How I met Adam
"Are you okay buddy?", an empathetic voice along with a concerned individual appeared from behind me.
"Yeah I'll live" I said, in an ill-convincing tone.
He sat right beside me on the concrete floor and put his hand on my shoulder as if he was trying to comfort me.
"You can tell me anything, maybe I can help", he said with a genuine grin.
"Parents are supposed to trust you and love you unconditionally right?" I asked in a cracking voice…
"Oh dear! I'm so sorry… Can you elaborate on what happened? If nothing else, you'll feel a little better " Adam said firmly.
I hesitated a little but I proceeded anyway… Fine! Here it is… So I had a friend. I mean… a girlfriend. No I mean not a girlfriend girlfriend, just a good friend who was a girl…
I glanced at him but he was listening patiently, so I continued…
Well I stopped hanging out with her a while ago, and everything was fine but then she showed up at my fiancé's house!
"Woah woah woah…. Slow down now! A little context would help buddy!", Adam exclaimed anxiously…
So here is the whole story. The context, the past, the present, ALL OF IT…
"There was a time when we lived in a heaven on earth. We had the most incredible house, with a big lawn surrounding it. There were a continuous chain of flowers of every colour and kind. All six of us had a separate bedroom with attached wardrobes. Our parents had the master bedroom, with the most heartwarming view during sunset and sunrise. We were a happy family. Then something happened….
I paused for a second, feeling lost in the epiphany when a sudden jerk forced me out of it…
"Dude!!! What happened?"
I took a strained breath and continued…
What happened was that we grew up. Laughing, playing, learning, we all grew up but we didn't realise it until responsibilities came along. I was the most mature one from the beginning. Despite of being the middle child, I was always an adult by nature. A leader, a captain. Maybe that's why the rest of my siblings didn't like me much. They preferred each other but I've always felt estranged around them, ever since we grew older. I got away with almost everything back then but now I had to face consequences. Everything was changing and not every change is a good thing…
My eyes started tearing up so Adam held my face with both of his hands and said "we'll talk about this later. Let's go grab something to eat, I'm starving "
We had the best time together that I almost forgot about my agony until his phone rang and he excused himself to talk to his father. That's when it all came rushing back to me… the pain, the disappointment, the neglect, all of it and it pushed me deep into the black hole I've been buried in for years.
"Sorry about that! Dad was asking about my day. He calls me daily to make sure my needs are taken care of".
"No problem, it's been a long day, I'll catch up with you tomorrow if that's okay?" I said, hoping that my suffering for today is over.
He took a minute and then answered," only if you tell me the whole story tomorrow!"
Deal!
We shook hands and we walked away from one another.
I went home, actually I'll call it a house because home is a place where you feel safe. Where you belong. Most importantly where you feel needed. I was just living with strangers. Every day I go out to find a purpose in my colourless life but I seem to be failing at that too. My job is a dead end. I want to quit but I need the money, so I stay in that torture cell.
"Nice of you to show up, you useless imbecile!" my dad's voice forced me out of my thoughts.
"I was hanging out with a friend, we were talking and I'm sorry I didn't realise it was so late "