I didn’t know if my colleague was better today. I wanted to be there in time, so we wouldn’t have the same problem as the day before.