“Which one do you want to open first?” asked my father.
“The football,” I said.
Dad handed me the package. I could tell he was still mad about it.
“How do you know it’s a football?” he asked. “Just because that little kid said so, doesn’t mean it’s a football. It could be anything.”
I opened it up.
It was a football.
I opened up the rest of the presents. Mom had bought me some CDs and a boom box for my room. My father gave me the football and two computer games.
After I had thanked them, we all piled into the truck and drove home. This time, I sat in the middle. It was a lot more comfortable that way.
When we got there, Mom and I got out of the truck. I started to walk around to say good-bye to my father. But as it turned out, I didn’t have to. He was already on his way to the house. I guess he just didn’t want to leave me on my birthday.
I have to admit, when I saw him going in the front door, it really surprised me. It must have surprised my mother, too. Before either of us knew it, Dad had sat down on the couch.
My mother crossed her arms.
“Won’t you sit down?” she asked.
My father smiled. This whole situation was stressing me out. Having them together at the picnic had turned out to be bad enough. But being inside the house with them was even worse. I knew that, sooner or later, an argument was going to get started.
I wasn’t quite sure what I should do. Finally, I sat down on the couch next to Dad.
Mom didn’t know what to do, either. For a while, she walked around pretending to be busy. Then she gave up and sat down in the chair across from us.
For a long time, no one said a word. It was worse than the dinner with Cousin Hank. We all just sat there looking at the floor. All I could hear was the sound of my father’s watch ticking. Tick-tick-tick …
It reminded me of this TV show I saw one time. It was about these two policemen who had to take the fuse out of a time bomb so it wouldn’t explode. It really got tense at the end. They had to work very slowly so they wouldn’t accidentally set it off. But the whole time they were working, all you could hear was the tick-tick-tick of the time bomb … just like my father’s watch.
All of a sudden, I couldn’t stand the silence anymore. I tried to start a conversation.
“So, did you guys have a nice time today?” I asked.
It was probably the worst question I could have asked.
“I did,” said Dad. “It was really fun, wasn’t it? I especially liked tossing around the old Frisbee.”
My mother glared. “I liked the liverwurst,” she said.
Okay. That did it.
“Excuse me,” I said. “I’ll be right back.”
I left the room and hurried down the hall. I went straight to Mom’s bedroom and called Dr. Girard. His secretary said he was busy on the other line.
“Yeah, but this is an emergency,” I said in my loudest whisper. “I really need to talk to him now.”
Dr. Girard picked up the phone right away.
I told him what was going on.
We didn’t talk long. We didn’t have to. The answer to my problem turned out to be so simple, I should have known it myself.
When I got off the phone, I went back to the living room and sat down next to Dad again. Only this time, I sat extra close.
“I need to tell you something private,” I said softly.
My father leaned his head over in my direction.
I cupped my hands around his ear.
“Could you please go home?” I whispered.
Dad sat there a second; then he smiled a little. Dr. Girard said he would understand.
He got up and said good-bye to my mother.
I walked him to the door. When we got there, he bent down and gave me a hug.
“I guess sometimes adults aren’t quite as grown-up as they think they are,” he said.
He hugged me again and left.
(thirteen)
TODAY IS Sunday. Dad just called. He’s going to stop by later on and pick me up. We’re going over to his place and toss around my new football.
I don’t mind going over there quite as much anymore. He’s painted the walls and bought himself a new couch to replace the smelly one.
For a joke, he bought me a can of rose-scented bathroom spray. He lets me spray the room before I sit down.
It’s funny, but there have been times lately when I’ve begun to think of him as more than just my father. There have been times when he’s started to seem like someone I might actually like to hang out with.
My mother still seems exactly like my mother. But maybe that will be changing, too. The other day she told me that she’s looking for a job.
When I first heard her say it, I started laughing. I think I hurt her feelings. I didn’t mean to. It’s just that she’s always been a stay-at-home mom, so it’s hard for me to think of her as a working person.
I talked to Dr. Girard about it. He told me that when his parents got divorced, his mother became a mailman.
I must have laughed for about ten minutes when he said that. I don’t know why, but the thought of my mother becoming a mailman really kills me.
Dr. Girard is a pretty funny guy.
Sometimes I think back to when I first met him. It seems like a long time ago, but it’s only been a couple of months.
I think I’ve come a long way in two months. I don’t go around happy all the time, but I’m not sad as much, either.
I guess nothing can keep you sad forever. Forever is just too long.
It’s like that bicycle I told you about earlier. As you stand there and watch it get run over, you get this real sick feeling inside. But after a while, you realize that if you save your money, you can get another one. It may take some time, but you can do it.
And even though the second bike may be different from the first one, you can still be happy with it. Just because it’s different doesn’t make it bad.
I guess that’s what I’m trying to do now. I’m trying to be happy with something different. I know it’s going to take time before I feel like my old self again. But at least I think I’m getting closer.
Like take today, for instance. When I walked by my mirror this morning, I caught myself smiling.
And no one even had to ask.
Find out what happens to Charlie Hickle next in
My Mother Got Married (And Other Disasters)
Another bummer!
Charlie Hickle’s life has become a three-ring circus. It was bad enough that Charlie’s parents got divorced. Now, to make matters worse, Charlie’s mom is getting remarried, and suddenly there are way too many people in one house. First there’s his new stepfather, the nature guy. Then there’s his five-year-old stepbrother, Thomas the pest, who’s Charlie’s new roommate. Worst of all, Charlie has to deal with his stepsister, Lydia the phone-hog. His mom promises that things will work out eventually.
But Charlie isn’t interested in eventually. He wants things back the way they used to be—right now!
BarBara ParK is one of today’s funniest, most popular authors. Her middle-grade novels have won more than forty children’s book awards. She is also the creator of the hilarious Junie B. Jones series. Barbara holds a BS in education from the University of Alabama. She has two grown sons and lives with her husband, Richard, in Arizona.
Barbara Park, Don't Make Me Smile
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