Chapter 5

That day I came home, my mum was preparing dinner for us whilst my younger brother was in his room.

'Claudia? Are you back darling?' she called from the kitchen.
'Yes mum,' I replied, stopping in my tracks as I was going upstairs.
'Sweetie, I have to go out now. Your brother has eaten and so have I. Your dinner's on the table, when you dad gets back could you please warm his dinner up for him and give it to him? It's in the oven,' mum explained. I nodded.
'Alright, but where are you going?' I asked.
'Er, your Aunty Ethel is ill so I have to make dinner for your cousins,' she said.
'Okie dokie. Love you mum,' I said. She kissed me on the cheek.
'Love you too Claudia, make sure Callum goes to bed on time!' mum said as she went out the door.

It was an hour later that my dad came home. Late and also drunk. As usual. Not surprising really as he's been overdosing on alcohol since he doesn't have enough money to pay the bills. He shouted for me to get his dinner so I warmed it up and gave it to him. No thank you's. After he had eaten, he fell asleep. I put Callum to sleep and stayed up in my bedroom. Mum cam home at 11. Funny, I never knew making dinner would take so long. My dad pounced on mum as soon as she came through the door. He started shouting at her. Saying why did she leave us by ourselves.
'You was gonna be home soon anyway! And their Aunty Ethel was ill so I had to make dinner for her poor children!' she shouted at him.
'What about her husband huh?'
'You know he has to work to keep up with the mortgages and their bills. Unlike you, he looks after his family!' that was it. Dad slapped her. And once you start dad off, he just keeps going. I head him punch her, pull her hair, hit her with the metal stick in our living room. All I could hear is her screams and shouts. I wanted to go downstairs and stop him. I wanted him to leave. Instead I sat down, curled into a ball. I rocked forward and back. I whispered to myself it was going to be alright. But I knew for a fact it wasn't going to. Nothing ever will.