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Each mother spoke a fraction of a second after the other. The immediate multiple echoes gave her harsh tone an edge that I knew could be very real if she wanted. All she would have to do is vibrate her vocal chords at the right frequency. Thankfully, for all of my mother’s plans to try and kill me, her intent is not to succeed.
“F-f-f-ra-a-ankie. Wha-a-a-at wer-r-r-e y-y-y-ou d-d-d-oing-g-g he-e-e-e-re?”
“I heard that you were down here. I was worried. I thought…”
“Lying!” A mother in the back called out.
“Fine! I came to talk to you. I’m done, mom. I’m done living your life and dad’s life and everyone else’s life but my own. I don’t care what either of you think. It’s my life, I’ll-“
“NO!” They all screamed in unison. Then only the mother in the front began to speak, “Frankie, you don’t understand-“
“You don’t understand, mom! I’m sick of the pressure! I can’t live like this.”
“Pressure? Do you realize how easy your life is? How much I have given to this family—to you—or how much I have given up? I can’t believe-“
“Okay everybody,” my father says. He and I can see that the mother to the right is starting to glow. For all of her technological enhancements, she still has all of the parts of her brain. Maybe not in the same body, but they’re all there. He knows that some of the models from last year had self-destruct capabilities, in the event of capture or if she just felt like scaring somebody. I guess the trigger is tied to some kind of emotional response. Makes sense. Being captured would definitely make me angry. “Let’s all take a minute, here. Honey, it looks like the unit on your side there is ready to pop. Can you send her away? And Frankie, it’s late. If you’re coming to work in the morning, you should probably get some sleep. The game is on tomorrow. That means lots of deliveries, which means lots of driving. I don’t want you falling asleep at the wheel-“
“One time, dad!”
“One time too many. And that means you’re going to have a long day because we won’t get a chance to go over anything for the business until after we close. So you get your butt upstairs and go to bed. I’ll help your mother clean up down here. With all this excitement, I doubt I’ll get to sleep.”
“Dad! I…Fine. Goodnight.”
I’m not happy as I head back towards the stairs. My anger is mixed with the special kind of disgust you feel when you know your parents are going to have sex as soon as you leave the room. Being near my mother after a battle always does it for my dad. He told me that once in a moment of drunken honesty on my birthday last year. He was nervous about his next session with the counselor. First we were talking about how judged he feels while he’s there and then, boom, we’re talking about my parents’ sex life.
It’s even worse than normal because I know that at least three of the moms are sticking around.
Disgusting.