Reunions
Amy walked into the house, making her presence known cheerfully. A middle-aged woman came into the room wiping her hand on her pants, leaving floury marks on the dark material. She hugged Amy, trying not to spread the flour, and stepped back to look at her.
"You're too thin; how much have you been eating?" A hand strayed to the younger woman's hair and her voice turned wistful. "I used to wear my hair like that. The pixie cut suits you..." She trailed off when she saw the man standing just inside the house, slouching awkwardly. Her face lit up and she moved over to him, arms wide. He bent down and hugged her carefully, obviously worried about 'breaking' her. She placed her hand on his cheek for a moment before rushing into the next room, calling out, "Guess who's here!" Amy and the man exchanged amused looks, but they soon disappeared when another man entered the room. Feeling conspicuous as the tallest person in the room, the young man slouched even further, hunching his shoulders and lowering his head to face the ground.
The older man looked over him, frowning while the two women looked on anxiously. Finally the pressure was too much to bear and Amy broke the tense silence.
"I'm going to make some tea, ok?" She exclaimed, slightly louder than necessary. She exited quickly into the kitchen, and proceeded to set up tea. It was then that she remembered that because of the layout of the house you could hear almost anything that was going on in the house from the kitchen. It was handy when you wanted to know what others were talking about, but now was not one of those times.
"Why are you here?" Amy's father asked coldly, sitting down in an overstuffed arm chair. There was a newspaper on the arm, which he picked up and started reading. He looked over his reading glasses at the young man, who hadn't moved from where he was. "What possessed you to return after six years, Mikhail?" The young man frowned but didn't say anything, trying to keep his emotions under control. The older man smiled maliciously and continued. "Not even a phone call, or a letter. Oh, how your mother cried when you left." He raised his eyes to the ceiling and sighed. "You broke her heart, my boy..." his voice trailed off as the other man's head snapped up.
"You told me that if I left I was to never talk to you again!" He exclaimed, much to the older man's amusement. "You said I should never come back, if I remember correctly." He shoved his hands in his pockets and looked back at the ground before muttering, "You broke her heart by forcing me to leave." The woman watching the situation gasped as her husband stood angrily. The fact that he was shorter than the younger man didn't seem to matter; he swelled with anger while the other man seemed to shrink away.
"That was uncalled for!" He yelled. "You come into my house, against my wishes, after six years of no contact and insult me!?" he threw down the newspaper and pointed at the door. "If you are going to be like that you can get out. For another six years if you must!"
"Alex!" his wife took hold of his arm as Mikhail scowled at him. "Alex, calm down." She tried to lead him back to the chair, but he shook off her hands. "Come now, have some tea, you'll change your mind once you think about it..." When she noticed hat he wasn't going to budge on the issue, she tried to plead with her son. "Mikha, don't overreact. There's no need to get worked up over this, is there?"
Mikha, fuming, stood his ground. "I kept in contact with Amy for all the time I was away. If she didn't want you to know this then there must have been a reason." He cocked his head to the side, still frowning. "Ever wonder why she left home so quickly? Hmm..." He pondered sarcastically. "It does make you wonder doesn't it?" The venom dripped off his voice, and he walked towards the door. "I'll be staying at Amy's place, and you're welcome to visit if you want." He stated levelly. "But I just remembered why I left, so it's doubtful I will be back any time soon." He walked out of the house, leaving the two adults standing there.
Amy came out of the kitchen with two cups of tea and looked at the situation. Smiling sadly, she kissed her mother on the cheek, placing the cups on the table. "I'd better make sure he doesn't break anything." She commented as she went to the door. "I'll come and visit soon, ok?" She nodded to herself and went outside, where Mikha was waiting.
"That could have gone better..." She stated lightly as she watched him kick the car's tyre moodily. The drive home was completed in silence, with the radio being turned off promptly once the car started. As soon as they arrived Mikha stormed off, leaving Amy to go inside by herself. She watched her brother stride down the street and hoped he didn't stay out too late. Sighing, she walked inside, shooing away the cat from next door absently.
"You're too thin; how much have you been eating?" A hand strayed to the younger woman's hair and her voice turned wistful. "I used to wear my hair like that. The pixie cut suits you..." She trailed off when she saw the man standing just inside the house, slouching awkwardly. Her face lit up and she moved over to him, arms wide. He bent down and hugged her carefully, obviously worried about 'breaking' her. She placed her hand on his cheek for a moment before rushing into the next room, calling out, "Guess who's here!" Amy and the man exchanged amused looks, but they soon disappeared when another man entered the room. Feeling conspicuous as the tallest person in the room, the young man slouched even further, hunching his shoulders and lowering his head to face the ground.
The older man looked over him, frowning while the two women looked on anxiously. Finally the pressure was too much to bear and Amy broke the tense silence.
"I'm going to make some tea, ok?" She exclaimed, slightly louder than necessary. She exited quickly into the kitchen, and proceeded to set up tea. It was then that she remembered that because of the layout of the house you could hear almost anything that was going on in the house from the kitchen. It was handy when you wanted to know what others were talking about, but now was not one of those times.
"Why are you here?" Amy's father asked coldly, sitting down in an overstuffed arm chair. There was a newspaper on the arm, which he picked up and started reading. He looked over his reading glasses at the young man, who hadn't moved from where he was. "What possessed you to return after six years, Mikhail?" The young man frowned but didn't say anything, trying to keep his emotions under control. The older man smiled maliciously and continued. "Not even a phone call, or a letter. Oh, how your mother cried when you left." He raised his eyes to the ceiling and sighed. "You broke her heart, my boy..." his voice trailed off as the other man's head snapped up.
"You told me that if I left I was to never talk to you again!" He exclaimed, much to the older man's amusement. "You said I should never come back, if I remember correctly." He shoved his hands in his pockets and looked back at the ground before muttering, "You broke her heart by forcing me to leave." The woman watching the situation gasped as her husband stood angrily. The fact that he was shorter than the younger man didn't seem to matter; he swelled with anger while the other man seemed to shrink away.
"That was uncalled for!" He yelled. "You come into my house, against my wishes, after six years of no contact and insult me!?" he threw down the newspaper and pointed at the door. "If you are going to be like that you can get out. For another six years if you must!"
"Alex!" his wife took hold of his arm as Mikhail scowled at him. "Alex, calm down." She tried to lead him back to the chair, but he shook off her hands. "Come now, have some tea, you'll change your mind once you think about it..." When she noticed hat he wasn't going to budge on the issue, she tried to plead with her son. "Mikha, don't overreact. There's no need to get worked up over this, is there?"
Mikha, fuming, stood his ground. "I kept in contact with Amy for all the time I was away. If she didn't want you to know this then there must have been a reason." He cocked his head to the side, still frowning. "Ever wonder why she left home so quickly? Hmm..." He pondered sarcastically. "It does make you wonder doesn't it?" The venom dripped off his voice, and he walked towards the door. "I'll be staying at Amy's place, and you're welcome to visit if you want." He stated levelly. "But I just remembered why I left, so it's doubtful I will be back any time soon." He walked out of the house, leaving the two adults standing there.
Amy came out of the kitchen with two cups of tea and looked at the situation. Smiling sadly, she kissed her mother on the cheek, placing the cups on the table. "I'd better make sure he doesn't break anything." She commented as she went to the door. "I'll come and visit soon, ok?" She nodded to herself and went outside, where Mikha was waiting.
"That could have gone better..." She stated lightly as she watched him kick the car's tyre moodily. The drive home was completed in silence, with the radio being turned off promptly once the car started. As soon as they arrived Mikha stormed off, leaving Amy to go inside by herself. She watched her brother stride down the street and hoped he didn't stay out too late. Sighing, she walked inside, shooing away the cat from next door absently.