Silent Pretty Things by O.J. Lovaz

Author:O.J. Lovaz [Lovaz, O.J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Omar Lopez-Vazquez
Published: 2021-06-02T22:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER XIII

Anna had dreaded leaving Michael alone with her father. It was torture to think of the vicious, appalling rhetoric Michael was likely being subjected to at that very moment while she waited for a batch of butter rolls to be ready. Rectangular trays with clear lids, full of side dishes and appetizers, crowded the kitchen counter and the dining table. Her mom was planning to take them to the large picnic table out front just after five when the others started arriving. It wouldn’t be long now, Anna thought.

Three more minutes for the rolls in the oven, and her mom would not stop talking about the most excruciatingly trivial matters. Perhaps, she feared that any moment not filled up with meaningless chatter could become one of those brief silences that often lead to genuine dialogue; and that could derail a perfect day of pretend family bonding. She was dying to take a peek at Michael. She shouldn’t have brought him.

The timer reached zero, and she opened the oven. Golden perfection! The rich, buttery smell filled her nostrils, and she stopped thinking about Michael and her father for a whole minute. She had a roll, and so did her mother. Oh, they were scrumptious. Finally, something they could truly enjoy together. “I’m going to check on your dad and Michael, see if they need anything,” said her mother. Anna followed closely behind her, and as she stepped out onto the front porch, Anna rushed to a window from which she could see them up close, looking through the blinds so as to remain unseen.

Michael smiled, but it didn’t seem genuine. He looked rather uncomfortable. Her father must have been grilling him with insolent questions the whole time. He must have offended him in some way. If this did anything to damage her relationship with Michael, she would have no one but herself to blame for it.

Her mother approached the table. Through the thick glass, she could only make out a few words. Now, her father smiled and put a hand on Michael’s shoulder. Anna tried hard to listen—something, “most interesting chat I’ve had,” something, something. What the hell did he say? Was he being sarcastic? Of course. There was that face he always made. What was he saying now? She couldn’t make it out, but clearly, it had been an offensive remark. She could see it on her mother’s face—he had humiliated her in front of Michael, the same way he always did in the presence of her kids. The disgraceful scene made her cheeks flush and her fists clench. Anger and shame overwhelmed her senses.

What happened next was rather unexpected. Her mother turned around abruptly and faced her tormentor defiantly. Anna couldn’t hear the words, but her mother’s face was taut with anger, and her lips quivered as she spoke. Michael was evidently quite alarmed. Her father’s face now grew menacing as he spoke. The expression on his face chilled Anna to the core. She had only seen it once before—the day he gave Frank that awful beating.

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