Friday Evening

The work week had finally been over and though the grey sky and the black ice in the streets, the cheerful mood did not leave him on his way home. He had nothing planned for the evening – his wife and he had not planned anything for quite a long time – but after all a whole free weekend was just around the corner; a weekend during which he would relax. He had many work engagements, running from one working place to another and had no time even to see his children but at least for two days, he was about to leave everything aside and to devote his time to all those tiny things he had been leaving from the constant Today for one Tomorrow that kept not coming.

“I’m home” – he snapped the door of the apartment and while he was hanging his jacket, his daughter ran to him, jumping.

“Was it fun today?” – he smiled at her.

“Well, yes, it was. I watched TV, played with the dolls, drew…”

He stroked her head and they entered the living room where his son had stared at the TV-screen. He hardly took his eyes off it for a while, smiled at him by greeted him and got lost into the blasts of some roaring robots.

“Did you remember to buy cigarettes?” – his wife yelled out of the kitchen.

“Don’t you have any?” – he popped his head in from the corridor.

“I ran out of them” – she answered without turning around.

“Well, why didn’t you call me to buy on my way home?”

“OK, don’t worry, I’m going down. God forbid you should give a crap!”

He sighed and smiled. He had not changed his clothes yet and it would be really better he to go to the shop. It did not make sense to spoil his mood.

A few minutes later, he left the pack of cigarettes on the counter top and asked what she had made for dinner.

 “There is some lentil left from yesterday” – she answered while washing some pot.

“Wonderful” – he rubbed his hands and looked at the fridge.

“Wonderful or not, I had no time for anything else.”

“You know each and every dish is neat and tastes good to me” – he raised his eyebrows. – “Why didn’t you have any time left?”

“How’s that “why”?” – his wife stopped washing and turned around suddenly. – “Do you think there is nothing to do in a house?”

“Come on, you work half-time, come home still in the afternoon…”

“So what? Because it is very easy to launder, to hang out the clothes, to study with the children, to clean?”

 “But I told you I’m helping you tomorrow with the cleaning. Why did you start it on your own?”

“If I wait for you…”

“Stop it!” – he got angry. – “You can’t complain I don’t help you!”

“It’s not a big deal to vacuum…”

“… and to mop the balcony, as usual!”

“And now may trumpet fanfare!”

The man forced to control himself and leaned back.

“No need.”

He knew her well, nothing unusual. That would not spoil his mood. He waved with his hand and went back to the living room.

“Children, stop it with this television, let’s play some music!”

He did not get any answer and switched on the amplifier and the speakers, took a look at the discs, chose a Gary Moore’s album and turned up the sound.

“We’re watching a mo-ovie…” – the children cried out almost simultaneously.

“But you spend all day long in front of TV. And I don’t disturb you, watch it” – he grinned.

“But it’s not over yet!”

“I want to listen to music” – he took a look at the screen. – “You watched that yesterday, too!”

“But…”

“Stop it. I want some things too. Turn off that irradiator and come to play something.”

The boy frowned and the girl, until she was deciding what she wanted to play, it was time for dinner and their mother called them.

They talked about almost nothing while eating. He tried to ask the children about school, what they had done, what interesting things had happened to them, if they had had any problems. While the girl was answering a bit more in details, her big brother, who felt old enough, answered fragmentary.

 “Let’s go somewhere during the holidays” – his wife said.

“Where?”

“I don’t know… we stay just here, go nowhere. I’m fed up doing one and the same.”

“Good idea but… we don’t have enough money. You know, the situation is tight with that big repairmen we made.”

“Well do something. How long have I been speaking to you to go out of the city for a few day but you don’t want to.”

“It’s not true that I don’t want to. Just we can’t do it now.”

“You can never do it for us!” – she was rotating her spoon in the plate. – “The other people always find a way.”

The man pushed his empty plate, rested his elbows on the table and looked at her.

“We’ve talked about that several times. If you want, we can discuss it again one-on-one in the other room.”

“What to talk about? You know only your role.”

“Well, find some money and we’re leaving” – he raised his eyebrows. – “If you’re not satisfied, find another job where they pay more than the miserable salary you get now.”

“Why am I supposed to find money?” – she raised her voice. – “How can the rest of the men do it?”

He laughed.

“Well, I’m such – not being able to do it.”

He knew it – that conversation would lead to nowhere and stood up. Quarrels like that were at all times. He remembered about a movie that a colleague of his had recommended and which he was about to watch.

“As usual, you’ll slip out while I’m doing the washing up…” – he heard.

“Of course, dear, could I deprive you of the opportunity to nag at me?” – he answered cattily. – “Pull yourself together! You wanted me to make children’s beds in order to put them to sleep faster, didn’t you?”

He strained the bedsheet of the lower berth, climbed up the upper bunk to stuff it around the mattress well, threw the blankets and only forty minutes of urging and bouncing around later, the children went to say good night to their mother, he kissed them, turned off the light, went back to the living room, switched the TV-set on and got ready to play the movie.

“Is there anything interesting to watch?”

“A movie with Bruce Willis was recommended to me” – he slammed into the sofa.

“Oh! That would be some action!” – she sighed.

“Not, it wouldn’t. It is not a comedy, too. We’ll see it.”

“I don’t really feel like actions.”

“Well, I told you it wasn’t. You know I’m not much into them, too but I’m fed up of those chick flicks we’ve been watching lately.”

“There was some comedy, right?”

“Wait!” – he leaned forward. – “Isn’t there a way to watch something I feel like watching without you complaining at least once? Is it such a big deal?”

“Why not? You decide what to watch on your own in most of the cases!” – his wife snapped at him.

“Pardon?” – he bristled.

“Oh, don’t give me that. Watch whatever you want. I’m going to bed” – she said and went out of the living room.

“Great!” – he yelled out at her.

He poured a little brandy, pushed the little table and stretched his legs. He was in an excellent mood. Just a weekend was ahead and then he would go back to work.

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Translated by: Vessislava Savova