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A Push–Part I
Original composition by Tatienne Richard exclusively for My Fiction. If you’re reading this elsewhere it has been stolen from the platform.
January was sitting on the sofa with a glass of wine in hand while Gulliver and Glenn were on the balcony with Ford taking a phone call she knew had to do with the events of the night before and the removal of two of Grandfather’s security team.
Thisbe was sitting with her grandfather at the table while he stared at the door with a dejected expression on his face and January knew he was feeling guilty for this current situation. The two kids were in the bedroom on Kaylee’s tablet talking to Darwin and squealing excitedly.
“Do you know what that is all about?” Bette asked as she sat down next to January with her own glass of wine in hand. Avner was standing near the bar cart, like his father–in–law staring at the door but he seemed more left out than guilty.
“I do.” She twirled the wine in the glass, not saying anything
more.
“I think we got off on the wrong foot,” Bette said softly.
“Can I ask you something?” January asked instead of answering.
“Of course.”
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“Have you always sat there quietly allowing your husband to
make your
children feel small in their own family or has it been something you’ve simply given up weighing in on his bullying behavior?”
Bette blinked at the quiet question, “that’s not fair, January. You don’t know everything.”
stressed that he s
“Do I need to? Before you got here tonight, Gulliver was on edge,
going to need to step up and referee and protect his younger brother from his father’s bullying. Instead of enjoying a reunion months in the making, he was dreading your arrival because instead of simply protecting his family from the outside world, he’s having to do it against internal forces.”
“Gulliver was dreading our visit?” Bette seemed shocked.
“Yes.”
Bette looked at her husband and sighed, “he’s feeling left out.”
“Then he shouldn’t push them away. He’s been a judgmental ass just in the two hours he’s been here with us.”
“He means well, January,” Bette protested quietly as she stared into the glass of wine in her hand. “All he’s ever wanted was for his children to be the best versions of themselves. He pushed Glenn hard because he wanted him to be better. Glenn would
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spend more time on video games than his studies. Avner would give him hell for not trying to do more.”
“He compared apples and oranges, and it was unfair.”
“You don’t understand.”
“You know what I don’t understand?” January shook her head, “I would do anything to protect my daughter. The day I found out I was pregnant; I overheard Gulliver using the word vovoi. I didn’t know what it meant but then I talked to my father who knew it well and he called his friend, Davis, who told me exactly who Gulliver was. Now, I know that Davis embellished and exaggerated facts, but in that moment, in thinking my unborn baby might be in danger from a man who murdered people, I left to protect her. It didn’t matter how many nights I cried my heart out missing the man I thought was my husband. She, came first. She always comes first. Gulliver has mentioned he’d love to give her siblings, and I can tell you now, I would protect each and every one of them with the same verve I did when I was a scared college student. I would never, in a million years, let anyone hurt her, not even her own father. You and I are very different people, Bette. You come from a family where growing up, girls weren’t given the same power as boys.”
“You are right there,” Bette said seriously.
“And yet, I can tell without a shadow of a doubt, regardless of whether you were given the same amount of power, you were given copious amounts of love which was unconditional. I saw
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the way you greeted your father when he came to the room. I’ve watched you watching him tonight. You’re worried about him. You can’t stop looking at him. You see the way he’s moving slower and the way he speaks. You’re a daddy’s girl, Bette. You know what the relationship between a parent and child should be because you had a healthy one and a stranger can see it.”
“I do love my dad. Growing up, I heard all the rumors of how brutal he was. I even saw him coming home one time covered from head to toe in blood and he told me it was pig’s blood,” she gave a dry laugh, “in hindsight, I think he meant a cop’s blood but even with all the violence, he made me feel like the most loved little girl in the world.”
“I can see that. He was with Kaylee minutes, and she immediately felt loved, safe, and protected.”
“He’s a great father and grandfather.”
“You had such an incredible example in him.”
“You really aren’t pulling any punches are you?”
“I’m feeling protective. They love me and Kaylee, and I know all the work they’re doing to keep us safe. I can’t go in guns blazing to protect them, but I will do my best to protect their hearts and keep them from being hurt.”
Bette nodded, “you’re good for him, all of them really, but I see it in Gulliver. I see the way he responds to you so well. He listens
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when you speak and he hears what you say and he follows your lead.”
“He doesn’t follow my lead, Bette. He simply does what he thinks is right.”
“You could fix this, January. You could make him talk to his father and sort out the problems. Mitigate or mediate as it were,” Bette whispered. “Make them sit down and talk this out.”
“Bette,” she gave a laugh, “your husband needs to do some self–reflection and decide what he’s willing to do to rebuild relationships with children he’s tarnished.”
