Half life

Talk To Me

What am I supposed to be doing with all of this?

I'm not a smoker for crying out loud!

"I mean I just can't!!" I soliloquized as I kept staring at the pack of the cigarettes lying on the floor

"Hey you look lost I guess you need a lighter huh?" The man standing close to Dad said in a husky voice

"A lighter? " I asked slowly turning my head to gaze at him

"Are you actually asking me that question?" He retorted

" No sir not at all" I replied quickly

"Jack. I'm Jack not sir" I rebuffed immediately

" Ok I'm sorry sir... Jack" I stuttered

"Now you need a lighter huh" He said subtly and began to walk towards my direction

" No sir I'm fine" I said but it was already too late since he has dipped his hand into his pocket and brought out a lighter

"No you will need this" He insisted with a smirk plastered on his face then bent over to pick the pack of cigarettes on the floor

"Sir... Jack I..." I stuttered trying to make him understand that I wasn't a smoker

"What?" He asked with a cursory look on his face as he stood up

"Nothing" I replied with a fake smile

"Now as I was saying..." He said then paused as he took out a stick of cigarette before lighting it.

"Yeah there you go" He said then handed it to me as I stared at him blankly trying to figure out what he wanted me to do with the cigarette

"Here go ahead common you will love it" He said reassuringly making a funny face when he noticed I was lost in another world and not saying anything to him

"Oh I know your problem. You are shy right? Don't be afraid you see that man over there you call your Dad?" He said peering at Dad briefly as he pointed towards him then bursted into laughter after pausing briefly

"He is a jerk. Trust me he can't do anything to you. He bosses everyone around at the office and does same to you and everyone else around him when he comes home but unfortunately here, it is the other way round. We give orders he obeys so technically we are the Boss" He added and started laughing hysterically as I kept staring at him with a bemused face.

"Wait, why are you gawking at me like a stray cat?" he asked as I stared at him

"Enough of your none sense fool!" Dad thundered trying to stand up from his seat

"What? Did you just call me a fool?" Jack asked taking few strides backwards

"Yes and I will call you a fool again if you don't stay sane. How can you make mockery of me in such a manner and expect me to stay calm. How could you all do this to my daughter.

I can't watch you toy around with my daughter this way and you expect me to keep my cool.

For the fact that you are holding my daughter and I hostage here doesn't give you the right trash me down this..." He was yet to complete his statement when a large fist landed on his mouth and blood began to ooze out of his mouth like a fountain.

Shaken with fear by what I have seen happen to Dad, I stood still with my mouth wide open, too weak to scream and didn't realize when the cigar I was holding in my hand fell off my hand to the floor and then shortly tears began to stream down my cheeks in torrents.

"What have you done to my Dad?" I finally managed to voice out after swallowing the lump that have developed in my throat but nobody would answer me

"Can the both of you tell me what just happened to my Dad?

Why can you all be so wicked to punch a man old enough to be your father in the face? Have you two no little conscience left in those stony things you call a heart?" I kept ranting and crying as I stared at them

"Amanda stay calm ok? I'm fine don't worry I will be fine just don't waste your time talking to this two" Dad muttered after spitting out the blood that had formed in his mouth

but I was too weak to reply as I watch him struggle to sit back in his chair

"Are you all happy now. You have succeeded in purging out the little life left in him.. Isn't high time you already let us go? Is this not enough. You took hostage even without telling us what we have done to deserve all of this and when we asked you said you weren't in the right position to answer us" I lamented breathing heavily

"Enough of those melodrama of yours little girl. Now shut your trap before you compel me to do something stupid" Jack thundered wagging his finger sternly at me

"And what else can you do to me if not to beat up like a scumbag just like you do always to my Dad huh? kill me? I can't believe I said that because I know you are a powerless mad dog who can't do anything but bark about.

Look here I don't care what you do to me anymore you can kill me for all I care but let me remind you, I'm no longer afraid of you so go ahead" I roared then bursted into tears.

" Amanda please stay out of this... I told you I'm fine. Don't talk back at them it's bad manners and you know it" Dad cautioned in a low but yet audible voice

"Oh Dad here you go again manners! manners!! and manners!! Please spare me all of that. Can't you see with your eyes. Can't you see how they are treating you. Didn't you see the way he punched you.. If they had that so called manners why would they have done that cruel thing to you? No answer me. And see you here defending them" I yelled panting heavily