Commando
Commando Chapter 2
Chapter two-
We had to make our own dinner that night. The doctors and nurses had left after a little talk Jason gave them. I couldn’t understand how he could get them to leave him alone like that. After he had nearly killed himself. They just warned him and left. So now we sat in the kitchen eating heated up chicken and over boiled noodles. Jason teased me about my terrible cooking and I threw a couple of noodles at him. We ate in silence and heard the front door open and click close. I made eye contact with Jason and he shook his head no. I shook my head yes and stood up. I charged into the living room to confront my parents but instead saw something I didn’t want to see: my dad with another woman. I stepped backwards and back into the kitchen where Jason sat staring at his food. “Jason… I don’t think I want to stay in this house anymore.” I said, almost scared. “Why?” his voice full of concern. I beckoned him over and opened the kitchen door a little bit to let him catch a glance. Right when he caught that glimpse something snapped in him and he charged into the living room screaming at dad. I ran in after him to find the woman pushed off of dad and dad standing up yelling back at Jason. She looked at dad and started yelling at him saying stuff like, you told me you were single! You said you didn’t have any kids! How dare you humiliate me like this! Dad just brushed her aside and stared at us with a murderous glare. And then something snapped in me. I screamed in his face and punched him right in the nose. Dad held his nose while Jason pulled me back. I cried into his shoulder as he smoothed back my hair. Dad looked at the woman and yelled, “Get out!” She turned and left the house; slamming the door as hard as possible. Jason ran at dad and punched him right in the jaw sending dad sprawling back. Jason sat on dad’s stomach and held his arms down. I sat next to dads head and quietly said, “Why dad? What happened to mom being good enough huh? Why?” Hot tears were falling down my face and dad looked at me with sympathy, “Zahra, I did it to get back at your mom. She’s been in an affair for two years and I never said anything about it. And then I actually caught her in the act today. I freaked and I know it. And now I know it affects you. I’m sorry.” Mom did what? I sat back blubbering and curled up onto the floor. Jason got off of dad and pulled me into his arms. He whispered soothing things into my ear while dad sat staring at us with wide eyes. Then Jason whispered, “I’m going with you.” I shot up and stared at him, “What?!” He sighed, “I can’t leave you alone ever Zahra. I’m going where ever you are going.” I sat on the floor in silence trying to piece it all together. He wants to come? Why? I just couldn’t figure it out. “I-I don’t know Jason… I don’t want you to be unhappy.” He smiled, “I’m happy with you Zahra. I want to protect you forever. I don’t care where you go, I’ll go with you.” “But what about your literature? Your art?” I asked. He shook his head, “I don’t care about that. I care more for you than anything else. But come on. We have to get ready for the ceremony. Get up. Let’s get you cleaned.” He grabbed my hands and pulled me up to a standing position. He helped me to my room leaving dad in the living room shocked at us. Jason pushed me into my room gently and said, “Get cleaned up Zahra. And remember I’m there for you.” And I knew I wanted him to go to his own home. The one he chooses. Not what I wanted for myself. He couldn’t always be there for me.
The night was beautiful with seventeen year olds surrounding me everywhere. Jason kept a tight grip on my arm causing some purple marks I knew would be there come morning. And I knew one thing: Jason had to choose his own path. He couldn’t follow mine. I would have to tell him that. So I pulled him aside and said, “Jason wait. Don’t follow me. Go somewhere else. Live you dream. I want you to be happy. I’ll be fine. We’ll see each other again someday. I love you Jason. You are my big brother. But it’s my choice. Choose your own path.” He nodded. “If that’s what you want Zahra. I’ll do it.” We hugged each other tight before stepping onto the platform where we would choose where to go. They called name after name getting closer to my own and a large lump was in my throat that I couldn’t possibly swallow down. And then I heard my name called, “Zahra Newman.” I gulped in air and walked forward looking at all the people waiting for me to choose, my parents were not one of them. I looked at all the cards on the platform and knew what I would choose.
We had to make our own dinner that night. The doctors and nurses had left after a little talk Jason gave them. I couldn’t understand how he could get them to leave him alone like that. After he had nearly killed himself. They just warned him and left. So now we sat in the kitchen eating heated up chicken and over boiled noodles. Jason teased me about my terrible cooking and I threw a couple of noodles at him. We ate in silence and heard the front door open and click close. I made eye contact with Jason and he shook his head no. I shook my head yes and stood up. I charged into the living room to confront my parents but instead saw something I didn’t want to see: my dad with another woman. I stepped backwards and back into the kitchen where Jason sat staring at his food. “Jason… I don’t think I want to stay in this house anymore.” I said, almost scared. “Why?” his voice full of concern. I beckoned him over and opened the kitchen door a little bit to let him catch a glance. Right when he caught that glimpse something snapped in him and he charged into the living room screaming at dad. I ran in after him to find the woman pushed off of dad and dad standing up yelling back at Jason. She looked at dad and started yelling at him saying stuff like, you told me you were single! You said you didn’t have any kids! How dare you humiliate me like this! Dad just brushed her aside and stared at us with a murderous glare. And then something snapped in me. I screamed in his face and punched him right in the nose. Dad held his nose while Jason pulled me back. I cried into his shoulder as he smoothed back my hair. Dad looked at the woman and yelled, “Get out!” She turned and left the house; slamming the door as hard as possible. Jason ran at dad and punched him right in the jaw sending dad sprawling back. Jason sat on dad’s stomach and held his arms down. I sat next to dads head and quietly said, “Why dad? What happened to mom being good enough huh? Why?” Hot tears were falling down my face and dad looked at me with sympathy, “Zahra, I did it to get back at your mom. She’s been in an affair for two years and I never said anything about it. And then I actually caught her in the act today. I freaked and I know it. And now I know it affects you. I’m sorry.” Mom did what? I sat back blubbering and curled up onto the floor. Jason got off of dad and pulled me into his arms. He whispered soothing things into my ear while dad sat staring at us with wide eyes. Then Jason whispered, “I’m going with you.” I shot up and stared at him, “What?!” He sighed, “I can’t leave you alone ever Zahra. I’m going where ever you are going.” I sat on the floor in silence trying to piece it all together. He wants to come? Why? I just couldn’t figure it out. “I-I don’t know Jason… I don’t want you to be unhappy.” He smiled, “I’m happy with you Zahra. I want to protect you forever. I don’t care where you go, I’ll go with you.” “But what about your literature? Your art?” I asked. He shook his head, “I don’t care about that. I care more for you than anything else. But come on. We have to get ready for the ceremony. Get up. Let’s get you cleaned.” He grabbed my hands and pulled me up to a standing position. He helped me to my room leaving dad in the living room shocked at us. Jason pushed me into my room gently and said, “Get cleaned up Zahra. And remember I’m there for you.” And I knew I wanted him to go to his own home. The one he chooses. Not what I wanted for myself. He couldn’t always be there for me.
The night was beautiful with seventeen year olds surrounding me everywhere. Jason kept a tight grip on my arm causing some purple marks I knew would be there come morning. And I knew one thing: Jason had to choose his own path. He couldn’t follow mine. I would have to tell him that. So I pulled him aside and said, “Jason wait. Don’t follow me. Go somewhere else. Live you dream. I want you to be happy. I’ll be fine. We’ll see each other again someday. I love you Jason. You are my big brother. But it’s my choice. Choose your own path.” He nodded. “If that’s what you want Zahra. I’ll do it.” We hugged each other tight before stepping onto the platform where we would choose where to go. They called name after name getting closer to my own and a large lump was in my throat that I couldn’t possibly swallow down. And then I heard my name called, “Zahra Newman.” I gulped in air and walked forward looking at all the people waiting for me to choose, my parents were not one of them. I looked at all the cards on the platform and knew what I would choose.