Autobiography – personal writing

My real father died when I was a baby. Only photographs and faint memories help me recall who he was. I suppose I accepted Roy as my father, I suppose I was too young not to accept him but now as I look at his old waxy skin as he lies in his open coffin, I realise that I don’t miss him. I haven’t talked to my mother in years so Its been years since I needed him. He passed away two days ago from heart failure. My mother is a different story, she was stranded without him, Roy married my mother a year after my father died, Roy was my step-father.
The day after the funeral was Monday, I am informed by my financial advisor that my stocks have doubled over the weekend, ordinarily this is good news on a Monday morning but the thought of my mother on her own in that old dusty flat while I stand in my blush office, annoys me. “Any bad news today? ” I ask with caution, “No, everything is as good as it can be” he replies with a bright smile. I thanked him for cheering me up and he left with a nod as if to imply “don’t mention it”.
I leant over to turn on the T. V in my office, going to work on a Monday with nothing to work on, “Three dead in terrifying car crash” I don’t usually watch T. V in work because I should have something to do or to help with, I own a company called ‘Earth-links’ it’s a telecoms company. I left and went home at about half past ten to sleep rather than sit in my office, although it looked like the middle of the night, it was clouded up with rain.

We have interrupted this programming to show a special news bulletin” I woke up to see the screen disappear into a solid blue picture then the 6 o’clock news studio came on the screen and a small black haired woman appeared and said “People in the northern Ireland area are asked to stay indoors unless it is an emergency”, the drone which was the rain on the window pane drew my attention, I stood up and walked to the window to see distorted houses and street lights below me, it didn’t look good and the rain wasn’t ending any time soon.
The TV blurred on behind me until I turned to focus my attention, “severe flooding” said the news presenter. Although it might have not been the perfect time for me I decided to go talk with my mother, for the first time in years. I haven’t talked to my mother because we argued over years and so I left when I was 19. I went down to the south of Ireland with her and Roy to sort things out, but that didn’t work. I am now 32 five years have passed since that. I finish up some microwave pasta and use the elevator to get to the car park, The good thing about a car park is that you don’t get wet, not today.
My car was parked beside the exit where some rain water had got into and had soaked my toes. I had ignored all the weather warnings and drove out into the street and the street of Belfast, the rain was so loud on the roof of the car I put on some music, it was about half past five and I rarely saw another vehicle. My mother lives in an old persons flat quite inland. On my way through the country I saw flooded fields and cars stuck in mud. I arrived in the doorway at six o’ clock and pressed number 6 and got no answer, the doorway is not very sheltered and I am now soaked from the rain.
I press the doorbell again, “hello” said a voice, “hello mum can you open the door its Aaron” I said “oh hello Aaron, come on in then” she replied, her voice was weary and tired, I think she was sleeping. The buzzer went and I rushed out of the rain and into the hallway. There were 2 doors and a set of stairs. My feet now felt like wrinkly prunes from my saturated shoes, it had been raining all day now very heavily. I leave the hallway and notice my dark footprints behind me, I walked up the twisted stairway, I cannot see how someone could survive in a place like this, I haven’t seen anyone its like it is derelict.
I get up to the 2nd floor to find my mother standing at her door, “hi mum” I said before she noticed me, “Aaron, why have you come” she said, “look I just don’t want you feeling real bad about yourself. I want to make things up with you” I said abruptly, “come inside” she said as she turned to go inside. The smell of tea and unclean furniture hit me like a slap to the face, I sat on the couch looking at the framed photographs of Roy and my mother, there was one of me, I was at the zoo with my sister and Roy, the clash of plates and cups awoke me from my daydream, “sugar? my mother asked, “yea, thanks” I said. I took a sip of my tea, it soothed my dry throat. “mum, I am really sorry for the last 10 or so years, I have been really stupid, I realised yesterday that I should have enjoyed Roys life while I could instead of ignoring you and him. I think I have just held on to bad things I shouldn’t have. Can you forgive me” I said waiting for an answer. “Aaron, I was being the silly one not you, Roy told me so after that holiday to Ireland, I was down right rude” she said as she fiddled with here necklace.
A good start I thought, we went on chatting about the good times we had together when I was a child, it wasn’t until eight o’ clock I went to leave. I walked back down the stairs smiling at what I had accomplished; my right foot was wet, I looked down and saw that the last few steps were covered in water and rising, the rain had flooded into the flats and was just below knee depth. I stood there for a while and decided to get to my car.
I ran down through the hallway and out the door, out side wasn’t as bad, I ran to my car through the dark rain, I couldn’t see much but I got to my car which was parked not to far away but the street was flooded very severely, there was no way I was getting home. I ran back to the flats and the door was still open. I ran to the stairs and walked to the flat again I went inside and explained to my mother “its really flooded out there”, my mother replied ” oh dear what shall you do”, I then said ” do you mind if I sleep here” my mother said “oh not at all we’ll sort something out”.
I sat and watched the TV until 11 while my mother went to her bed quite early, the television was boring but it passed the time. Three days passed, it stopped raining on the 2nd day my mother and I really bonded through the days surviving on what she had in the dusty cupboards. The rain had mostly evaporated after one day and I went to my car. I drove back through the country past soaked and some still very flooded spots. I got home later that day to find everything as I had left it. The only difference was that I felt new and had straightened my life out with my mother. I have realised, I am happy.