Family Dinners

The following was submitted for a class.

            There’s the sound of music clanging gently against my skull, and the droning of the road like a dull ache.

            In.

                        One. Two. Three. Four.

            Out.

                        One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. Eight

            In.

                        One. Two. Three. Four

            Out.

                        One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. Eight

            In.

                        “YOU’RE LISTENING TO— Pszk”

            Huh?

                        “We’re here!”

            I look outside the car window. Man… it’s always so cold in Aunt Pol’s house…

            The car door clacked open. Snow crunched beneath my boot which was two sizes too small now; my toes felt cramped; it hurt, just a little.

                        “HIII” Aunt Pol screeched.

            Ack…

                        “Come on in! How was the drive?”

            SLAM. The door shut behind us.

            I can already feel my head starting to ache.

                        “Help yourself to any of the food! There’s also drinks in the fridge, you kids better not touch the beer, y’hear! Now, sit down, sit down!”

            Oh God, okay… I look frantically for a chair at the dinner table, which was decorated with various decadent foods, I liked the head seat.

                        “How was ƚʜɘ pɿıʌɘ oʌɘɿ⸮ “

                        “Pretty good, Ⴑɒʏdɘᴎ iꙅ ꞁuꙅƚ ꙅƚɒɿƚiᴎǫ ƚʜ ǫɿɒdɘ, ɒᴎd Kat’s ɒ|moꙅƚ iᴎ ɔo||ɘǫɘ!”

                        Hm?

                        “Isn’t that exciting! What’s your major going to be?”

            Is she talking to me…? I look around the table, everyone’s eyes are fixed on me, expectantly.

            “Oh uh…”

            “Major?”

“Oh! I’m planning on poli sci”

            “Oh, what is that exactly?”

            “Political Science”

            “Fun! Are you going to be a politician?”

            “Well,” I look to Ma, she’s watching me close, “probably not but I haven’t really decided anything yet”

            “Right, right. Of course, well don’t fret too hard, you’re still young”

            “She’s not getting any younger though!” laughed Ma.

            I breathe in my nose, and quietly blow it out of my mouth, and eye the grandfather clock in the room: 1:30 p.m.

            Aunt Pol turned back to Ma, “So, how is everything else? I hear that ʏou’ɿɘ ǫɘƚƚiᴎǫ ɒ ᴎoiƚomoɿq! Tʜɒƚ’ꙅ ꙅo ɘxɔiƚiᴎǫ, ?ǫᴎiod ɘd uoʏ ||’ƚɒʜw”

            ”woᴎ ƚʜǫiɿ ʞɔɘᴎ ʏm ᴎwod ǫᴎiʜƚɒɘɿd ꙅi ƚᴎɘmɘǫɒᴎɒM .dɘƚƚimduꙅ ƚi ɘvɒʜ dᴎɒ ,ƚɒʜƚ ||ɒ ʜƚiw ɘᴎod m’I ɿɘƚᎸɒ ꙅɘmoɔ ’ᴎoiƚomoɿq‘ ʏm dᴎɒ ,woᴎ ƚʜǫiɿ ꙅƚɔɘꞁoɿq ꙅuoiɿɒv ᴎo ǫᴎiʞɿow m’I dɘƚɒɔi|qmoɔ ꙅ’ƚI“

            “…”

            “…”

            “…”

            “…”

            “Kat? You’ve barely touched any of your food, are you okay?”

            Hm? Oh. I glance at the clock, 2:12pm.

            “Oh, yeah, sorry! Just lost in thought, I guess” I poke at the veggies and mashed potatoes on my plate, slowly working my way through them.

            “Take your time, dear! I know how I was at your age, haha!”

                      What do you mean by that?

            “Oh, we were much better!” My dad chimed in, he’d been quiet all afternoon… or maybe I just missed it. “Kids these days qoᴎ’ƚ uᴎqɘɿꙅƚɒᴎq ʍʜɒƚ ıƚ ɯɘɒᴎꙅ ƚo ʍoɿʞ ʜɒɿq, ɒ|| ƚʜɘʏ ʍɒᴎƚ  ƚo qo ıꙅ ꙅıƚ ɒɿouᴎq ɒᴎq q|ɒʏ ʌıqɘo ǫɒɯɘꙅ Ꮈoɿ ʜouɿꙅ uqoᴎ ʜouɿꙅ oᎸ ƚʜɘ qɒʏ, oɿ ɿɘɒq ɒ qooʞ, quƚ ᴎo ʜuꙅƚ|ɘ, ᴎoᴎɘ ʍʜɒƚꙅoɘʌɘɿ!”

            Blegh… this broccoli is undercooked.

            “…”

            “…”

            “…”

            “It was great catching up, I’ll see you soon, okay? You’d better come home to ours next time, we’d love to have you!”

            The car door closed.

            “Pszrk- YOU’RE LISTENIGN TO—”

            I enjoyed the silent ride back home.