The Choices
It was a normal day in the boat. And by normal I mean a complete chaos.
"DEWEY, LOUIE, STOP NOW!" I heard Huey's scream while he tried to stop Dewey and Louie from fighting (over something I didn't knew). I was in the kitchen preparing the food, and my nerves were increasing so fast that they were about to explode.
"GUYS, STOP FIGHTING HIMSELF NOW!" I was not in the mood, and I wanted all this to stop and continue with dinner, but today the boys were acting worse than other days.
The fight didn't stop, and I had to turn around and leave the kitchen to stop Dewey and Louie.
"HE STARTED" Louie and Dewey said at the same time.
"I do not care who started, I need you to stop! Right now!" I had to keep calm. We were going to dinner, like a normal family...
Until I felt smoke on my face.
"... it smells like burning," Huey said, and we stayed a few seconds in silence until the fire alarm went off.
"... THE DINNER!" I screamed, letting go the boys and running again into the kitchen to try to stop the fire.
At the moment, Huey tried to use his Junior Woodchuck Guidebook to find how to turn it off but it took a long time. And Louie only recorded everything with the cell phone. I took a blanket to wave it to the fire, but instead of turning it off I fanned the fire, and when I saw that the fire worsened I left the blanket and took the hose from the kitchen and poured water on the stove.
We no longer had dinner.
And then Dewey arrived with the extinguisher and threw it on me.
... Ok I can't anymore.
"... AAAAAAAAAH!" I wanted to shout at them, scold them and punish them for life! But…
I thought about myself: I could have been a sailor, I could been continue to adventure, I could have accepted that actor job with Mick, I could have went out with Daisy so many times…
When everything went to hell? ...
It was when she left them on my door.
Della
When she told me she was pregnant, I really didn't thought it would end this way.
It was a Friday, we were coming from and adventure on Guatemala, and she was really dizzy when we were on the plane. I didn't suspected anything, I don't know why, maybe because we have flyed on worse airs… But then she decided to ask us an apologize for the turbulent fly, because she was going to have a baby.
Let's say it was one of the happiest days of my life. I was going to be an uncle!
She laid three eggs a week. She was already determined to be a mother; buying everything so that Huey, Dewey and Louie would grow up and be good children. She seemed quite happy to make that decision...
But one day she came to my house, and left me the eggs in charge for a couple of hours, Isaying she was going out with Scrooge somewhere. I don't know why I didn't stopped her, because I never saw her again.
Since that day I have stopped taking many opportunities that came to me, I have decided to stop doing many things that I like...
I remember when they broke the shell. First it was Huey shaking his tiny wings, then Dewey came out laughing, and finally Louie came out crying. It was ... Something I liked to see. Those little ducks get out of those shells that protected them, straight to a blanket that I had prepared for each one. I felt like I was alive again, to be honest.
I remember when they said their first words. Huey was the first to say something, and said "Uncle". Then it was Dewey, who said "Milk". And Louie (who more than anything babbled) came to say "Silly Dewy", I think it was because Dewey took his feeding bottle.
I remember their first day of kindergarten. Dewey was the first to get in, excited, without realizing that I would leave them for eight straight hours. Huey got in with some shyness but soon he made a couple of friends. And Louie finally entered, who did not want to separate from my leg.
I remember when Huey enlisted with the junior woodchuck's, and the pride on his look when he came home to show us all his first badge.
I remember when Dewey came to the house with a script in hand, saying that he had been given the lead role in a school play in elementary school. And when we went to see it. Louie was a tree in that work, and Huey was the narrator.
I remember when Louie came home with his first math notes, and how he had been invited to be part of the state mental calculation. And when he won that bronze medal, and how he started looking for bright things everywhere thanks to that medal.
I remember when I taught them to ride a bicycle, when I taught them how to swim, when they had their first scrapes, blows, the first disease they had ...
... I remember when my life changed from being only me and my fears, to taking care of these three children. Messy, some kind of naughty, difficult, different, brothers...
… Hey, you know what?... I wont change anything.
I wiped my face after reassuring myself a little.
"... Un-Uncle Donald? ..." Dewey raised his voice a little, afraid.
"... Wow, dinner is ruined. Do you want a pizza? "
"... You… Aren't angry? ..."
"Not angry, kinda annoyed, but these accidents happen a lot..."
"..." The three turned to look.
"So, pizza?"
"... Peperoni please" Louie said,
And I'm not going to change this life. My life is perfect as it is.
I'm not their progenitor, I'm not their dad. But I would die for them a thousand times.