This weekend was going to be fun. Dad was coming to town and we were going to the fun fair this weekend...as a family. For the first time in years we would all be together as a family and go somewhere nice after my parents messy divorce.
My name is Cindy and I come from a family of five. My parents - Ken and Georgia and my two older brothers - Bryan and Darren.
Whenever I’m excited I automatically turn into a chatterbox, I keep talking and talking in a frenzy. And since I heard dad was coming to spend the weekend with us I had been chattering all week. Finally daddy would be with his little girl again.
Friday Morning
I happily skipped down the stairs to the dining table to get breakfast before heading to school. Dad would be here this evening. Everyone was already sitted at the dining but mum excused herself to take a phone call.
“Hey guys!”. I greeted my older brothers.
“What’s up princess”. Bryan replied
“I know you can’t wait for dad to be here”. Darren added.
“You know it”. I said smiling.
Just then mum gets off the phone with a sad look on her face.
“Mum what’s wrong?”. Darren asked.
“Umm there’s been a change of plans”. She said
“Change of what plans?”. I asked.
“Dad won’t be able to make it again”. She said.
“Why? Is something wrong? Did anything happen to him? Why can’t he come? But he promised! I spoke to him last night. Can I call him? Did he tell you why? I don’t want to go to the fair without him!”. I was chattering again but this time I both angry and sad.
“Sweetie calm down”. Mum said
“Yea calm down. There has to be a reasonable explanation for this”. Bryan added.
“So why isn’t he coming mum?”. Darren asked
“Well...umm..How do I put this?. Your dad isn’t coming because he has to attend a family dinner with his new girlfriend. He said he couldn’t avoid missing it”. Mum spilled.
“What!”
“What!”
“What!”
I, Darren and Bryan shouted simultaneously.
“Mum you can’t be serious”. Darren said
“I’m suprised too. I mean he just called this morning to tell me so I had no idea”. She defended.
“This is crap! When did dad get a girlfriend? And suddenly she’s more important than we are? We made plans since last week and he cancels this morning because of her? He didn’t even have the decency to tell us, he had to ask mum to tell us? This had better be a joke”. I said and stormed off to school.
I spent the day regretting why I was so excited in the first place. I was used to dad disappointing us, why did I think this time would be different? I guess that’s life huh?
I came back from school and went straight to my room, determined to spend the rest of the weekend in there and drown myself in schoolwork and food. Everyone at home was in a bad mood.
The next day being Saturday was just as bad as the previous day. We had breakfast and there was hardly any conversation. Mum was really sad.
Towards the evening, she asked us all to get dressed that we would still go to the fun fair. With or without dad, we should still be able to have fun as a family. He shouldn’t dictate our happiness.
We were all reluctant to go at first but we ended up going and we had the best time ever! From carnival rides to roller coasters to playing games and wining prizes to cotton candy to eating literally anything we could lay our hands on to taking pictures in the photo booth. We had the best time plus the whole town was there so were our friends.
At the end of the day, we had ice cream cones in our hand and thanked mum for making us go.
“This was way better than spending the whole day locked up in my room”. I said loudly while we walked back to the car.
“Way better. I had so much fun”. Darren said.
“I ate so much food. I think I’m going to throw up”. Bryan said while rubbing his tummy.
“Not in my car you won’t. I just had it cleaned!”. Mum yelled.
We all laughed and headed back home.