April Fools, April fools, LALALAL,APRIL FOOOOOLS– little Timmy was yelling running around the street – FOOOOOOLS, FOOOOOOOLS!!!
‘Oh come on, darling, please be quiet ‘– his mother said.
‘He needs to shut up, this is killing me.. ‘– his father said.
‘Oh come on, now you as well, cant you just both be calm? – what a lovely day is today!’ – Clara smiled and clapped.
It was a lovely day indeed, spring has finally shown it signs, not too much not too little, but quite rewarding after long nights and incredibly freezing winter. It got so cold that Timmy was off from school for a few days in March – ‘they are right, climate is indeed changing!’- Clara would mumble to herself when the weather forecast would come up on the radio.
‘This kid is just a disaster and to be frank, I am starting to realise this is your fault!’. – Josh looked at Clara, he did not smile so she could not really catch whether he meant it or not.
She was quite occupied looking at Timmy. His running and joyful shouting made her smile and happy in fact. For Josh, the irritation seems to be going way beyond the levels of patience he can possibly maintain.
‘Tim!’- Clara shouted and waved – ‘why don’t you get closer to me? We are going to a café for lunch. Make sure not to yell for a while, okay? We do not want to disturb other people.’ – she said kindly.
‘But its APRIL FOOOOOOLS!’ – he yelled again..
Clara said nothing, Josh kept his irritated face on, they walked into a small café not far from where they lived and found a table a bit further away from the others, the cafe was kids friendly so they had some games and staff you can use in Josh words ‘to shut them up for a little’.
‘Lets get you a book or smth, shall we?’ – they found a colouring book and Timmy, excited, with his clumsy but cute way or holding a pencil started filling the gaps in the picture of a giant elephant.
‘You do not have to be that harsh on him, you know? ‘– Clara said once making sure Timmy was so involved with his staff he would not notice what they say. She said it quick just to make a remark, she was pretty much involved browsing the menu and still had her big smile on.
‘Well, how about that you don’t have to be so lovely all along?’ – he said back to her, sharp.
The waiter came to collect the order. Josh got himself a lasagne and a side of chips, food which he always used to have to comfort himself, especially when stressed or mostly, when hangover. Clara got herself nice Greek salad with slices of avocado and pitta bread with homemade hummus, food she would get when she felt like treating herself to something fresh and healthy (‘this will make my skin look better ‘– she’d say padding her cheeks) ‘Why? How?’ – Josh would ask – ‘such nonsense! you clearly have no idea about science behind this or anything, pathetic!’
He was easily irritated indeed but this time it was hard to tell whether he is just being himself or something else was bothering him. He looked at Tim and Clara, then at the wall, without saying anything just waiting for his food.
‘Want to talk about your work or something?’-Clara would ask to try to break the silence.
‘No. Its boring’- he would say.
‘Have you heard from your parents recently?’
‘No, but think they are ok’
‘Finally! she gave up asking!’ he would think when she got quiet. They would eat then. He’d decide to order a drink as well. ‘I cannot relax otherwise!’ – he would explain.
‘Mummy – if I was an elephant, do you think daddy would stop hating me?’ – Timmy asked out of the blue staring at his colouring book.
Josh and Clara exchanged their glances.
They would get back to this later at night when they think that Tim is asleep.
‘I think he may realise when he grows up a little what’s going on’ – Josh said confidently like he knew what was ‘going on’.
‘But what is going on? Sorry, I thought things are just as they always are?’
‘Well, eventually he will realise that we are not a proper family, well, we are not really.’
‘What? Excuse me , I cant really hear you?’ – she poured her head out of the sink, she was trying to clean the drainer from all the staff that got stuck in it. Josh was sitting on the sofa, pouring himself another drink, he looked tired and really distant. They were in the same room but barely looked at each other, involved in their own activities.
‘Well, I think Tim behaves like he is mad because he realises already, perhaps subconsciously, that his parents do not love each other anymore…’
‘Do they?’ – Clara asked, whilst putting her head back into the sink- ‘I still love you! Well, I think I do.’
‘No, you don’t! Love is not what you think its what you feel and the question you want to be asking what is it you actually feel?!’ – he was getting irritated again.
‘I feel tired right now, can we just move it to other time, preferably, to the time when you are a bit sober, darling,a nd when I am not occupied with cleaning… You must know, I do not enjoy seeing you like this.’
‘I am not drunk! For God’s sake! You always say that I am drunk!! – he yelled, pouring himself more – you are as irritating as Tim, both of you, you are just impossible to live with, do you realise? always whining about your pathetic, stupid, superficial crap! Cloths, food, tv, stupid music, stupid hummus and organic shit you convince yourself about, stupid cleaning all day long…you are superficial, and I hate it! I can’t believe I have not noticed it earlier! I cannot believe I am part of this idiotic commune!’
‘Oh, great news for you then – she smiled – if only did I know that I was marrying a bottle of whisky!… – she closed the tap smiling and had a little giggle. She kept finishing the last bits of cleaning around kitchen as if nothing happened.
It was an open space room where she was tidying the kitchen while Josh sat on the sofa with his legs up on the coffee table starring at some point on the wall, thinking who knows what.. She was saying nothing. She kept tiding, Josh kept mumbling something to himself which sound more like ‘unbelievable, unbelievable..’
‘April FOOOOOLS! ‘– Timmy jumped out from behind the curtain…although he was noticed, just for a second, he saw a face with the closed eyes, face that was taking a deep breath , that was his father and a face that was lit by joyful smile, that was his mother… just for a second or two, before they both got back to their routines again..
