I sighed as I plopped down on the bed. My face hurt. My body hurt. My bones twitched in pain as i tried to sit up. Aspen was worried I had gotten into a fight but I calmed him down when I let him treat me himself. Cute. God I hope the bruises don't swell. I suddenly could feel the weight on my shoulders. Being fired was bad enough. Even more so when it was the second day. But I couldn't think of that. I had to think of how to procure any sort of good food and whether to steal some money, food or starve a little more until I could find a better job.
I was tired as i snuggled closer to Poru, who simply looked around as he moved his small arms which made me wanna blow up from cuteness overload. All the suffering from the sleepless nights, the crying, the diapers.... These small moments make me silently cry tears of pure joy. My sweet sweet sweet Poru and Aspen. I wanna squish you with my love until the world knows they can't touch you. I imagined the little bugger to be happy as i watched it grow. Get friends. Get a good job. Have his own kids whom i'd squish with love as well.
My dreams weren't any better. Not the ones i'd use to run to in times of distress. The sets of flowers over an abandoned field as i skip my way through. Those days were good. A slight sound in my head blares as i find myself in a dark space. Darker than usual. Seeing even beyond a few meters was impossible. But my feet took off. I ran and ran, knowing something would eventually get me. I could feel the invisible winds beating down on my body as i sprinted. I almost fell over when a gale of dust shot to me. Shoving me to another empty part of the empty room. I could feel it eat me. Crack. My bones disintegrating painfully. Crack. It's been like this for years. But my head... i feel like i can't think anymore.... not in the peaceful way my sons do.
"Dad, look at this!" Aspen trilled at me showing a picture of us three as a family. Only that it wasn't a drawing.... just plants stuck onto the worn out yellow paper.
"Is that what the teacher asked you to do?" I said as I sat up while gently caressing Poru's head.
"No, But I like it!" He was adamant as he stomped his little feet.
"You should try drawing people too, You know. I'm sure you can-"
"No!"
"Titli.... You can't only like plants." He seemed to not listen. Liking one thing only is a sure fire way to get bullied. I can't risk that for my precious baby boy. But forcing the issue would make it even worse.
"Okay... Titli.... Tell me, which flower am I?" He instantly turned around and jumped on the bed which i caught him and sat him down in front of me. I saw three items. A small lily on the left, a tree leaf and a sunflower seed.
"You're the tree leaf. Big. Strong. Give shade to the two little ones." AWWWW! I had to physically pinch myself from lunging and hugging this sweet smart bundle of joy. God, What the hell did I do to get such cute menaces?!
"What about the other two?"
"I am the rose. I liked roses. Poru is the seed." I raised my eyebrow.
"Why seed?"
"Because he's a baby" Awwww.... "and sunflower because he's loud and annoying." Sigh. My smile dropped into a straight line as I sigh internally. He truly is embracing the older brother role.
"Don't say that about your brother." I let out a disappointed but helpless chuckle. I get up. "Come, Let's do training."
I could tell Aspen stopped in his tracks. After the incident of the air sucking, I had Aspen train to master his breathing. I tried to understand how his breathing ability worked. Just another type of power in Poetsfield.
Poetsfield is a land that survived the nuclear blasts of World War 3. Or should I say, what was left. The radiation poisoning of our ancestors had seeped into the DNA and to counteract this, Our bodies performed 'small miracles.' Cells started growing quicker. Some bodies more durable, faster, stronger.... and so the powers were born and God and all its forms were discarded. Some held on to their traditions. But no one cares anymore to play divisions when divisions had destroyed the world centauries before. Why would they? We humans have the powers to do much more than our ancestors. We are equivalent to the gods.
Although Aspen felt enthusiastic, I could tell he was holding something in."I don't want to."
"Why?" I asked as i picked up Poru and readied to walk out of the door.
"I almost... I almost killed Poru..." Tears streamed down his face as i looked at him. For a kid to talk about murder..... I kneeled as i placed porus on the floor as who simply tried to reach out to him....
"But you didn't." I cupped his cheek, gently wiping his tears "You made a mistake. But you can change that because now you know." I titled his chin downwards.
"Besides, your annoying brother wants his big older brother to help him grow and bloom. Just like we Bloomfields do no?" He looked at Porus and picked him up. "Let's go. I looked out the peephole and froze.
"What's wrong, Daddy?" Aspen said.
"Go hide under the bed." I whispered My son hesitated but I said again. "Don't worry. Go." My son quickly dipped under with Poru who giggled and Aspen covered his mouth.
I opened the door, my face looking done with the person right in front of me.
"Twinkle Toes. Care to invite me in?" That bastard's voice was recognizable.
"No." I slammed the door but it rebounded. "Ow. You shouldn't be so mean to guests no?" He held the door open, not caring that his fingers were bleeding. What the fuck? He pushed past me as he looked around... "Wow. First you're the leaky faucet..... did you really let all the money slip through the gates too?" He asked condescendingly.
"Get out. If you're here to cause more problems, Get the fuck out." I grabbed a knife which caused him to be even more guarded.
He looked in the direction of where my babies were and i stepped in front forcing him to take a few steps back as he leaned on the table.
"Why are you even here?" I glared at him as i spat.
"For answers." He bluntly spat back, speaking the truth.
What? The fuck he meant by answers?
"You got fired. How?" His eyes bore into me as if he could also tell truth from lies. Why didn't he himself know though? He was still a police officer.
"Did they not tell you?" I spoke.
"I wanted to hear it from you." He spoke, voice tinged with sincerity. I physically recoiled from his "sincerity" which he saw and rolled his eyes.
"What exactly did you hear?"
"You punched a cop for making a joke about your Leaky Faucet." I wanted to slap him. The insult kept stinging.
"Pretty much. He said several choice words which you can hear from the body cam i kept on. So i punched him and a brawl ensued. No one stood up for me and I was fired." I spoke normally trying to move past that incident.
"I warned you." was all he could say. I didn't hesitate before punching him in his chest which looked big, wide. spread out. He didn't flinch but i could tell it hurt.
"Whatever. I don't need your sympathy. Now get out."
"EWWWWWWW!" We both heard Aspen groan as he shimmied under and out of the bed and handed me poru who was smiling like he didn't just take the smelliest dunk my nose has been attacked with.
The bastard looked at the two kids in complete understandable shock. I looked as Aspen with disappointment as I stared at him when he realized he came out of the covers.
"Sorry, Dad" He ran behind me as he stared at the bigger man.
"You have kids?" His brown eyes widened as he looked at the two. "They look just like you." I swear I saw his eyes soften. I didn't excuse myself as I moved to the bathroom to clean the little baby.
That bastard followed me as he leaned at the door frame. "My name. I never told you my name. Kenji Patel."
"Don't bother. I've already deleted you from my mind." He frowned but shook the rejection off.
"Doesn't matter. I've come to give you your job back." What? I look in shock as he placed my badge and gun on the counter top. I stared at him.
"I washed out. You were right. I don't fucking belong in that cesspool. Why the fuck do you want me back?" I glared at him. "Besides. I don't need your fucking help or handouts." I finished cleaning him up and making Aspen sit on the bed with Poru.
"This isn't about you. I don't feel satisfied with how things went and I believe..... you think so too." Truth and a lie? So either the reason is a lie or either he's telling a half truth.
"I don't give a damn about your satisfaction." I said bluntly. I could tell he was getting more angry but he reigned it in.
"I barely got the time to teach you the ropes of being a police officer and you got washed out." I wasn't listening. "Just tell me. Why did you choose to become a Hero? A police officer?"
Why? I don't even remember. "Because I wanted to make my kids be good people."
"You don't have to be a police officer to do that." He retorted.
"It was the only job I could get without a college degree, that pays me enough to keep my kids healthy and loved." His looked at me and then at my kids and made the connection.
"That's a reason. But it's not a good reason to remain a police officer. You're risking your life out there. Who the hell will you leave your kids to if you're gone huh, boot?" I narrowed my eyes as i gulped. I hope he couldn't tell I wasn't being exactly truthful.
"I'm not your bloody boot." Not anymore besides, I've seen people do shit they don't want to do. I'm not being a police officer to save the damn world. I need to pay my damn bills and keep my kids loved and fed and if that means trying to be a hero, I fucking will." Our faces were close as i glared at him making sure i was the wall between him and my babies.
"If you cared about them enough, then you would have let the taunts roll off your back or maybe chose a better profession." He wasn't wrong. But I'm not going back there. Maybe i'll get a job at a bakery. At least i could sniff the dough and eat so much cake until i bloat. If i could bloat.
"You don't think I fucking know that? I didn't want to get fired!" I screamed at him.
"Then I'll see you tomorrow first thing." He said challenging. Wait, what?
"No. I didn't say that!" But he didn't listen.
"Be punctual, boot! If i don't see you there, I'll drag you out there myself." What? That bastard stalked out quickly like a cat. I wanted to punch the wall. I contemplated not going to spite that asshole but..... one look at my kids made me reconsider. 'I needed to rethink. Get a little more.... tough. Fathers..... sacrifice don't they? I won't be like those teasing assholes though.' I promised to myself.
I walked to my kids.... and hugged them tight. "Don't worry. Daddy sorted it out."
"Daddy. Who was that?" Aspen softly asked.
"Just a work buddy. No one friendly."
"I'm sorry I didn't help you."
"Don't worry about it. You're a kid. Not a spy." I kissed his forehead before i picked them both up and gently set them down. "Fa.... Pha..." I looked down at Poru who was trying his best to sound his words.... "Pha."
"YES!" Aspen and I looked at each other in excitement as we cajoled him. His First Words!!!!
"Say Papa."
"Say Titli!"
"Say PAPA!"
The moment the baby spoke my smile eroded. He smiled..... as if he didn't just swear... cutely.
"Phak!"