A Parent's Wish

So here is installment two of the 31 day writing challenge.  Today definitely felt better than yesterday.  I don't feel as rusty.  Who knows, perhaps this will kick start me back to writing my novel.  I hope you enjoy!

 

 

Prompt: My father always wanted me to be __________ but my mother always said I should be ____________.

Josh sat staring into his glass of Chivas, replaying the last week.  He couldn’t believe that his Dad was gone.  The man that he had looked up to, had aspired to be was gone.  He felt Carla’s hands begin rubbing his shoulders but he just couldn’t shake the sadness.  “Honey, do you need something?” she murmured in his ear.  “No, yes, I don’t know.  I just feel so lost.  I love my Mother, as much as she can be loved but I just can’t get past this feeling that this is her fault.”  “  Why do you say that?”  Josh swigged down his drink and reached for her hand.  “Did I ever tell you what my parents wanted for me when I was a kid?  I remember being 8 years old and my Dad telling me all he wanted for me in life was to be happy….my Mother?  Yeah ... well all she wanted was for me to be rich.  I never understood her obsession with money and status.  My Dad worked himself to the bone to make her happy and he swore that he was happy but I don’t know if I buy that.  He had no interest in cars, houses, country clubs, or any of the drivel that my Mother found so important.  He did it to make her happy.  Why do I say that this is her fault?  Because I think, he died of a broken heart.  I think that he worked and worked and never was able to live up to her idea of the perfect husband.”  “  Oh honey, I am sure she loved your Dad and was happy.  Your Dad always seemed happy when he was here.”  “  Here?  Oh yeah he was happy when he was here.  He told me once that his children were his life and joy, well until his grandkids came along.  Too bad we all got the hell away from Mother as soon as we could, which also meant that we abandoned him as well.  Maybe this is our fault as much as hers.  If we had been there for him then perhaps it would have given her someone else to criticize other than him.”  Carla massaged his shoulders and tried to hold on to her composure.  She had never realized the depth of his anger towards his mother.  She had always known there was a strain there but his mother was always perfectly pleasant…well maybe she had been too pleasant.  His dad on the other hand had been warm and genuinely caring.  The kids adored their Grandpa and she dreaded having to tell them he was gone.  She watched her husband pour himself another drink and realized he only drank when he was dealing with his Mother.  Funny, she hadn’t put two and two together until tonight.  Half turning, Josh pulled Carla around and buried his face in her stomach.  Sighing, he flashed to the joy on his Dad’s face when he became a Grandpa for the first time.  Josh couldn’t contain himself any longer and began to weep.  Clinging to his wife, he wept for his Dad.  He wept for himself.  He wept for his children.  He wept for his sisters.  He wept.  But, he shed not one single tear for his mother.