Status: And we're back!
Family Tradition
Three
"What are you looking at?" I asked Alina as I walked into our apartment, seeing her sitting on the couch staring at something in her hand. I tossed my coat towards the closet, not caring where it landed for the time being, as I sat next to her.
"I found these the last time we visited our moms. My mom had some pictures sitting out," She explained as I took the picture from her before realizing there were actually two. The first one was of Alina right after she was born and I could only assume the man who was cut out of the picture was her dad. I looked at the second picture and chuckled slightly.
"I guess we had the same photographer," I said, seeing as it was an identical picture, just with me and my own dad.
"The only reason I didn't give you that one before was because I didn't think you'd want it. It seems like you hate them, so I figured it'd just be stupid." I sighed and handed the pictures back to her, noticing her face when I returned them both.
"You were right," I said as I got up and went to my room, in order to change into a better outfit for my night job. I walked bakc out and saw Alina had also changed and was waiting for me.
"Ready?" I nodded and she stood up, straightning her shirt ou tas I grabbed my keys and our jackets, tossing her hers.
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"What can I get ye, sir?" I asked loudly before making a face at the way I had just spoken.
"I'll have 2 Guinness'," The man said and I nodded, stepping a few feet to the right to get the two brews.
"The hell was that? Random Irish accent?" Alina asked with a laugh and I playfully glared.
"Oh shut up," I said before handing over the two beers in exchange for $7.
"How you doin' sweetie?" I rolled my eyes at the man who was visibly drunk, slumping slightly onto the bar.
"What can I get you?" I asked, concentrating so I wouldn't slip into an accent again.
"I'll take you," He slurred and I rolled my eyes.
"Not on the menu Hun, anythin' else in mind?" He frowned before looking down, studying his hands for a second.
"I'll have some Johnny Walker." I nodded and poured him the alcohol, flashing a smile when I took the money from him. As I put the money in the register, Alina followed me.
"Ready for a break?" She asked loudly, watching the door. I followed her gaze and noticed one of the other bartenders walking in. She smiled at us, raising a hand over her head, signaling that we could go on break. I eagerly slipped away from the bar and out the back door, with Alina not far behind. I instantly pulled two cigarettes out of my pack adn lit them, handing her one.
"So I decided on something today," Alina said after we had been outside for a minute or two in silence.
"Oh you did?" I asked quietly, blowing a smoke ring above my head.
"I'm goign looking for our dads..." She said and I coughed loudly on the smoke in my lungs.
"Excuse me?" I asked, astounded by what she had just said.
"I'm going to try and find them," She said, this time with more confidence. I shook my head.
"Like hell you are," I said, violently flicking the ashes off my cigarette.
"Why?" She challenged and I frowned.
"Because it's fuckin' dumb. They left us for a reason, you know. If they wanted us to be able to contact them, they would call or write, or something. I mean, it's a nice thought, but going to actually look for them, it's not one of your brightest ideas..."
"I don't care...I want to do this, and I'm going to."
"What if they're dangerous? Or they're involved in some heavy shit, like you used to think, huh? You wanna get into all that shit?"
"No, I don't know. I don't care, I just want to meet them. I haven't seen my dad since I was what, 5? 6? That's too long. You might hate them, but I don't. I can't. I need to see them..." I continued staring at the ground, because I knew if I saw her expression, I'd feel bad and want to take it all back. But this was one of the only subjects I ever knew how I felt about it 100% and going to look for them was the last thing I wanted to do.
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"What are you doing?" I leaned against the doorframe to Alina's room, watching her.
"Nothing," She stated simply as she continued searching around her room. I rolled my eyes and walked into the living room. I sat on the couch and flipped through the channels on the TV, waiting for Alina to emerge from her room. When she did, about 15 minutes later, I couldn't help but cock an eyebrow.
"Now you have to explain," I said and she blinked.
"What?"
"You never wear shit like that, what do you think you're doing?" I asked, taking note of the backpack she had with her.
"I told you, I'm going to find them."
"Oh Christ, this again? How do you expect to defend yourself? A girl like you alone on the street isn't the safest thing."
"I have this," She said, holding up a knife her moms brother had given her when he took her hunting with him one time.
"Oh my God, are you serious? You're going to get yourself killed!"
"Then help me!" She exclaimed, giving me a look I couldn't quite place, all I knew was that it made me want to help her out. I rubbed my face with my hands before looking back up at her.
"You're not gunna give this up, are you?" I asked quietly, gazing at her through my fingers.
"No, I'm not."
"I didn't think so. Damn your determination," I muttered. "Fine. I'll do it."
"You will?" She asked excitedly, returning back to her old self.
"If I have to in order to keep you alive, then yeah."
"When do we leave?" She asked and I shrugged before leaning back into the couch.
"Once we quit our jobs."
"Can we visit our moms before we leave?"
"How are we gunna explain what we're doing to them?" I asked. "Sure, you convinced me to do it, but you won't be able to convince them..."
"We'll say we're going on a road trip, it's simple." I sighed and shook my head.
"You've been planning this for awhile, haven't you?"
"Yeah."
"Alright. I'll call in tomorrow I guess and give them the notice."
"I found these the last time we visited our moms. My mom had some pictures sitting out," She explained as I took the picture from her before realizing there were actually two. The first one was of Alina right after she was born and I could only assume the man who was cut out of the picture was her dad. I looked at the second picture and chuckled slightly.
"I guess we had the same photographer," I said, seeing as it was an identical picture, just with me and my own dad.
"The only reason I didn't give you that one before was because I didn't think you'd want it. It seems like you hate them, so I figured it'd just be stupid." I sighed and handed the pictures back to her, noticing her face when I returned them both.
"You were right," I said as I got up and went to my room, in order to change into a better outfit for my night job. I walked bakc out and saw Alina had also changed and was waiting for me.
"Ready?" I nodded and she stood up, straightning her shirt ou tas I grabbed my keys and our jackets, tossing her hers.
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
"What can I get ye, sir?" I asked loudly before making a face at the way I had just spoken.
"I'll have 2 Guinness'," The man said and I nodded, stepping a few feet to the right to get the two brews.
"The hell was that? Random Irish accent?" Alina asked with a laugh and I playfully glared.
"Oh shut up," I said before handing over the two beers in exchange for $7.
"How you doin' sweetie?" I rolled my eyes at the man who was visibly drunk, slumping slightly onto the bar.
"What can I get you?" I asked, concentrating so I wouldn't slip into an accent again.
"I'll take you," He slurred and I rolled my eyes.
"Not on the menu Hun, anythin' else in mind?" He frowned before looking down, studying his hands for a second.
"I'll have some Johnny Walker." I nodded and poured him the alcohol, flashing a smile when I took the money from him. As I put the money in the register, Alina followed me.
"Ready for a break?" She asked loudly, watching the door. I followed her gaze and noticed one of the other bartenders walking in. She smiled at us, raising a hand over her head, signaling that we could go on break. I eagerly slipped away from the bar and out the back door, with Alina not far behind. I instantly pulled two cigarettes out of my pack adn lit them, handing her one.
"So I decided on something today," Alina said after we had been outside for a minute or two in silence.
"Oh you did?" I asked quietly, blowing a smoke ring above my head.
"I'm goign looking for our dads..." She said and I coughed loudly on the smoke in my lungs.
"Excuse me?" I asked, astounded by what she had just said.
"I'm going to try and find them," She said, this time with more confidence. I shook my head.
"Like hell you are," I said, violently flicking the ashes off my cigarette.
"Why?" She challenged and I frowned.
"Because it's fuckin' dumb. They left us for a reason, you know. If they wanted us to be able to contact them, they would call or write, or something. I mean, it's a nice thought, but going to actually look for them, it's not one of your brightest ideas..."
"I don't care...I want to do this, and I'm going to."
"What if they're dangerous? Or they're involved in some heavy shit, like you used to think, huh? You wanna get into all that shit?"
"No, I don't know. I don't care, I just want to meet them. I haven't seen my dad since I was what, 5? 6? That's too long. You might hate them, but I don't. I can't. I need to see them..." I continued staring at the ground, because I knew if I saw her expression, I'd feel bad and want to take it all back. But this was one of the only subjects I ever knew how I felt about it 100% and going to look for them was the last thing I wanted to do.
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
"What are you doing?" I leaned against the doorframe to Alina's room, watching her.
"Nothing," She stated simply as she continued searching around her room. I rolled my eyes and walked into the living room. I sat on the couch and flipped through the channels on the TV, waiting for Alina to emerge from her room. When she did, about 15 minutes later, I couldn't help but cock an eyebrow.
"Now you have to explain," I said and she blinked.
"What?"
"You never wear shit like that, what do you think you're doing?" I asked, taking note of the backpack she had with her.
"I told you, I'm going to find them."
"Oh Christ, this again? How do you expect to defend yourself? A girl like you alone on the street isn't the safest thing."
"I have this," She said, holding up a knife her moms brother had given her when he took her hunting with him one time.
"Oh my God, are you serious? You're going to get yourself killed!"
"Then help me!" She exclaimed, giving me a look I couldn't quite place, all I knew was that it made me want to help her out. I rubbed my face with my hands before looking back up at her.
"You're not gunna give this up, are you?" I asked quietly, gazing at her through my fingers.
"No, I'm not."
"I didn't think so. Damn your determination," I muttered. "Fine. I'll do it."
"You will?" She asked excitedly, returning back to her old self.
"If I have to in order to keep you alive, then yeah."
"When do we leave?" She asked and I shrugged before leaning back into the couch.
"Once we quit our jobs."
"Can we visit our moms before we leave?"
"How are we gunna explain what we're doing to them?" I asked. "Sure, you convinced me to do it, but you won't be able to convince them..."
"We'll say we're going on a road trip, it's simple." I sighed and shook my head.
"You've been planning this for awhile, haven't you?"
"Yeah."
"Alright. I'll call in tomorrow I guess and give them the notice."