“Are you going to sit like that all day long?” My dad came into my room his hands in the pockets. “It’s already 9:10 pm. You cannot continue like this!”
“No, of course not,” I said, starting a game from the very beginning, “Just a couple of minutes. Let me win!”
“I said it’s too late!” my dad pulled the wire from the socket, and the screen turned black.
My birthday was a week ago. I received a new PlayStation from my parents and enjoyed the quality of my favorite games. I was able to spend more than five hours in a row playing them even without noticing it. That was awesome! My best friend Jack was jealous because he wanted to have the same console, but his folks said that if he had already had PlayStation 3, there was no necessity to buy a new version. I understood his feelings because there was nothing better than my present! However, unlike his parents who allowed him to spend as much time playing as he wanted, mine was constantly unsatisfied with this fact. This case did not differ from the tens of previous ones. It was the second or third time my father came into my room, emphasizing that it was high time for me to go to bed. My mother did the same. I guessed both of them were nuts about timing. I had to get up at 7 am even on the weekends and go to sleep at 9 pm even if I still had lots of energy just because they considered such a schedule to be healthy. However, I did not share their opinion. All I wanted was freedom. Freedom to do everything as I wanted and when I wanted, just like Jack.
The sun was shining brightly, and its streams prevented me from watching my dream until the end. I screwed up my eyes and got under the blanket. Something was strange, but I was not able to understand what. I lied like that for several more minutes and then got up. No one called me for breakfast. I thought that I could have got up too early, but it was already 10 am.
“Mom? Dad?” I went downstairs and entered the kitchen. It was empty just like the rest of the rooms. I became anxious and scared. What could have happened? Where were my parents? It was Sunday, so there was no school or work, and my parents had to be at home. I started calling our relatives and friends, but no one answered. There was no result even when I called 911! Having no idea what to do, I took my backpack and ran to Jack. My parent would have visited him as soon as they realized that I was absent. However, he was not at home, as I came, as well as his mother. It seemed that I was the only person in the whole city!
I went back home slowly, trying to find out what I was supposed to do in the occurred situation. On the one hand, I was free to do everything. I could even get to the bank and rob one of the money storage facilities without any punishment because there was no police! But, on the other hand, there was no reason for this action. There was no way for me to spend them with pleasure, as I wanted to share it with my nearest and dearest people.
“Mike, dear! What would you like to eat for breakfast today?”
“Corn flakes are fine, thank you,” I added some milk and made a bite. It was already the fifth day of my solitude. I entered a shop next to my house to get some food on the second day because I was not yet able to cook something good for myself. I ate only chips and corn flakes and even though I was already sick from this food, I was not sure that there was some way for me to improve this situation. It was so critical that I felt sorry for spending too little time with my mother as she was cooking.
“Mike, why are you still at home? Are you going to finish middle school? Your behavior is improper, young man!” I imitated my grandma’s manner of speech with my mouth full of corn flakes.
“Oh, I do not have to attend school anymore. I am free to do everything I want, can’t you see?” I answered to myself. It was frustrating. Extremely frustrating and sad. There was no sense in this freedom, as there were no limits to define it as something wanted and unordinary. Suddenly, my phone rang. I stood up from the chair and fell on the floor.
“Are you fine?” My dad put me back on the bed. “You had a nightmare?” I opened my eyes and realized that I was sleeping all this time. “I told you that game is not for playing at night…”
“Yes! Yes! You are right!” I jumped and laughed. I felt I was the happiest person in the world at that moment.
“What’s up?” My dad smiled. “It’s time to have breakfast. Your school bus will come in an hour.”
“I know the schedule! I will be ready in time.” I ran to my mom who was in the kitchen and hugged her. “May I help you with the dinner today? I have more free time.”