Divorce | Teen Ink

Divorce

November 9, 2016
By Anonymous

I could feel each cold tear trickle down my red-hot face. It was about to get dark, and I was sitting in my room against the door, with my legs tight against my chest. I thought about what my parents always told me. 

“You should always appreciate what you have and make every second spent with certain people count, because nothing lasts forever.” I would always roll my eyes in disbelief, and laugh at my parents for being too “deep.”
It was this day that I learned they were right, as I sat on the floor, all by myself in tears. I had seen this coming. All the nights of waking up to see my brother crying in his room, while listening to them bicker back and forth downstairs, until eventually my dad finally slams the door shut and leaves. Part of me felt relieved, because I was so ready for a change. I was so ready to not have to go through the pain of watching my mom in tears everyday, and my dad trying to get away from my mom and I every chance he got so he could go for a smoke. Sometimes I wondered if that cigarette was more important than anything in my dad’s eyes, maybe even more important than me.
It was the day of the Super Bowl, and this year my family had not been invited to any super bowl parties. I was FaceTiming my best friend Alina, discussing our plans for the Summer, when I come to visit her in Pennsylvania, since I'd moved away from there a couple of years ago. I heard my dad call my brother and I down to the living room, so I said goodbye to Alina and rushed down the stairs. I finally reached the living room, and took one look at both of my parents sitting on the couch, and instantly I knew what I was about to hear. I sat down beside my mom and brother, and my dad sat on the other side of the couch. Sure enough, the words I was waiting for came out of my mom’s mouth.
“Anna, Stephen, your dad and I need to speak with you about a very serious topic,” she said. I could see her face get red-hot and her lips get puffy, like she was going to cry.
My dad looked the other direction, seeming careless of what's going on. Then, my mom nudged him, reminding him of what is going on.
“Oh-um sorry,” he said. I could see my brother rolling his eyes out of the corner of my eye.
“Your mom and I have decided to split up and get a divorce,” my dad said, with a blank expression on his face. He didn't seem to care, which was irritating.
My brother let out a big sigh, and I just sat, not knowing whether to cry, scream, or get mad.
“B-but what about family?” I asked, trying to not to cry.
“What is going to happen to our family?” I asked.
My eyesight began to get blurry, and then I felt tears stream down my face. My dad looked at his feet, and just shrugged, not knowing how to answer. I slumped down in my seat and dug my face into my small sweaty hands. I could already feel tears streaming down my face. My brother let a single tear stream down his face, and then quickly wiped it away.  My dad turned on the TV, and the noise of the Super Bowl cheering blasted in my ears. My brother quickly left the room, and my mom ran up the stairs to her room without saying a single word, while I was left alone on the couch, crying by myself.
“Our family is gone, and I'm the only one who cares,” I said under my breath. I got up off the couch and ran upstairs to my room.
As I ran up the stairs, millions of thoughts came to my mind. Why me? Why my family? Why did my parents just give up? Couldn't they have tried harder for me? I finally made it to my room and slammed the door behind me. I sat in front of the door and put my legs up against my chest, and rested my chin on my knees, and cried harder than I have ever cried. Family was always so important to me. The best memories you will ever make are always with your family, but did I even have one anymore? I always thought my parents would never split up, but now I'm the one who's wrong for rolling my eyes and laughing when my parents would tell me that nothing lasts forever. I wish I believed them.


The author's comments:

When my parents told me they were getting a divorce, I was crushed inside. This was a very memorable moment to me, which is why I decided to write about it.


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