Let's Make A Deal

By: Rissa Ann

"Let's make a deal, dad," I say to

him once we got back from our mom's.

"Ok. But I just don't understand why you want to go back when over here I can help you do better than you could ever do over at your mom's."

"I don't want your help, I don't need it. If I want to accomplish something you have to let me, and if I want to do it on my own and at my mom's, you should support me," I reply.

"But there's a better education over here, Larissa."

"I don't care at all. Let's make a deal," I pronounce every word in that last sentence with emphasis.

"Alright, what's your deal?" He asks.

"If I climb to the top of the tree in the backyard, you have to let me and Tasha go back to our mom's, to STAY."

"That's not fair, you always climb trees, you can climb that to the top easily."

"No, I can't. I have a little fear of heights, and that tree. Going to the very top is going to be scary."

"You? You have a fear of heights?" He asks and I nod once. "Fine, I accept your deal. But, what do I get if you don't climb to the top and forfeit?"

"You get to have us stay here," I reply with venom in every word. We go to the backyard.

"Alright, get on with it, climb to the top." I growl at him quickly before getting in the tree. I climb to the place I always stop, half-way up to the top. I calm my beating heart and take a couple deep breaths. I use two small branches near me to climb higher. 'I'm doing this for mom, for mom, for mom!' I chant in my head as I go from one branch to another. And then suddenly, there were no more branches to climb.

I was at the top already.

"I WON!!" I scream from the top. I hear dad curse and quickly climb down and walk up to my dad. "I won. Take me and Tasha back once it's confirmed there's no more school left." I say that because of the Covid-19 pandemic, and I believe there will be no more school till next year.

'I won our deal. I'm finally going back home!'

My heart lifts with happiness, and that night, I fall asleep easily dreaming about what life will be like back at mom's. Will it go back to normal? Will I be able to smile easily, and stop scratching at my skin? And never have a frown on my face again?

(I wish this story came true… I wish I weren't the way I am now… and I wish I could stand up to my dad like I did in this story.)