CHAPTER FOUR: BROKEN FAMILY
Ten years later, Val and Andre had two children. 9 year old Erik, and 3
year old Marie. But things had changed. Everything was different now, and
Val was miserable.
No one from Val's past had talked to her any more, still unable to accept
her marriage with Andre, but that's not where the worst part lye.
She left work early so she could go meet her husband and her children in
the park. She new what to expect, but she was still making an effort.
Erik, who looked a lot like his father, was a little plump in his stomach,
which Val really didn't understand considering both his parents were in
great shape, was standing underneath the slide, staring out into space. He
wasn't a very happy child. And his mental abilities were very limited. He
wasn't retarded, but he wasn't a very smart boy either. He was titled the
school bully.
Marie on the other hand was just as perfect as her father. She looked just
like him. Val sometimes wished her children looked something like her. But
some how, the sperm implanted in Andre's body had developed his features
and their children inherited them.
Andre turned and saw his wife standing there. He grabbed Marie and carried
her over to Val. Erik followed. Val bent down to face her son. "Hi honey.
Hi Erik." She said softly. "Can mommy have a hug?" But she already new the
answer. He shyly hid behind his father. She stould up, and tried to embrace
her daughter, but Marie squealed out in pain and buried her face into her
father's chest. Val looked pleadingly at Andre, but he just shrugged.
But seeing the pain in Val's eyes, he looked down at Erik. "Erik, give your
mother a hug." Erik looked up at his father begging him to reconsider, but
André sternly said, "Now!"
Erik looked at his mother with so much hate in his eyes, and reluctantly
and slow treaded to her. She opened her arms to him and smiled big. He
walked up to her and stopped right in front of her. He stould with his arms
to his sides and let her wrap her arms around him. He just stould still.
Val let the hug sink in, not sure when she would receive another one. She
finally let go and instantly he ran and hid behind his father.
She stould up and looked at her husband. She hoped he could see what she
was feeling through her eyes, but he ignored her, took Erik's hand and
happily they walked home leaving Val to follow after.
That night as Val and Andre lay in bed, she tried to talk to him. "How was
your day?" She asked.
"Fine."
"Did you have fun with the children?"
"Yes."
"Was the lunch I made for you O.K?"
"Yes."
She finally gave up and turned to face away from him. Tears fell from her
eyes soaking her pillow, and she tried not to make any sobbing sounds. But
he new she was crying.
"What?" He asked harshly.
"Nothing."
"Val. Don't lie to me. Tell me what's wrong."
"Like you care."
"Don't be like that. Fine if you don't want to tell me than forget it."
She shot up in her bed, and yelled at him. "When was the last time we made
love?"
"Val shh, you'll wake the children."
"What, you mean our children? Or do you mean your children?"
"What?"
"Those kids hate me. My own children hate me. Why? Why is it? Is it cause I
work?"
"Val, they don't hate you."
"Oh, than explain why you had to make Erik hug me today in the park."
"He's shy."
"Yeah and he's completely shy around you isn't he?"
"Val that's not fair."
"I have spent every waking moment dedicated to my children, and they might
as well spit in my face, and you sure as hell don't do anything to help."
"Val."
"Do you even love me any more?"
"Wait, how did we get from your children hating you to me not loving you?"
"Just anwer the question Andre. Do you love me any more?"
He stared at her for a while. "Yes, of course I do."
She could hear the insincerity in his voice. At that moment, she could feel
her body grow cold. She nodded her head ready to accept the truth. "Get out
of my room."
"What?"
"You heard me. I said get out." She screamed and threw a pillow at him.
"You can sleep on the couch, where ever, I don't care. I just don't want to
see you right now."
"Val?"
"Get out!"
They turned to the door at the sound of a shuffling noise and the children
were standing there. When they saw they were caught, they ran and stould in
front of their father. They held their arms out as if to protect him.
"Leave." Erik said to her.
Andre placed his hands on his children's heads and they wrapped their arms
around his legs. "You can't yell at daddy!" Marie told Val.
Val knew she had lost, so she grabbed her pillow and went down stairs. She
couldn't sleep, so she went to her computer to check her e-mail. A letter
came from an address that looked familiar but she couldn't quite remember.
It
read:
Dear Val,
I know it's been a while. 10 years I believe, but I miss you incredibly. I
asked around and found out where you're living now, and I really want to
see you. Be expecting a visit from me soon.
Yours always, Tyler
P.S: I know you're married, so please don't worry about that.
Val almost killed over right there. Tyler was coming! The greatest friend
she'd ever known was coming to visit her. It was a foreign thing to her,
the thought of having someone come visit. Everyone she'd ever known
disowned her after she'd married Andre. And the girls at work weren't all
that friendly. She'd been incredibly lonely since her and André started
drifting. It must have started about 5 years ago when the physical part of
their relationship died. He said he didn't need that anymore, that it
didn't excite him. Val thought that was her fault, and grew cold towards
him.
But now, someone was coming to see her. And not just anyone, Tyler Connell.
But when? She turned on all the downstairs lights and started cleaning. She
wanted the house to be perfect him. she spent 3 hours scrubbing, and
sweeping, and straightening up. When she finished, she'd felt a lot better.
She went upstairs to check on everyone. When she opened the door to her
bedroom, the children were sleeping on the bed curled up to their father.
She wanted to cry, but the thought of Tyler cheered her up, and as she
turned around and walked out, Andre's eyes shot open, and he watched her
leave the room. Erik stirred in his sleep, and Andre tightened a
comforting arm to ease his slumber.
Ten years later, Val and Andre had two children. 9 year old Erik, and 3
year old Marie. But things had changed. Everything was different now, and
Val was miserable.
No one from Val's past had talked to her any more, still unable to accept
her marriage with Andre, but that's not where the worst part lye.
She left work early so she could go meet her husband and her children in
the park. She new what to expect, but she was still making an effort.
Erik, who looked a lot like his father, was a little plump in his stomach,
which Val really didn't understand considering both his parents were in
great shape, was standing underneath the slide, staring out into space. He
wasn't a very happy child. And his mental abilities were very limited. He
wasn't retarded, but he wasn't a very smart boy either. He was titled the
school bully.
Marie on the other hand was just as perfect as her father. She looked just
like him. Val sometimes wished her children looked something like her. But
some how, the sperm implanted in Andre's body had developed his features
and their children inherited them.
Andre turned and saw his wife standing there. He grabbed Marie and carried
her over to Val. Erik followed. Val bent down to face her son. "Hi honey.
Hi Erik." She said softly. "Can mommy have a hug?" But she already new the
answer. He shyly hid behind his father. She stould up, and tried to embrace
her daughter, but Marie squealed out in pain and buried her face into her
father's chest. Val looked pleadingly at Andre, but he just shrugged.
But seeing the pain in Val's eyes, he looked down at Erik. "Erik, give your
mother a hug." Erik looked up at his father begging him to reconsider, but
André sternly said, "Now!"
Erik looked at his mother with so much hate in his eyes, and reluctantly
and slow treaded to her. She opened her arms to him and smiled big. He
walked up to her and stopped right in front of her. He stould with his arms
to his sides and let her wrap her arms around him. He just stould still.
Val let the hug sink in, not sure when she would receive another one. She
finally let go and instantly he ran and hid behind his father.
She stould up and looked at her husband. She hoped he could see what she
was feeling through her eyes, but he ignored her, took Erik's hand and
happily they walked home leaving Val to follow after.
That night as Val and Andre lay in bed, she tried to talk to him. "How was
your day?" She asked.
"Fine."
"Did you have fun with the children?"
"Yes."
"Was the lunch I made for you O.K?"
"Yes."
She finally gave up and turned to face away from him. Tears fell from her
eyes soaking her pillow, and she tried not to make any sobbing sounds. But
he new she was crying.
"What?" He asked harshly.
"Nothing."
"Val. Don't lie to me. Tell me what's wrong."
"Like you care."
"Don't be like that. Fine if you don't want to tell me than forget it."
She shot up in her bed, and yelled at him. "When was the last time we made
love?"
"Val shh, you'll wake the children."
"What, you mean our children? Or do you mean your children?"
"What?"
"Those kids hate me. My own children hate me. Why? Why is it? Is it cause I
work?"
"Val, they don't hate you."
"Oh, than explain why you had to make Erik hug me today in the park."
"He's shy."
"Yeah and he's completely shy around you isn't he?"
"Val that's not fair."
"I have spent every waking moment dedicated to my children, and they might
as well spit in my face, and you sure as hell don't do anything to help."
"Val."
"Do you even love me any more?"
"Wait, how did we get from your children hating you to me not loving you?"
"Just anwer the question Andre. Do you love me any more?"
He stared at her for a while. "Yes, of course I do."
She could hear the insincerity in his voice. At that moment, she could feel
her body grow cold. She nodded her head ready to accept the truth. "Get out
of my room."
"What?"
"You heard me. I said get out." She screamed and threw a pillow at him.
"You can sleep on the couch, where ever, I don't care. I just don't want to
see you right now."
"Val?"
"Get out!"
They turned to the door at the sound of a shuffling noise and the children
were standing there. When they saw they were caught, they ran and stould in
front of their father. They held their arms out as if to protect him.
"Leave." Erik said to her.
Andre placed his hands on his children's heads and they wrapped their arms
around his legs. "You can't yell at daddy!" Marie told Val.
Val knew she had lost, so she grabbed her pillow and went down stairs. She
couldn't sleep, so she went to her computer to check her e-mail. A letter
came from an address that looked familiar but she couldn't quite remember.
It
read:
Dear Val,
I know it's been a while. 10 years I believe, but I miss you incredibly. I
asked around and found out where you're living now, and I really want to
see you. Be expecting a visit from me soon.
Yours always, Tyler
P.S: I know you're married, so please don't worry about that.
Val almost killed over right there. Tyler was coming! The greatest friend
she'd ever known was coming to visit her. It was a foreign thing to her,
the thought of having someone come visit. Everyone she'd ever known
disowned her after she'd married Andre. And the girls at work weren't all
that friendly. She'd been incredibly lonely since her and André started
drifting. It must have started about 5 years ago when the physical part of
their relationship died. He said he didn't need that anymore, that it
didn't excite him. Val thought that was her fault, and grew cold towards
him.
But now, someone was coming to see her. And not just anyone, Tyler Connell.
But when? She turned on all the downstairs lights and started cleaning. She
wanted the house to be perfect him. she spent 3 hours scrubbing, and
sweeping, and straightening up. When she finished, she'd felt a lot better.
She went upstairs to check on everyone. When she opened the door to her
bedroom, the children were sleeping on the bed curled up to their father.
She wanted to cry, but the thought of Tyler cheered her up, and as she
turned around and walked out, Andre's eyes shot open, and he watched her
leave the room. Erik stirred in his sleep, and Andre tightened a
comforting arm to ease his slumber.