Part 1
I am the most incompetent person in the world
To be the term incompetent was a word that was associated and refered to to me courtesy by the people around me.
I was nineteen years old, an age in where someone began to work for something they wanted to.
You know pursue your dream job, begin to work part-time, gain independence from your parents by moving somewhere else, experience love whether first, or second, or third.
I was not only incompetent but also lazy and unmotivated.
Looking at my life from the moment I walked my very first steps to the amount of hours I spent just looking outside the window I feel like my life is filled with an unfulling momnts as every good thing that happened to me was not my own doing.
I am a lazy guy tired to do anything at all in life. Do not get me wrong I am not one to question the meaning nor the purpose in life in general if anything I forget certain things that made me appreciate life lately. There are also times where I forgot certain things that made me not appreciate life too but at this moment I did not feel that now.
Lately now I have watched anime and read some manga...actually as of late that felt unfulfilling so I stopped.
That was a bad decision. My biggest regret is stopping. I mourn the lost of time in my life.
Why am I even trying.....wait no that is not the question I should be asking not because that is wrong per se if anything examining my thoughts I understand it is wrong yet sometimes I forget.
The room I stay in was dark with some natural light filtering in through my closed window.
This place to me was paradise or a sanctuary to me, a safe haven from the outside world.
I shall make this explanation brief but detailed of course.
This all began few days ago....
I went up to school when I saw that my ex was badmouthing me with her friends and after I confronted her they all spread this rumor about me being a horrible boyfriend to her you know beating her and being very controlling.
I explained this to my friends but they did not believe me
When that day ended my mom went up to me and slapped me yelling out how I was a troublesome pest and that I needed to never stop apologizing to her until she forgives me.
My own younger sister then went on to call me disgusting and began to act cold to me to the point she does not acknowledge me as her brother anymore.
When my older sister heard the news she began to insult me saying that I was such an ungrateful kid because she helped me study and make friends and this is how I repayed her.
My own father was not present until after I began to shut myself off but for now I was left to deal with a screaming mother, a cold and distant sister, and another sister who insults me on a daily basis.
Lately now they still send me to school but I remained isolated and isulted packed with many rumors that made me out as some abusive boyfriend and an enemy to all women.
Days past and the moment I woke up one day having missed school....I did not feel at all worried or scared....in fact I felt so happy just staying there.
This was the first day of me staying there and I felt this surge of energy that did not exist for the past few days.
Days went on and a whole week had past and I felt like my body is well rested.
One month has past since I started this and I felt freer and I watched more anime which made me feel very estatic....I felt so happy stuck in my room and on that day
"Okay! now I shall stay in this room for the rest of my Life."
I announced that to myself.
Few days have passed
I actually went outside and a cake shop no less.
Wait wait wait why the hell am I doing this again?.....oh yeah I went out because this cake shop contains a limited edition strawberry cream cake hmmmm this is a collab of a well known girl-oriented anime since the cheese cake was something the main character ate.....I may have seen clips of that anime
Wait also I do not even know the show all that well why am I getting this again
Yeah this is stupid I should just go home...
I began to walk when I spotted someone order a cake of that and as I glance at that cake....
Few minutes have passed.
I let out a sigh.
Well I came all this way to buy a cake and I did anyways the internet said this was a cake that was ranked 9.52 by food critics.
I walked home while looking around for any familiar people around my surronding area now
"Huh? they are not home? oh well guess I get to actually eat this in the dining room instead of my sanctuary.
I set the table and prepared my meal, slicing a piece of cake for myself, getting a fork and knife, and using a paper plate because they might throw away any plate I will use anyways.
I grasped my fork, cut a small piece of my slice of cake, and then put it in my mouth.
Mmmmmm oh yes I agree this cake is creamy but not too sweet, the icing taste good, and the strawberries included make this creamy cheesecake great.
I wanted to have another slice but.....
Wait oh no! no! no!
There was a memory that came back to me which was my elder sister mocking me when I ate a lot of servings of my twelveth birthday cake before.
"Hey if you eat to much you will be an ugly fat man ha ha ha!"
She even told her friends and they laughed at me.....wait oh crap they will notice the cake when they walk by.
Glacing at this whole cake maybe buying it whole instead of a slice was a tad too excessive
Who knows what they will say
"Ewwww! look at you little brother you will become a fat and disgusting boy for eating so many fatty foods. I might not even acknowledge you as my brother."
"Big bro you will never get a girlfriend looking like as a matter of fact if you get a girlfriend I shall warn them of your filthy looks.....every girl will laugh at you!"
"Son.....you shouldn't harm your body after all.....I struggled for nine months just so you can live so you better repay me!"
I shuddered thinking about it.
Oh crap I got to do something about those otherwise they will annoy me for the rest of my life....well my life was shitty to begin with....but still what the hell do I do with a whole piece of cake.....wait just a minute.....that is it!
Later I went to my room and decided to watch some TV hoping this would be a good reward for what I went through today....sigh.
Few hours later the boy's family came back home and looked at the bento he left in the living room
His mother stared at it then....
"Wow he actually ate the lunch I made good he needs to be a healthy and strong boy.....oh my son."
He felt excited saying that to her husband.
Later now his elder sister stared at his room door with a concerned expression on her face
"Little brother I miss you when will you come out of your room....please come out I will apologize to you so please."
She mumbled and continued to stare at his door for a while.
Meanwhile his younger sister came and left a tray of food by his doorstep then she glance at her elder sister.
"Big sister when will brother come out.....I am not mad anymore with him shutting me away."
She then glance at the door and mumbled to herself in a melancholy way as if she were rejected by a boy she liked.
"Please come out and play please I am not mad anymore I forgave him so why."
His own father looked at his wife and kids and sighed
"That kid I hope he gets better soon I should visit him later."
He then put away his things and headed for the fridge and was shocked at what he saw there.
Part 2
Later now his mother, his elder sister, and younger sister went to the dining room but found him looking at a large box with a note.
"What you got there dear?"
"This is a cake from our son."
""What!?"
They all let out an exagerrated yet genuine "huh" at the same time.
"He actually went out of his room?"
"When?! Why?! How?!"
"My dear son is going out of his room that is good!"
They made a fuss while staring at his closed door.
This weakling of a kid actually shut himself for a few days because of what happened.
His own dad then read the note out loud.
Hello My Dear Family.
I offer to you all a strawberry cheesecake to satisfy your taste and a payment to you for not evicting me from my room. So consider this gift a peace offering to you all. I am sorry for still staying here after all this time.
Sincerely The Son
"He gave us cake?"
His mother could not believe it
His elder sister stared at the cake in awe then hesitantly took a slice and tasted it.
"Yum....this cake is delicious.....he gave us a delicious cake...."
The younger sister began to smile reading the letter
"Brother! oh thank you so much but he did not have to word it as if we are making him pay to stay in his own house."
They all happily ate and his dad smiled.
"Well that son of mine I shall tell him they liked the cake."
The boy or son in question listened in and was relieved."
"Ohhhh this is good! Looks like they will not kick me out on the streets....well I locked the door just in case they come with weapons to force me out of the house and burn my things in here."
The family enjoyed the cake that was gifted to them despite them knowing that the intention being was very upsetting.
"Is it wrong to feel that way?"
The young boy asks himself everyday.
The next day rolls out and the young boy decides to walk outside only to find his father there.
"I thought you were a shut in so why you outside."
"Just because I do not want to talk to them or go to school does not mean I am not allowed to go outside."
"Huuuh."
He began to inspect my response then he said.
"You know you are wasting your life just stuck in the past unable to break away from that."
"It is hard dad."
"So what everything gets even harder....I will not have you wallow in shame forever."
"You do not get it."
"Get what huh I understand your sentiment son your mother and your sister were out of line....so was that ex girlfriend of yours."
"Okay fine do not mind them forget all about that nonsense okay just come walk with me."
"What?!"
"Listen here my son I am worried about you.....okay.....I am not going to do nothing and just watch you stay in that room for the past few weeks."
"Twenty-three days I have been stuck in that room."
"What cowering in fear?"
I looked away embrassed and ashamed
"Look here now you are a good kid and life is only going to get even harder if you keep wallowing in shame and accepting defeat."
"What are you saying dad?!"
"I am saying do not let them win....."
We both began walking together and he continued
".....I get it okay those people in your life made their choice when they interacted with you but that does not mean you should accept something that is not your choice or your fault."
"Where are we even going dad are you going to force me to go to school, go see mom, meet my sisters, or apolgize to the whole school now."
"No....I am taking you somewhere....."
The boy remained confused and let his dad talk
"I understand your feelings because I have exprienced those issues too although not exactly the same but the feelings are the same to be honest."
"What?!"
"Do not tell your mother or anyone else but when I was younger I had this childhood friend of mine now that girl teases me from elementary to highschool saying that I should be grateful to be even talking to her and that she should just follow me."
"That is horrible dad."
"Well at the time she had this crush on me but the way she did it pissed me off even now.....I am still friends with her but never be in a relationship with someone like her.....now she confessed that with me one afternoon I flatout rejected and told her why not....now she refused to listen to me because of her stubborness and she ended up being in a relationship with some popular boy acting all prideful and arrogant planning to show him off to me."
"What?"
"Looking at it all from the outside she thinks I was jealous and regretful for what I said but I just noticed how tired, how wrong she was because I found out after all this time her true nature....she likes the fame and how much that guy buys her anything she wants...I did not care all that much of sucess nor status or even to be popular...."
"That is very cliche."
"Yeah well that is true but when many people who used to annoy me, insult me behind my back, and bump into me sometime saying opps I did not see you there then they laugh at me because of me being with her have began to ignore me and ostracized me instead but then I felt so free having less worries all of a sudden...sure I had no friends but to be honest I do not have to suddenly care much about them."
"Do you feel sad about not having no friends."
"Sure but I enjoy the peace and a chance to make other friends....I had no other friends because of that girl always judge any type of friends I get calling them so simple and poor."
"Do you ever make friends."
"Well not many but they were the best of friends....one of those friends was your mother ohhhh how beautiful and amazing is.....I may not be her ideal man like that popular boy he is what one calls a textbook sucessful guy....that childhood friend of mine was still with him even after graduating and I found out how much she exprienced and have...going to different countries, living with her boyfriend in a big house, and having amazing cars...to me I see no worth I will admit it would be nice to visit a country but a big house is too much for me and I rather have an amazing a working car. You know lately people care about material sucess, status, and achievements and what many people judge or evaluate another. I read about this from a book I read at my college. 'If they do not get mateiral sucess, status, achievements, and etc. etc....they are very sorrowful and go on to be troubled with fears."
"Where you hear that."
"I had to study Taoism as an assignment and learned somethings that helped me out."
"So how does this relate to my own problems?"
"Because that is how you are."
"But I do not work for money or fame."
"That is true but I have noticed that you try and work too hard to just please your mother and sister and that ex of yours...as well as your suppsoed classmates but sometimes doing nothing leads to enjoyment."
"What you mean doing nothing dad?"
"I am not saying you should not work but just do not overwork on anything that is out of your control or any external things....you could pursue happiness in the simplest of things such as you know some ice cream."
We stopped at a cafe that same one I went to yesterday.
"You are the reason I found out about this place....indeed their cakes are delicious so you want to try other desserts with me?"
"Sure of course dad."
"I am just trying to teach you a lesson to not worry too much about unimportant things or attention from others because you could end up clouding your mind to those supposed unneccsary things okay."
"Dad i am so sorry for making you worry so much....you....you..you never gave up on me."
"Of course i did not and....your mother and sisters wish you back more and more and more....."
"Look here okay I am just asking you to take breath and try to relax but know your priorities okay."
"So will you be fine now."
"I think so but I am afraid of what will mom, big sister, and little sister will say to me."
"Look here now I will admit that they have moments they did and say the wrong thing to you and they should not have took that ex girlfriend of your's side okay...it is not your fault that happened."
The young boy felt like crying and he let it all out.
His own father just silently comforted with him not yelling or speaking just letting him be.
The young boy felt every surpressed worry, fear, and anxiety crept up and come out in a form of tears and a sense of sadness.
Part 3
Later that afternoon both his dad and the young boy returned to find...his mother and young sister there
"Welcome back dear and....ohhh"
My own sister and mother got up from their seats and looked on shocked that it made me feel nervous and flinch a little.
"I am back now mom."
Both my mother and younger sister then went to me and hugged me tight
"You are in my arms again my dear boy."
"Big bro I wanted to say sorry for what I said to you before....please forgive me I was wrong.....you were correct she was very bad."
His own father then went to the kitchen to drink a glass of water.