There is something that I liked to watch during my free time in my previous life. Maybe because I am a science teacher, but I enjoy watching chain reaction videos. Where a simple flick from a person creates multiple reactions that trigger another reaction in another object. This scenario happens again and again and again, until the finish line.
I do believe the life that we currently have is something like that. Our decisions will affect others and cause a reaction. This reaction will cause another reaction in other people. The only difference is that these reactions sometimes don't have limits, and after circling multiple times, they might come back to you. Then you create your own reaction to it again.
Some applications of it are when our choices affect our other choices, which will further affect our decisions in the future. However, in this case, the bigger the reaction you cause, sometimes the damage it creates can't be mended anymore.
You might be wondering why I started talking about choices, decisions, and reactions. Well, the scenario in front of me now mirrors the chain reaction I am talking about. It really comes back to you.
In front of me are my father's friend, some of his colleagues, my father, my mother, me, and unexpectedly the teenage kid that I punched a little while ago. I thought I could finally move on, but why the hell does this destiny keep coming back to me?
Forcing myself to smile while looking at them.
"FUCK. I AM SO DEAD."
So let's go back half an hour before I was placed in this difficult position.
I started to feel sleepy while watching the news when I suddenly heard unfriendly footsteps outside.
Our house has wooden stairs, so you can easily tell if someone is outside just from their steps. The steps were heavy. It felt like they were angry or something.
"KNOCK KNOCK!!"
Based on the way they knocked, they simply smelled like bad news.
So I stood up and walked near the door.
"Who are you? My parents are out and I am not allowed to let anyone enter!" I stated.
This is a pretty normal reaction for children at this age. In this kind of scenario, I am really thankful that I am young again.
You might think that I am scared of them. Well, that is partially true. I am currently alone and also just a child. If I open the door for multiple adults and they decide to steal something inside the house, there is nothing I can do to stop them.
After telling them that I am not allowed to open the door, the other side became quiet. I can't hear them well inside the house. However, I could hear them talking about something, but not clearly.
"We are—"
"Jonathan?"
They were about to say something when I heard my father's voice.
"Sigh… just in time," I said.
I quickly opened the door and greeted them. I showed respect to my father and to the visitor.
By this time my mother also entered the scene. She saw us in a strange situation: the visitors standing in front of the door, my father just about to enter the gate, and me giving respect to my father.
After all, this is our house. Why would people enter the gate when only a kid is inside?
My father carried some roasted chicken with him. He handed me the chicken and asked me to prepare the table.
On my way back to the house, I saw a familiar figure.
"FUCK!!!"
Why the hell does this kid always follow me around? Can't you just let me rest in peace in my own house? You can do that in your own house!
Why the hell does this extra always appear out of nowhere?
I know the art of the poker face, so I didn't show any expression toward him. He had just noticed me as well. His mouth was wide open as he pointed toward me.
I quickly passed them and went straight to the kitchen.
I picked up the kaldereta that I cooked.
"It's already cooled down."
I looked at it for a while.
I can't feed those who disrespect my own cooking.
So I picked up the whole pan, carried it to my room, and hid it under my bed. Then I rushed back to the kitchen to prepare the table for our visitors.
My parents entered the house with the visitors. My father clearly looked worried about something. My mother was not in the mood.
Seeing that the table was already prepared, my father spoke.
"Why don't we talk about it after eating?" my father suggested.
The aroma of the roasted chicken circulated around the house. The visitor couldn't hide the craving on his face.
"If you insist," the visitor said.
And that is how this odd group ended up dining at the table.
Back in the present.
He introduced himself as my father's friend. His name is Jonathan. An old friend of my father when he was still working in the metal industry.
My mother clearly knows him, but I feel like she doesn't like him very much.
He just started rambling about his achievements and how my father was the best partner in the past.
My father laughed dryly about it, but he was clearly uncomfortable.
The rambling continued. I think this will continue until we finish our food.
The kid that I taught a lesson to could also feel the tension, so he quietly ate in the corner.
I pretended that I didn't know him, but it was still awkward.
Half an hour passed in this awkward atmosphere.
Jonathan, my father's so-called friend, was clearly the only one enjoying the dinner. My mother barely ate. My father only took a few bites.
However, the roasted chicken vanished.
I was shocked at how inconsiderate this father and son were.
After we ate, my mother went upstairs to rest. She respectfully told them that she would rest in her room.
Jonathan just let it be as if he didn't really care.
My father and his friend went outside to talk while I cleaned the plates.
I wondered what they were talking about.
Father POV
I asked Jonathan to talk outside.
I know my wife doesn't really like him. We are not close friends. In fact, I know that he hates me more than anyone else in the world.
I really deserve to be hated by him. Because I once betrayed him.
A few years ago, when I was still working in the metal industry in Manila, I met Jonathan.
We were a group of ten at that time. We tried our best every day at work and we really loved our jobs back then.
A few years later, the management started losing money and decided to sell the company to a foreign buyer.
We were all desperate back then, and my wife was pregnant. I couldn't afford to lose my job.
One day, during our break, I noticed that five of my groupmates suddenly disappeared.
This was not normal. In a few minutes we had to start working again. A problem caused by one group could affect the whole group.
I asked my other groupmates about them, clearly worried. They also didn't know, and we started to panic.
Any minute now the new owner would come to the factory. If we weren't working and the management found us slacking, we might lose our jobs.
After all, the company was already producing more losses than profit. If they saw workers slacking, we would take the blame.
We decided to split up and search for them.
After searching for a few minutes, I still couldn't find them.
So I decided to check the storage area.
I wish I wasn't the one who found them.
Closing my eyes, I quietly left before they noticed me.