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Boxing the love
That sound again. I’ve lived in this house since I remember, but from a few months back to this day I’ve felt as a complete stranger again on my own house. I’ve had trouble sleeping and even feel cold at mid-summer, things you will catalogue as odd for a 20-year-old teen. But even though I feel that way, I sometimes think that even the house tries to speak to me, with that sound. It all started after family dinner 6 months ago. My mom and dad (the last time I saw them) were all stocked up about my little sister graduating from middle school and my dad’s new raise at work, so they were having a family celebration, one of those special occasions that happened oddly on normal families, but not in mine. When my grandma arrived, she didn’t arrive empty handed, she brought with her a particular brown box. Nobody understood what was actually happened, but nana was known for having a crampy humor so everybody received the box as happy as if my cousin gave birth in that instant moment to her unborn child. All night long I keep my eyes on the box, just looking at it gave me an internal comfort that felt really good. My nana was the happiest all around the table, she kept telling gracious stories about my dad’s days as a kid and how he rolled all around the barn they lost a few years back. The night went awfully nice and all the bad thoughts I had, and how angry I was to have another of those stupid dinners went away. Nice, really nice but not real at all. The moment the dinner ended, the room went dark, the food got cold, and the joy and happiness in everybody’s face went black as each of my family members left the house. As I saw everyone leave from my window I turned to find my grandma sitting in the couch, with the box around her hands.
“Why you don’t love your family, Remi?” she asked as she gripped tighter the box.
“I don’t understand what you’re saying nana, it’s getting late you should get going before it gets darker.” I said to her but her eyes pierced right through me.
“You’ve seen my box all dinner long, don’t try to deny it, and I think you understand the catch.” Nana said as she looked down at the box.
At that moment, I decided to ignore my nana and went upstairs to my room, and locked myself in the room. But lucky me when I turned around I found myself again in the living room with my nana looking straight at me.
“You don’t seem to understand, so I think that a lesson must be taught for you to be able to understand that family isn’t something you take lightly”
I tried to argue when I saw mom and dad going down the stairs with their luggage looking as it was going to explode.
“You see Remi, I grew in a family that had everything but lacked love and unity, and with the years you understand that nothing is more important than family, and that every moment together should be cherished.”
Nana started to move as if she was 15 all of the sudden and placed herself in front of the door with my folks standing behind her like some kind of security guards.
“Few months should be enough.” Whispered as she moved the circular ornaments that were placed on the sides of the box.
“Wait, nana what are you doing, I don’t understand, please talk to me!”
“Happy thought has an expiration day, sometimes even family do, but as long as I’m in charge that isn’t going to happen. Not again.”
I ran to the door with my hand stretched as far as I could, trying to reach for my folk’s hands, they couldn’t be leaving me!
“I hope this serves its purpose Remi, don’t forget your family loves you very much, even though you’ll probably forget”
Those were Nana’s final words as she smashed the box against the floor and everything went dark.
