Family portrait.
Sounds and memories from a long time ago filled Matt Ishida's head as he tossed and turned in his bed, somehow not waking his red headed wife up.
Another time... long ago... Thirty years ago?... No... Not that long. It's closer to twenty....
I was like eight years old and it was nearing my birthday but I could tell already that something wasn't right. While walking through the apartment a week before I turned nine, I overheard my parents fighting
"You can't miss his birthday, though!" Mom hissed, struggling to keep her voice down.
"I can't help it! They need people to do this..."
"And it's more important than he is?"
"Don't blame this on me," Dad attempted to defend himself. "The station needs me."
"Oh, and your son doesn't?" she snapped.
As this fight continued on, I slipped to our bedroom and looked at T.K. as he sat at the small desk, swinging his feet back and forth and writing something-- probably for school. He seemed oblivious to the shout-match that was going on downstairs so I sat on the bottom bunk and pulled out my harmonica, playing it lightly to drown out the slight sounds of the fighting in the kitchen.
_~_~_~
Amazingly, my nineth birthday passed by peacefully and Dad did stay for the party that night, telling me he'd just work overtime the next day. When he did return, at almost eleven at night, Mom had sat up to wait for him and the instant he entered, the fighting began again. Every time I got a little comfortable, they would start shouting again and I'd be wide awake again. How did my six year old brother stay asleep through it? I still don't know that.
_)_)_)_)_)_(
Finally, after a month of this fighting, my parents waited till TK was asleep to call me into their bedroom and they explained that they were divorcing. For awhile, my life swirled out of control as everything was split and I knew it would be a long time till I saw either Mom or TK again. In the back of my confused mind, I guess I blamed it on Mom because she was the one to leave after all.
_*_*_*_*_*_*
Matt sat up, gasping after this dream and stood up, grabbing a light blue robe from a hook on the door before leaving the dark bedroom. He felt his way to the room next to theirs and opened the door carefully, looking at the small crib that was holding his girl, Sizuki. She was only a year old but she already had red hair with beautiful blonde streaks and blue eyes. He walked over to her and gently rested his hand on her head before whispering, "You'll never go through what I had to. I promise. We'll make sure of that." He turned as his wife entered and he smiled at her before running his hands through her bright red hair. "I promise." He wrapped his arm around her as she leaned against him and they kissed.
You fight about money, bout me and my brother
And this I come home to, this is my shelter
It ain't easy growin up in World War III
Never knowin what love could be, you'll see
I don't want love to destroy me like it has done
my family
Can we work it out? Can we be a family?
I promise I'll be better, Mommy I'll do anything
Can we work it out? Can we be a family?
I promise I'll be better, Daddy please don't
leave
Sounds and memories from a long time ago filled Matt Ishida's head as he tossed and turned in his bed, somehow not waking his red headed wife up.
Another time... long ago... Thirty years ago?... No... Not that long. It's closer to twenty....
I was like eight years old and it was nearing my birthday but I could tell already that something wasn't right. While walking through the apartment a week before I turned nine, I overheard my parents fighting
"You can't miss his birthday, though!" Mom hissed, struggling to keep her voice down.
"I can't help it! They need people to do this..."
"And it's more important than he is?"
"Don't blame this on me," Dad attempted to defend himself. "The station needs me."
"Oh, and your son doesn't?" she snapped.
As this fight continued on, I slipped to our bedroom and looked at T.K. as he sat at the small desk, swinging his feet back and forth and writing something-- probably for school. He seemed oblivious to the shout-match that was going on downstairs so I sat on the bottom bunk and pulled out my harmonica, playing it lightly to drown out the slight sounds of the fighting in the kitchen.
_~_~_~
Amazingly, my nineth birthday passed by peacefully and Dad did stay for the party that night, telling me he'd just work overtime the next day. When he did return, at almost eleven at night, Mom had sat up to wait for him and the instant he entered, the fighting began again. Every time I got a little comfortable, they would start shouting again and I'd be wide awake again. How did my six year old brother stay asleep through it? I still don't know that.
_)_)_)_)_)_(
Finally, after a month of this fighting, my parents waited till TK was asleep to call me into their bedroom and they explained that they were divorcing. For awhile, my life swirled out of control as everything was split and I knew it would be a long time till I saw either Mom or TK again. In the back of my confused mind, I guess I blamed it on Mom because she was the one to leave after all.
_*_*_*_*_*_*
Matt sat up, gasping after this dream and stood up, grabbing a light blue robe from a hook on the door before leaving the dark bedroom. He felt his way to the room next to theirs and opened the door carefully, looking at the small crib that was holding his girl, Sizuki. She was only a year old but she already had red hair with beautiful blonde streaks and blue eyes. He walked over to her and gently rested his hand on her head before whispering, "You'll never go through what I had to. I promise. We'll make sure of that." He turned as his wife entered and he smiled at her before running his hands through her bright red hair. "I promise." He wrapped his arm around her as she leaned against him and they kissed.
You fight about money, bout me and my brother
And this I come home to, this is my shelter
It ain't easy growin up in World War III
Never knowin what love could be, you'll see
I don't want love to destroy me like it has done
my family
Can we work it out? Can we be a family?
I promise I'll be better, Mommy I'll do anything
Can we work it out? Can we be a family?
I promise I'll be better, Daddy please don't
leave