All Chapters of Finally Got an Aircon: Chapter 1 - Chapter 9

That evening, the whole family sat around the dinner table, laughing and trading gossip.No one asked how my online interview had gone. No one noticed my hands shaking with the effort of holding back tears.Halfway through the meal, my sister, Beth Ford, dropped her spoon with a huff. "It's too hot. I can't eat a bite without air conditioning. I'm going back to my room."My dad, Dennis Ford, stopped her. "You can't skip dinner. Just take your bowl and eat in your room with the AC on. It really has been hotter than usual this summer. Tell you what, I'll call someone tomorrow to install a unit in the living room too."Beth lit up instantly, and my brother, Monty Ford, clapped in delight.I was the only one who went somewhere else in my head, back eighteen years, to the day my dad had said, "The wiring's too old to run any more appliances. Your room won't be getting an air conditioner."I didn't argue. I just looked up and said quietly, "My interview earlier didn't go well. They sai

Toward evening, Mom, Dad, Beth, and Monty all came home.Beth sank onto the couch, worn out, and let out a long breath. "Where were you all day? Monty just got into it with them, and Mom, Dad, and I had to fight our corner for three hours straight before we finally won. I'm exhausted."I asked calmly, "What was the fight about?""They said the mole on Monty's face was bad luck and wanted us to bring him in to get it removed. Mom, Dad, and I were so mad we argued with them."I smiled, something sharp and knowing flickering behind my eyes."Beth, do you remember, back in first grade, when I was staying at Grandma's and our cousin pinned my head down with his foot and forced me to eat chicken feed off the ground?"Beth blinked, caught off guard. "Did that actually happen?"I gave a bitter smile. "Afterward, I went to you crying about it, and you told me we were all family, that there was no point making a scene, that I should just let it go."Beth frowned, clearly annoyed. "That w

Mom's brow furrowed tight. "Lawrence thinks he's grown up now that he's graduated, is that it? Why else would he not answer his phone? Just wait, I'll be home in a minute, and I'm going to ask Kathryn. She's out there all day; she must have seen him."She hung up and hurried home, pushing open the half-shut gate to Kathryn's yard.Kathryn was sitting in her rattan chair, fanning herself and watching a drama, and jumped when she saw Mom come storming in. "Oh, Sandra, what brings you here?""Did you see Lawrence this morning? Did he say where he was going?"Kathryn hit mute on her drama. "Lawrence? He told me he was off to work. Had a backpack on, looked pretty happy about it too. Didn't he tell you all?""Work?" Mom froze for a second. "What work? All his interviews fell through. What work could he possibly be going to?"Kathryn shook her head. "I couldn't tell you. He just said he was off to work. But that kid's always been so responsible, I wouldn't worry too much."Mom walke

Some time later, Mom's crying broke the quiet of the living room."How could he?" Mom's voice came out thin and hoarse. "Was finding him a job supposed to hurt him? Was wanting him to stay home supposed to hurt him? What did he mean, writing that I never loved him? I'm his mother!"Dad stood with his arms crossed. "That's enough crying. If he wants to leave, let him leave. If he doesn't come back, so be it. I'll just tell myself I never had this son.""Easy for you to say!" Mom's head snapped up, her eyes rimmed red. "He just graduated, he doesn't understand anything yet...""He made his own choice." Dad cut her off, his tone hard. "He wrote it plainly enough. He thinks this family shortchanged him, and he's off chasing something better. What are we supposed to do about that? Get on our knees and beg him to come back?"Mom turned away, quietly sobbing, her shoulders trembling.…Meanwhile, at that very moment, I had already landed, leaving Battisata's forty-plus-degree Celsius h

A year later, I went back to Battisata.The moment the plane touched down, the familiar mugginess of the city wrapped around me instantly, thick enough to make my scalp prickle.I got home and pushed open the familiar security door. Cool air from the newly installed AC hit me in the living room, sending a chill down the back of my neck.The four of them looked up from the couch at the same instant.Eight eyes stared straight at me, like they'd seen someone who shouldn't be standing there.The air seemed to freeze for about five seconds.Then Dad slapped his newspaper down on the coffee table and stood up, his face flushing red. "You actually remembered you have a home?"Mom stood too, her lips moving without sound at first, her eyes suddenly rimmed red.I set my suitcase against the wall by the entryway and calmly changed my shoes. "Just came back to see how you're all doing. Won't be staying long.""You leave whenever you want, come back whenever you want. Lawrence, do you ev