Pizza Delivery Boy!

'I feel like I got up on the wrong side of the bed today'! She cursed under her breath at the signal that lit yellow and in a jiff, turned red. Running late for work could still not be as worse as dropping her kids off way beyond their teachers acceptance.

Al and Gia stare silently out of their windows, choosing to avoid to come in way of their mom's ill temper. Both of them have also chosen to completely shun the idea of discussing the bitter conversation about something he couldn't understand well because of his parents hushed tones but these arguments take place every now and then with the words usually echoing in his head days after those hard talks. Money, your responsibility, your turn, I'm sick of it!

'Be good. Have your lunch. I will see you guys in the evening'. She said hurriedly as the car came to a screeching halt right in the parking lot. Both of them kissed their mom bye and made their way to the main ground that led to the lobby snaking down the hall and various classrooms.

'Thank God! I finally got over my turn of dropping the kids this week'. She thought to herself while fixing her hair and freshening her mascara in the rear view mirror and climbed out to join the meeting.

He grabs a bite on his way back home and already planning the schedule for the night ahead and the next day. This is more than important he gets his proposal approved for tomorrow is a big day for him.

Everyday. Everything. Everybody. More or less just the same life. Same mechanistic approach. Same rut which is just not fulfilling.

A home that has four people inside of it it is like a morgue at 8 in the night. Al usually wonders while laying in bed what its supposed to have a conversation while not being in rush or over occupied with the things that don't seem to espouse a deep meaning. He doesn't want to stay with his family with his mom fixated her eyes on the phone and his dad over the phone with someone else. All he sees every day is his parents dealing every day like a marathon while Gia being the complete opposite of them - completely closed and in her shell. He is an eighth grader and is wise beyond his age to understand how hard it can be to communicate with a nine year old if she shuts off herself completely. His parents might not have noticed that but he has and that seriously bugs him. He sleeps to this thought that someday things will change for better.

Days pass by.

'How was your day'? Question was directed to anyone of them in the living room as she asked her kids and husbands one night. At first, he didn't hear her while both the kids said 'Good' together in a monotone. On asking him again, he lifted his head from the phone and began a never ending monologue.

Al and Gia were eye-walled on hearing those jargons and technical terms coughing out of their parents mouth with a thrill only both the adults could feel. Al and Gia got disinterested within a few minutes. Both the parents realized that and started popping questions up to the kids regarding their day, assignments and mid-term projects.

Blah! This is getting even more boring by the minute but atleast we are talking and sitting together. Al thought with some satisfaction and as the bell rang he ran to get the door screaming 'Pizzaaaaa's here'!



You now where the money is. His mom hollered behind him and Al grabs it from the kitchen counter.

With the king size pizza and some home baked potatoes sitting in the center of the table and being around everyone he loves, Al finds this moment as one of his best. Sitting around the table, everyone seems changed all of a sudden. Where Gia savors the delicious gooey cheese melting in her mouth; their parents talk not out of obligation. Gia answers her mom some questions with a mild excitement and expresses herself somehow.

Eating together is so much fun. Al thinks. No one is impatient right now. Everything is centered around the good stuff right now. In this very moment.

Big game today. Al's dad has always been a football lover and finds it amusing to find his interest being shared by his son. Turning up the volume he tells Al how he always wanted to be a football player but  somehow ended up in a geeky place which though is not too bad and then adds' May be you can live my dream one day'!

Meeting Al's silence in response, his dad gets curious which makes him ask Al if its something else he wants to be?

A Pizza Delivery Boy!

Oh boy! That's some ambition he said laughing and stroking his head. 'Al, the pizza in your tummy was sure yummy but was not made by the Pizza Delivery Boy. If that's what made you want to become one'!

Al, a little vexed, with his dad's prodding told him affirmatively he knew pizzas are only delivered and not made by the delivery boys.

Sensing an air of awkwardness, 'Why do you want to be that, honey bear?' His mom jumped in the conversation to avert her husband remarking any further.

Having everyone's attention now, Al sat straight as if about to spill all the beans but he wrapped it all up in a few coherent sentences that left his parents flummoxed and made them question every single day of their life for the past several years.

'A Pizza Delivery Boy binds a family together and makes them sit around the table to talk about each others' day. Not in a nonchalant or perfunctory manner but actually out of concern. He is happy supplying happiness door to door without setting any aims to receive an X amount of money out of it. He seems happy with what he gets and he does not seem to make money a sole purpose of his life. He doesn't back out on delivering whatever flavor you want to have, when you want to have.

Pause.

During watching your favorite game which might be his too. If he can sacrifice a big game for the people he doesn't even know just to make sure those people enjoy their time together; it most definitely makes his job more warmer than the pizza he delivers. If he can make people like Gia talk and people like you both slow down and indulge in a pizza then it makes me think he has the power to change things while not claiming a tag or carrying one that reminds others what he is capable of. I respect the Army of those unsung heroes who find the joy in giving others joy almost every single day. I think they are doing a thankless job not getting in return the same amount of results as of their efforts with the mission of multiplying happiness in multiple homes. Connecting each other.'

Sleep well mum and dad!

Oh and yeah dad one more thing - I was thinking you could always become whatever you want and leave the geeky place that is giving you lukewarm feeling about it.

Stunned both of them. They met each others' gaze which simultaneously followed Gia too leaving them, tailing her brother and hugging him tight. May be dropping them off at school wasn't the only thing that kids need. May be its all what Al just said that's needed by them.

Turned in late tonight he finally managed to smile on his jujitsu move which made him and the Pizza Delivery Boy a catalyst to bring more contentedness in the family.

Gia's hug was the first sign of it!

About the Author: Believes in herself!






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