My Lovely Life - The Story of Ethan Bennett

Chapter seven - On Enemy Grounds

"I'm just saying that a little more discipline would do that boy some good!" He slams his fist onto the table and stares right at my mother.

"Dad! Please!" Laura begs.

"Do not speak to me in that tone, young lady. Remember who it is who pays for your college intuition."

"Hanneli!" Laura turns to my other sister. "Would you please say something?"

"Derek, honey," Claire says gently and places her hand on his shoulder. "Maybe you should take it easy-"

"Clarie, don't you see how they're all treating him like a baby?" My father complains.

"Hanneli, say something!" Laura shouts in desperation.

Hanneli keeps quiet and takes another spoonful of peas while avoiding eye contact. At the moment the dinner table looks like a war zone. My father, shouting and making various gestures with his hands. Claire, trying her best to calm him down. Laura, desperately trying to get Hanneli's attention. Josh, is nowhere to be seen. He left to refill the water about ten minutes ago and must have gotten lost on the way. My head is spinning. I knew this dinner wasn't going to be pleasant, but this is far worse. Then he says something... Something that turns my blood to ice and makes me want to throw up. If my head was spinning before, I can't see straight right now.

"Ever since your little accident you've acted so entitled with your 'panic attacks' and what do you call them? Trigger points? When are you going to man up and stop all of this nonsense!"

"Alright, that is enough." My mother says.

I don't know if you remember me telling you this, but my mother is still deeply in love with my father. Since the day he left us, she has not said a bad word neither to, nor about him. She has been Switzerland in the war between him and us. I was never hurt by this, my mother never participated in any arguments. Her statement left every single person at the table silent. Well, everybody but the devil in disguise.

"Oh, calm down Joanna." My father says with a little too much confidence for my liking. As if he knew my mother wouldn't say anything back. "I'm just making conversation-"

She had her eyes locked on his and she slowly pushed her chair back and stood up on her feet. A crease slowly formed on her forehead and she put both her hands on the table.

"I said that is enough!" Her voice booms throughout the room.

Claire's face turns bright red as she folds her hands and looks down at her lap. She had tried so hard to make this dinner perfect. Laura cried in anger at Hanneli and quickly wiped away a tear. Hanneli swallows harshly and gently place a hand on my mother's shoulder. I can feel my father shooting daggers at me and I wish for nothing else than to sink underground.

"Ethan, I think it would be best if you stepped outside for a moment." My mother says sharply. I release my breath and do my best to control my hands from shaking as I place my napkin on the table before I shoot back my chair and stand up.

It is eerily quiet around the table as I make my way out of the dining room and into the kitchen. The second I exit the room I can hear my father saying something and my mother interrupting him with a harsh tone. From the kitchen, I exit through a door leading out to their patio and take a deep breath in the fresh air. I am rather proud of myself as I have no marks in the palm of my hand from my fingernails. As much as he tried, my father didn't manage to trigger anything within me. He only managed to make me uncomfortable, but that I would've been no matter what. The sun is currently shining but it must have rained recently because the wood is wet as I sit down.