The Bizzare Week

"Steven, you got your ear pierced! You know that don't look decent, don't you? Listen here..." There go my parents. Again and again. Man, I am already eighteen years old and they are still treating me like a baby. Always poking their nose in whatever I do, always bossing me around. Geez, couldn't they just give me a break?

That day, I dragged myself home, battered and disappointed. Our soccer team lost the match. Just when we thought we had trained enough, and our opponent was a lousy team that has never won in 5 years. How much worse can it be?

I had hardly put my foot through the door when I was welcomed by the usual, "Dear me, Steven! You look like you had a mud bath! Don't you..." That was everything blew up in my head. I yelled at them and ran outdoors, with the courtesy to slam the door right in their faces.

Walking aimlessly on the streets, I actually felt a bit triumph to free myself from those nagging pair. But something was wrong. Deep down inside, I was not exactly proud of myself. A tiny voice kept tugging at the corner of my conscience, "How could you, Steven? You know they meant it for your own good. It shows how concern they are for you..." I began to feel sorry. Maybe I should go back and apologize to them. They are my parents after all.

I started home, pacing my steps absent-mindedly. Not looking where I was going, I bumped into an old lady and sent what she was carrying flying. I apologized quickly and stooped down to help her pick up her belongings. The old lady strongly reminds me of a witch, with her crooked face, large hooked nose and tousled white hair stretching in all directions. Wrinkles zigzagged all over her face. Her eyes searched me in the most unnerving way, as though she can see through me. I squirmed uneasily under her gaze as I picked up her things. I quickly returned them to her and continued on wait way home.

"Wait a moment, young lad. Come here, let old Granny give you something to thank you," The old lady called after me while rummaging in her bag. She pulled out a cap that looks strangely new among her other properties and handed it to me. Before she turn and left, I felt her gaze boring into me for a split second. I just tipped the cap on my head without giving it much thought and went home.

The TV was chattering loudly in the living room, the usual family routine after dinner. Wait... After dinner? What? For the first time in my memory, my parents did not wait for me to dine together. I must have really upset them this time. Maybe this was not a good time to apologize yet. I tiptoed to the kitchen and searched the dining table for food. Now this is even more ridiculous! How ever mad they were, it is unreasonable that they didn't even leave food for me! I really screwed up big time.

I walked up to my parents and did my best to look really sorry. I hung my head and apologized. Then I waited. 10 seconds passed by in uneasy silence except for the TV set. I apologized again, louder this time, but my parents just turned a deaf ear. I even walked in front of the TV set, definitely blocking their view, and apologized again. To my utmost bewilderment, my parents acted as though they did not see me. Okay. I have been really bad this time, I will wait for them to cool down a bit. I crept quietly into my room and made up my mind to apologize again the other day.

In the morning, I woke up with the sun shining brightly in my eyes. I sat upright immediately and grabbed my clock ticking serenely beside the bed. Oh my god, I'm late for school! My parents used to wake me up to go to school. I quickly pulled on my school uniform and raced down to the kitchen, just to find nothing on the dining table where my breakfast used to be. Oh well, I don't have much time to eat breakfast anyway.

My parents continued to ignore me for the rest of the day. They didn't talk to me. They didn't prepare my meals. They acted as if I did not exist in the house at all. I felt scared and guilty, knowing that it was all my fault to upset my parents for so long while hoping in my heart that this would end soon.

The next morning, I woke up to find the previous day repeating itself. My parents still refused to acknowledge my existence in the house. This actually went on for the rest of the week. I began to feel hurt and neglected. Whatever I did, I don't deserve this. Suddenly I missed their nagging. And all this while, I never really appreciated my parents. I retreated to my bedroom and buried myself in the sheets, wetting my pillow with silent tears before I lost my consciousness.

I woke up early and went to the kitchen to search for food. The terrible week has trained me to become independent. To my surprise, the long lost breakfast was there on the table. Dad was reading the morning's newspaper when he looked up to greet me in his usual cheerful tone, "Hey, you are up early today!"

I swore I could have cried in relief at that moment. I blinked away the warm stinging sensation at my eyes. Finally, my parents noticed me! Breakfast proceeded with the long lost warmth and cheerfulness. How I missed it all! Only now do I realize that my parents have been so good to me. Fighting back tears, I hung my head while Mom cleared away the dishes.

"Mom, Dad, I'm sorry."

"What for?" Dad raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"I shouldn't have lost my temper the other day... I'm glad that you finally forgiven me..."

"But we were never really mad at you, just worried that you just disappeared for a whole week. Well, a big boy like you can take care of yourself, so we just waited for you to come home when you have cooled down..."

"Wait... You mean, you did not see me in the house for the whole week?" I asked, bewildered. I know I have been staying in this house for the week.

"Yeah, we thought you went off to stay at your friend's place after throwing such a tantrum."

So, I had been invisible for the whole week? How could this happen? Suddenly I remembered the old lady and the cap she gave me. I burst into my room and ransacked my room for the cap, but I never did find it.