The Big Move

It was the day we were supposedly packing from the house and city where I had spent sixteen years of my life.

"Get ready; the movers are on their way," my mom said, handing me a cup of dark and strong coffee —just how I liked it.

"I am. My stuff is packed already, I'm ready," I said, after taking a big gulp. I dropped the empty cup on the kitchen counter, sighing.

"You just don't get it, do you?" I asked out of the blue, totally frustrated with everything that was going on. It was happening too fast, my parents separated a month ago, and weeks after that, we were packing to a new town.

I didn't understand why we were packing, the city was my whole life, I knew every nook and cranny of it and then suddenly, like a whirlwind, it was slipping away from me.

"We've been over this already Debby," She said, acting uninterested.

"I get that you don't have anything left here, but what about me? What about my friends? What about dad? Just because you let him off doesn't mean I have to, and you can't decide that for me. You're just pissed dad moved on before you!" I spat out.

"Don't," Mom whispered. "Don't utter another statement. I'm your mother and I know what's good for you, and point of correction, I didn't just let him off, I have a good reason for divorcing him." She replied angrily.

"That's what you always say, good reason my foot!" I angrily wiped the tears that were falling freely. I was really mad at this point, "You're controlling, this is the same thing you did to Dad, you're always telling him what to do, what to eat, where to sleep. You didn't give the poor man a breathing space, you were practically in his hair, condemning him for the littlest mistake, as if that wasn't enough, you called him good for nothing Mom!" I cried out. "You called him good for nothing, I was there, behind the curtains that night you threw him out. He begged you, Mom, he was groveling, and what did you do? You shut the door on his face! Why mom?" I whispered. Why? The question that was bugging my mind since I saw that hurt-filled expression on Dad's face. Why?

"So I guess this isn't about us moving, it's about Adrian, right? I don't care about anything you say to me, I had my reasons and that's just what you should know and learn to live with. Debby, I'm your mother honey, and I love you. I think this move is something you and I both need, you'll make new friends, meet a lot of people, and-"

"Mrs. Waters?" A new voice interrupted.

"Oh, Sean, you're here," Mom said to an unfamiliar man, he was wearing a company t-shirt. He was probably one of the movers.

"Good morning Mrs. Waters-"

"It's Miss now, anyway that's okay, what about the others?"

"They are outside, should I get them?" Sean asked, needing an excuse to escape the thick tension between Mom and me.

"Yeah, sure. Thank you, we'll be on our way soon." Mom responded. She stood up, heading towards the bathroom. I hurriedly got up from my chair, trailing after her.

Our conversation was far from over.

"Wait!" I shouted just as she was about to lock the door. She stepped aside, allowing me into the room.

"What now Debby? You need to take a leak?" She asked.

"What? No! I just want us to continue our conversation. I want to know why you sent Dad out, I need to know everything, after all, I'm your only child."

"I'm not telling you anything again, whatever happened between your dad and I is between us, I can't include you, even if you're my daughter, which you are. I'm sorry, just drop the subject."

"No. No. No! I can't mom, I can't just wrap my head around the thought that you threw your child's father out because it doesn't make any sense to me. It doesn't Mom." I replied to her.

"I can't tell you, that's final! Deal with it, Debby!" She huffed, stomping her feet angrily.

"You will Mom, you will. how would you like it if I told Grandma Sadie what happened that night, including the part where you made your husband submissive to you." I tsk-ed. "Imagine how disappointed she would be, I bet she would cry her eyes out and beg the gods for forgiveness on your behalf. Just imagine that mom, I'm sure you don't want to see tears in the poor woman's eyes do you?" I asked, raising a perfect brow at her.

Mom looked astounded. She was practically staring at me with her mouth open, I guess she didn't see that coming. I didn't too.

"A...are you threatening me, Deborah?" She breathed out. Surprise written on her face.

"Oh, I am, mom. I am. Because I don't understand why you're doing this to us, why you're sending us to a strange place?"

"Your grandma Sadie's town isn't a strange place." She retorted, rolling her eyes.

"I've never been there, uh, obviously it's strange to me."

"I took you there when you were eleven months Debby,"

"I was just a toddler then, it doesn't count Mom. Anyway, will you tell me or should I report you?" I gave her a challenging glare. "Ball's in your court now Mom, you know what to do," I smirked at her.

I was really glad I watched Wild Child movie, it was a real confidence booster.

"Okay, fine. You want to know what happened, huh?"

"Yep," I popped the 'p' out.

"I just hope you can handle the truth," She said.

"Of course! I'm not a child, mom. I'm an adult," I said to her.

"You're just sixteen,"

"Fine! Young adult or teenager, whatever." I air-quoted the sentence.

She breathed in, "Your father, your fa...the..r," She whispered, her voice breaking at the end. She composed herself and continued, "I caught your father doing drugs."

There was a long pause. A very long pause.

"What?!" I yelled out, which took almost forever.

"That was my reaction too," She grabbed my hand, pulling me into her embrace.

She soothingly stroked my hair for a couple of seconds, "It's not true mom, Dad would never do that to us," I mumbled, hot tears threatening to spill out of my eyes. It was just unbelievable, I'd always looked up to my dad, he was no doubt the best man in the world to me. Maybe he had his reasons, maybe he was depressed and found solace in drugs.

"Mom," I whispered, resting my head comfortably on her shoulder.

"Hm," Was all she did.

"He probably has his reason, right?"

"Oh, sweetheart!" She said, pulling out of our embrace to look at me. "That was what I thought too, turns out he was cheating on me with his staff and Mrs. Agnes, our neighbor."

"That's sick. Mrs Agnes?!" I shouted. Those words were disbelieving to my ears. But it started to make sense, Dad always had an excuse to check up on Agnes and his reason was that her husband was fighting a war in Iran, he felt she was all alone and probably depressed. Sadly, it wasn't the truth, my dad was a sneaky, lying fox.

"Yes honey, he threatened to hurt you if I should tell a soul about him, he's broke, very broke. He's spent his last cent on drugs so he was using you as a hold against me to give him more money, the last straw was when he hit me. I guess he didn't think I could divorce and have a restraining order against him. And, I didn't press charges of assault because of you,"

"I'm so sorry Mom, I've been really rude and annoying this week, I'm really sorry and you're right, I can't handle the truth, I'm so sorry you had to go through that because of me. I love you mom."

"It's fine, come here," I hugged her tightly, wetting her shirt with my tears.

"Mrs. Waters! It's time." Sean called out from the other side of the door.

"We'll be out in a minute!" Mom shouted back.

"I guess I can't stop him from calling me that," She snickered.

"You just have to live with it, Mrs. Waters," I replied, earning a chuckle from her.

"Let's go see mama." She said, grabbing my hand as we walked into a new phase of our lives.