Home Movies
~~~~~~~~~
Jacob's face filled the screen, a smile lighting his face, Mark stood beside him also grinning from ear too ear, eyes on the camera aimed at them. A large banner wishing 'Happy Birthday' was hanging above their heads and they had paused in the middle of hanging decorations as the camera had been aimed at them. Sam smiled at how young they looked and how 'dated' the furniture around them was.
"Jake would you like to give a running commentary for your daughter on yet another year gone by?"
Sam's breath hitched in her throat for a moment as her mother's voice came across the screen. Jacobs's face lit up further and he neared toward the camera lens.
"Well Sammie as you can see a lot of preparation is going on to celebrate."
"The fact you're another year older sis"
Marks head butted around his dads a goofy grin on his face. Sam smiled, was he ever that young? Come to thin of it was her dad? Jacob caught his son in a friendly headlock and continued while Mark tried to escape his grasp.
"As you can see we have slaved night and day to present you with the finest decorations a person could ask for"
"We started an hour ago and we found the decorations in a box upstairs, we hijacked the birthday banner and balloons from John's party next door and we re-wrapped your gifts from last year"
Jacob managed to cover his son's mouth with his hand and the screen shook slightly from the obvious laughter coming from her mom. Sam smiled to herself trust Mark and Jacob to make a farce of a birthday video. And thank goodness, home movies were usually so boring, never with her family. The scene cut abruptly to start once more in a long walk through of the living room and dining area now over-decorated with banners, streamers, and balloons. Sam remembered all parties used to be like that, over done but in a good way. Always plenty of fun to be had.
Letting the video run on Sam went back into the kitchen and grabbed a bag of chips from a cupboard a wine glass and white wine from the fridge. The video was giving her a mixture of feelings including nostalgia, hunger, and feeling older. She wasn't a person to let age getting to her but looking at the age of her brother and father on screen she knew she wasn't gonna like it when she herself. She settled back in front of the TV as the camera was moving from dining room to the kitchen.
"And in here" came across her fathers voice "Is your mother putting the finishing touches to the wonderful cake she has made."
"Sshh Jake wait till I hide the box before you say that"
Sam's mother smiled as Jake approached camera aimed at her. A large iced cake was on the table and she was busy putting the final candles onto it.
"No store could make cakes like that sweetie."
"You're just saying that to get a piece now"
"Is it working"
"Nope"
Her mom flashed a wide smile to the lens and Sam's own smile matched it though her eyes were misting over slightly. Shaking herself she poured herself a glass of wine and took a long drawn out drink. Her mom held the icing spoon off camera and Sam heard a 'mmm' of approval come from her father who had obviously taken a mouthful.
"Now Jake put the camera down for one second and go get changed. She'll be hear any moment."
The scene cut once more. Sam paused the tape for a moment as an image of her mother once more graced the scene this time with her father and both dressed to the nines for the occasion. Tears welled in Sam's eyes and a lump formed in her throat. She took another gulp of wine and refilled her glass in order to stem the threat of upset tempting to escape. Hazy memories filled her mind of her mother and the birthday celebration was becoming more clearly in her head as the tape wore on. Sam kicked herself repeatedly, as memories would haze of her mom sometimes. However, the obvious pain, which came about when she watched any home movies, had her between a rock and hard place. Remember her mom with more clarity and more heartache or as a fading memory, that she was afraid would one day disappear completely. Sam tried to wrack her brain of how many times she saw her parents so happy together.
~~~~~~~~~
Jacob's face filled the screen, a smile lighting his face, Mark stood beside him also grinning from ear too ear, eyes on the camera aimed at them. A large banner wishing 'Happy Birthday' was hanging above their heads and they had paused in the middle of hanging decorations as the camera had been aimed at them. Sam smiled at how young they looked and how 'dated' the furniture around them was.
"Jake would you like to give a running commentary for your daughter on yet another year gone by?"
Sam's breath hitched in her throat for a moment as her mother's voice came across the screen. Jacobs's face lit up further and he neared toward the camera lens.
"Well Sammie as you can see a lot of preparation is going on to celebrate."
"The fact you're another year older sis"
Marks head butted around his dads a goofy grin on his face. Sam smiled, was he ever that young? Come to thin of it was her dad? Jacob caught his son in a friendly headlock and continued while Mark tried to escape his grasp.
"As you can see we have slaved night and day to present you with the finest decorations a person could ask for"
"We started an hour ago and we found the decorations in a box upstairs, we hijacked the birthday banner and balloons from John's party next door and we re-wrapped your gifts from last year"
Jacob managed to cover his son's mouth with his hand and the screen shook slightly from the obvious laughter coming from her mom. Sam smiled to herself trust Mark and Jacob to make a farce of a birthday video. And thank goodness, home movies were usually so boring, never with her family. The scene cut abruptly to start once more in a long walk through of the living room and dining area now over-decorated with banners, streamers, and balloons. Sam remembered all parties used to be like that, over done but in a good way. Always plenty of fun to be had.
Letting the video run on Sam went back into the kitchen and grabbed a bag of chips from a cupboard a wine glass and white wine from the fridge. The video was giving her a mixture of feelings including nostalgia, hunger, and feeling older. She wasn't a person to let age getting to her but looking at the age of her brother and father on screen she knew she wasn't gonna like it when she herself. She settled back in front of the TV as the camera was moving from dining room to the kitchen.
"And in here" came across her fathers voice "Is your mother putting the finishing touches to the wonderful cake she has made."
"Sshh Jake wait till I hide the box before you say that"
Sam's mother smiled as Jake approached camera aimed at her. A large iced cake was on the table and she was busy putting the final candles onto it.
"No store could make cakes like that sweetie."
"You're just saying that to get a piece now"
"Is it working"
"Nope"
Her mom flashed a wide smile to the lens and Sam's own smile matched it though her eyes were misting over slightly. Shaking herself she poured herself a glass of wine and took a long drawn out drink. Her mom held the icing spoon off camera and Sam heard a 'mmm' of approval come from her father who had obviously taken a mouthful.
"Now Jake put the camera down for one second and go get changed. She'll be hear any moment."
The scene cut once more. Sam paused the tape for a moment as an image of her mother once more graced the scene this time with her father and both dressed to the nines for the occasion. Tears welled in Sam's eyes and a lump formed in her throat. She took another gulp of wine and refilled her glass in order to stem the threat of upset tempting to escape. Hazy memories filled her mind of her mother and the birthday celebration was becoming more clearly in her head as the tape wore on. Sam kicked herself repeatedly, as memories would haze of her mom sometimes. However, the obvious pain, which came about when she watched any home movies, had her between a rock and hard place. Remember her mom with more clarity and more heartache or as a fading memory, that she was afraid would one day disappear completely. Sam tried to wrack her brain of how many times she saw her parents so happy together.