In a small house, we gathered for dinner. It is called small because it only has four sections: a bathroom, a kitchen, a small living room, and a bedroom. There is only one bedroom where we all sleep in one room on the floor. Mama said we sleep like pickled migrating fish. Well, upon reflection, that's a nice simile figure of speech!
Despite its small size, the house holds many memories. That's why the five of us gathered around a circular table. It was early in the morning because my three older siblings had just come home from work. However, my sister Carla insisted on cooking steak, my sister Melissa prepared the vegetables, and my sister Belnades prepared the birthday cake. Well, today is Mama's birthday, and I was in charge of getting the ingredients for dinner at Freshco Market.
A little background story, Mama is a tough woman who has raised us alone for 30 long years. I use the benchmark of 30 years because Carla is the oldest among us. Mama is considered tough because she never needed any help from her siblings. Well, apart from being scolded, Mama doesn't like to inconvenience others.
Just like smartphones that are becoming more advanced due to multitasking or doing multiple activities simultaneously, Mama is the same. Mama is known for her toughness and multi-job. She has worked as a preschool teacher, part-time dishwasher at a restaurant, laundry worker, and, most recently, taking care of us at night.
I call her 'Bear.' At one point, my siblings got angry, but Mama was actually happy. According to Mama, a bear is a solitary and strong individual. Mama said she is like a bear. For example, when I was bullied from elementary school to high school, Mama was there for me.
I'm sure Mama gave the same support to my other siblings. And because of Mama, we have been able to succeed in our own ways.
My eldest sister, Kak Carla, is a pharmacist at a fairly large hospital in Derbyshire. Carla already has a two-story house there. Unfortunately, she is not married yet.
My second sister, Melissa, is a famous novelist whose works have been adapted into films. She currently lives in a luxurious apartment in London. Her company provides her with accommodation, but she plans to find a small and quiet house in the countryside. It should be close to London, though.
Next is my sister Belnades. She is an accountant and also an expert in baking. Originally, she wanted to become a pastry chef, but Mama didn't have the money, so she had to abandon her dream. My sister Belnades became an accountant at a large pastry company, which happened to align with her hobby. Belnades lives in Wales and will be getting married in about three months.
As for me, well, I'm just a high school teacher in Mirfield. I live with Mama and take care of her. Mama has some health issues, but because she is Mama Bear, it doesn't affect her much. I could actually buy a house already, but I still want to stay with Mama.
To cut the story short, the food is ready. It's 10:00 PM on a chilly autumn night. We don't have a fireplace, so my sister Belnades brought one in her car. Now the electric heater is placed near us.
This should have been a festive birthday night for Mama Bear, but somehow the atmosphere feels somber. After all, it's a reunion for all of us. Perhaps it's because of our work?
As an addition, I started making hot chocolate, five cups of it, to warm our bodies.
"Hey, Ryan! What are you doing!? Stop wasting food!"
I didn't understand why Carla was getting angry at me for that, but my other siblings defended me. Even Mama furrowed her brow to prevent Carla from getting angry. What does she mean by wasting food? I thought I was preparing hot chocolate for all of us.
A magnificent cake made by Belnades with lit candles. It's a choco-cheese brownie cake, topped with Nutella, hazelnut chocolate, dark chocolate, and sprinkled with chocolate chips. Despite the word "cheese," the cake looks dark and gloomy from the outside. Nevertheless, it's still a delicious cake made by Belnades. And once again, this should have been a lively birthday celebration, so why does the atmosphere feel so sad? I'm not in a sad movie or a sad piece of writing, am I?
Since I am the youngest sibling, I then distributed five items each: glasses for mineral water, plates for steak, bowls for vegetable soup, and small flat plates for cake.
Kak Carla started getting agitated again. But my two siblings, Belnades and Kak Melissa, stopped her. However, Mama Bear furrowed her brow. Not because she was angry, but rather because she felt sad.
Even so, Kak Carla kept warning me to distribute the utensils appropriately and not to waste food or get easily carried away by emotions.
"Don't let your emotions control you! It's actually you who's emotional!" I thought.
I didn't listen and continued distributing for five people. At the same time, Carla's expression of anger escalated. It was the first fight in years. I also didn't understand why she was getting so angry.
"Ryan, that's enough! Why are you acting like this!?" Carla stood up and lightly slammed the table, and now my two siblings didn't dare to oppose her. Mama Bear even stood up and told Kak Carla to control her emotions. I didn't know why Carla ignored Mama. Did she dare to defy Mama Bear?
"Is this what you have to say after not visiting for a whole year!?"
She shouldn't be so brazen. Because all this time, I have been taking care of Mama Bear, and I'm the one who shouldn't be commanded.
She looked bewildered and fell silent. Her eyes glanced left and right, then she sat back down. Now it was my two siblings who sided with Kak Carla.
"Ryan, that's enough. Instead of continuing like this, it's better for you to find a place to live..." Melissa advised me gently. Her voice is the calmest among us.
Sure, a calm voice can be the deadliest weapon if its meaning is unsettling. What does she mean by me leaving Mama Bear?
"What's wrong with all of you, huh!?"
They all looked at me with sad eyes, especially Mama Bear.
Then Belnades told us to stop and start eating. Although Belnades didn't talk much, when she did, everyone stopped.
We all enjoyed the meal in silence. Of course, after apologizing to Mama Bear for the somewhat chaotic celebration.
Suddenly, the ordinary white candle flame went out without anyone blowing it. As a result, Mama Bear's photo placed on the cake, surrounded by two candles, appeared dim.
However...
The smile on her face somehow made tears stream down my cheeks.
