Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 87181 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 436(@200wpm)___ 349(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87181 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 436(@200wpm)___ 349(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
“Looks great,” I mentioned to Mano.
He put the camera back on his face. “I wish you were here, man. I’d teach you how to surf. I miss you.”
“Miss you, too.” I grabbed my water bottle. “What’s on the agenda today?”
“Lots and lots of food.” He shoved a forkful of eggs into his mouth. “Then lots and lots of food.”
“Sounds about right.”
“Are you going to Ayumu’s?”
Ayumu invited me to join his family for Thanksgiving, and Holly even invited me to hers, but I didn’t feel like intruding on their lives with their loved ones. I didn’t want to be the pathetic guy with nowhere else to go.
“I think I’m just going to hang at home. Toss in a frozen pizza.”
Mano frowned. “Dude.”
“Don’t,” I scolded, knowing he was about to get sad for me. “It’s fine. I’m good. I’m about to work out.”
“Is that Kai?” a voice said.
I instantly tensed up, knowing it was Mom. The look of apologies that hit Mano’s eyes when he realized she was coming over was intense.
“It’s fine,” I mouthed and shrugged even though I felt the urge to hang up.
Mom popped up on the screen, and she screeched. “Kai! Mano said you weren’t coming because you had to work. It doesn’t look like you’re working. It looks like you’re going to the gym.”
“Working out is a form of work,” I dryly replied.
“Aren’t you going to wish your mother a Happy Thanksgiving?” she urged. Then came the waterworks, along with the guilt trip. “I don’t see why you couldn’t come to visit us. We are your family. Your father and I are only getting older. Did you know he hurt his back the other day?”
“No, Mom. I didn’t know that.”
“That’s because you never call or answer our calls.” Tears streamed down her face, and I could see Mano cringing in the background as Mom went on her rant. “When we went to Chicago for a weekend, you didn’t see us.”
“I was busy.”
“If you’re too busy for your family, you don’t deserve one.”
That cut deep, seeing how she and Dad were always too busy for me growing up. They didn’t deserve me. Besides, I was there for my family. Mano was it for me; if he ever needed anything, I was right there in his corner.
“Look, Mom, I have to go, okay? We’ll talk soon. I hope Dad’s back is okay.” I did, too. Even though I didn’t want a relationship with my parents, I didn’t wish them any harm. I never understood the idea of traveling home for the holidays if it was a broken home. It was like being a deer in a lion’s den, which you placed yourself on purpose. If I went home, somehow, my parents would make my bad childhood my fault and remove themselves from any blame whatsoever.
I didn’t need to do that to myself. I much preferred keeping to myself with my sanity. Even three minutes on the phone with my mother was too much for me to handle.
I waved goodbye to Mano in the background and then hung up. Seconds later, my phone dinged.
Mano
Sorry about that. I thought she was on the other side of the house.
Kai
No apologies needed. Love you, kid brother.
Mano
Love you too, big brother.
I headed to the apartment gym to get my workout in. Lifting weights was the best thing for me at that moment. I could shake off the anxiety that Mom put on my shoulders. When I finished, I returned to my apartment and hopped in the shower. After that, I began deep cleaning my apartment. I turned on music to distract myself from my loneliness. Around six that night, there was a knock on my door, and I went to open it to see who was there.
“Happy Thanksgiving!” Holly remarked with three Tupperware containers in her hands and a whole pie on top of it all.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, shocked to see her.
“‘Oh, Happy Thanksgiving to you, too, Holly! Come on in!’ Gee, thanks, Kai,” she said, walking right past me as she entered the apartment.
Stunned, I shut the door behind her and watched her head straight to the kitchen. She began going through my cabinets and pulled out a few plates.
“Is that a frozen pizza I smell?” she asked as she opened the Tupperware.
“Yeah, it’s almost done.” I went to take it out of the oven, and as I walked past the countertop, my eyes moved to the delicious food on display. “But I can always eat the pizza tomorrow.”
Holly smiled. “Good choice. My mom’s the best cook in the Midwest with her soul food. You won’t be disappointed. She made an extra peach pie for you, too. I’ll make you a plate fast, and then we can watch football. Is football still on? How does football work on Thanksgiving? What team are we cheering on?” She said all this as she loaded a plate for me and tossed it into the microwave to heat it. Then she went and searched for my oven mitts. When she found them, she pulled out the pizza and left it on the stove.