Annie is lounging about on her Saturday, browsing social media, when her mother sends her a video message. Annie finds out that her mother is terrified and alone because of one of her father’s practical jokes as she presses play. Determined to give her father a hard lesson, Annie dashes to her parents’ house. I never thought my dad would get this far with one of his stupid jokes, but we made it through it. My mom sent me a video message earlier today, and for a few second, my heart stopped. I still find it difficult to comprehend what I witnessed even hours later. I was not prepared for what I saw. Allow me to briefly recap the events that led up to this and provide you with some background. You could describe my dad as “old school.” He exudes a sullen attitude, as though he is never fully accustomed to modern life and is a throwback to the 1970s.
Although he is not a horrible man, he may be incredibly hard to get along with at times. He is not into long talks or heart-to-hearts. Rather, he embraces his playful side and lets go of some of his irritation when he is at home. He finds these innocuous, bothersome little jokes hilarious, but my mother just rolls her eyes and sighs at them. The most of the time, Dad makes incredibly dumb mistakes like misplacing Mom’s keys just before she leaves or hiding her spectacles when she is looking for them. These jokes have always irritated me, yet they are not too outrageous. aside from now. Dad made the decision to truly surpass himself today.
My parents’ residence was around twenty minutes away from my tiny flat. My mother’s message popped up on my phone as I was going about my business, enjoying a soft drink and browsing TikTok. Her voice was muffled and a little wobbly, and that was all I could hear through the dark hole. As if she were terrified of something.
It is when I started to feel a little anxious. Messages via video were not Mom’s thing. Sincerely, I did not think she was capable of doing it. I could tell right away that something was not right. I hit the play button, and she appeared. She was crouching in a corner and muttering like she was going to be discovered by someone or something, but the camera was all wonky. She inhaled into the phone, “Annie.” “Your dad locked me in the basement, sweetheart. Could you please come assist me? He finds this amusing. only to be able to eat in peace.
Annie, I believe there are mice or rats in the basement. Come on over right away.” I almost dropped my phone on the ground because I was so stunned. Stuck in the cellar? Was she kept in the basement by him? And it was meant to be humorous? It seems that my dad, in all his “wisdom,” had determined that locking my mother in the basement was the best way to have dinner in peace.
