David’s parents were finally leaving by the evening train. So was his younger too-nosy brother. Their week-long visit had screwed his social life. He was finally going to get his freedom back.

“You seem to be extremely happy about our departure eh!” his mom asked in an accusing tone.

“No mom, it’s not like that. Now why would I be happy?” questioned David, his face turning a guilt induced red.

“Tell him ‘it’ elevates triglyceride levels. And ‘it’ is fattening. He will get a big bad paunch,” his dad told his mother, loud enough for David to hear, who smiled to himself. He knew his dad was talking about beer.

“What are you talking about? And what the hell is this ‘it'?” his mom inquired, completely perplexed by this secret talk.

“Did you hear what your dad said? He was saying whatever that ‘it’ is contains some gluco-something.”

“Tell him I know and it’s not like I am like a fish or something.” David made sure that his dad heard it too. It was funny between his dad and him. They did speak to each other but it never went beyond “hey dad,” “hey Dav.” Barring a little chat about his job sometimes and a little speech about the way David should conduct himself, they didn’t have much to talk about.

There were 10 pieces of luggage in all, so his uncle, who stayed a few blocks away, had volunteered to drop his folks to the station in his new car.

“Dav, just put these suitcases at the back of the car. Here are the keys,” commanded his uncle, tossing the keys towards him, as if he was some commander in charge of a mission.

David and his brother carried two suitcases each and went downstairs. As he opened the trunk of the car to place the luggage, he found that the car wasn’t parked right. It was standing a little ahead of the apartment. A thought struck him. He decided why not park it right in front of the apartment, thereby making it easier for his folks to get right in. Few driving lessons that he had been taking gave him the confidence. After instructing his brother to watch out for approaching vehicles, he got into the drivers seat. As he turned the ignition on, car roared into action.

“Is it ok? Should I reverse it a little more?" David inquired from the car.

“Yeah, keep coming. No!! Wait.” But before his brother could say anything more, David had backed the car against an electric pole, bruising it real bad from the left side.

David walked out of the car. His face had turned as pale as a ghost. He couldn’t believe what had just happened. He didn’t know whether to blame his brother or blame himself for being so irresponsible. As he stood there trying to grasp the situation, he saw his uncle coming towards the car. His uncle who had a calmness about him till he saw the state of the car, suddenly turned into a swearing maniac, abusing David left and right, while the entire block looked on. On hearing the commotion, his parents came rushing down. David who had already been humiliated and embarrassed, felt even more awful on imagining the mental state of his parents. No parents can see their child being disgraced in this manner. David quietly started walking towards the apartment. His head, bowed, his eyes, moist. His parents followed him.

“Listen son, it is ok. You can pay him for the damage. It is not a big deal, just that you should have been more responsible,” said his dad in a comforting tone and put an assuring arm around him.

David was amazed at his dad’s calm demeanor. Citing this episode as an excuse he didn’t go to the station. He saw his parents off from his balcony. He slumped on the sofa, trying to digest the whole thing, which within a few moments had put him and his parents through so much. He decided to watch some TV, in order to distract himself from the present. Just then a black leather purse caught his eye. It was his mom’s. He held his head in his in his hands in utter frustration. While he was contemplating what to do, his dad called and instructed him to get the purse to the station. Cursing his rotten luck, he made his way to the station on his bike. In his haste to reach his parents before the train psuhed off, he forgot to buy a parking ticket. David gave the purse to his mom, said his goodbye and left before an awkward conversation could begin. On his way out, the parking guy asked him for his ticket. That's when he realised his folly. This was the last thing he wanted.

“But you never gave me one,” said David, clearly irritated at the whole thing.

“How am I to know whether this is your bike? For all I know, you could have flicked somebody’s keys,” accused the parking guy, trying to act a little too smart.

David swore at the guy and tried to force his way out. Seeing which two-three people working there blocked his way and pushed him back. One guy slapped him. David was close to tears. He was boiling like a volcano, but couldn't do a thing. Three hefty men would easily overpower him. There was no point in trying to be heroic.

“I won’t let you go until you show me an id card or I will call the police,” the dark, menacing looking guy threatened.

Finding himself in soup, he had to, as a last resort call his uncle. He promptly came, but not before passing derogatory comments about him being nit-wit. He bribed the parking guys, pacified them and bailed David out. David was totally shaken. His uncle looked at him, shook his head disapprovingly, so as to say, “There is no hope for you bugger. Look at yourself, you are pathetic,” and drove-off.

David decided to fill some gas before heading back, so he made his way to the petrol bunk. Just as he was taking a left to enter the bunk, a lady came in between and he had to honk incessantly to express his displeasure. The lady’s boyfriend found David’s behavior unacceptable and called him by some nasty names. The guy was huge, almost 6ft and way muscular than David. But being in a state of mind that he was he gave it back to the guy in the same language, using the exact words. But funnily enough, the guy turned out to be a wuss and just kept swearing, without really doing anything. If he had wished, he could have knocked David out with just one punch. Meanwhile, the girl who seemed more sensible than the guy grabbed his arm and dragged her boyfriend away. By the time he got his tank filled, his head was throbbing with pain. He raced home at full speed, tearing the chilly night air, before stopping at ‘Bumblebees’ to buy a couple of beers that he so desperately needed. He tip-toed to his apartment door, but alas it didn’t work. Mrs. Goshlock, his annoying, 70 year old neighbor, heard him anyway.

“So son, how was your day? Saw you driving in the evening, my lord, I drive better than you. Your poor parents must be feeling so bad. Your uncle! my, my, what a foul mouth. But you can’t blame the poor chap; after all it was a new car. By the way what’s in that bag of yours? Don’t drink too much, you have work tomorrow, don't you? Good night.”

David was seething.

“For a woman with half a leg in the grave, she talks too much. I wish I could bloody….damn.”

“Did you say anything?” The lady inquired from behind the door.

“Nothing Mrs. Goshlock, good night. Please don’t wake up tomorrow.”

He wanted to slam his door so hard, but the stupid key was not to be found. After searching his upper and lower pockets for about ten times and his bag another 20 times, he came to the conclusion that he was now “officially screwed.” He would have to go his uncle’s home to get his spare key, but not until tomorrow morning.

“Alright then, the floor it is, he thought.”

Using his mouth to pop open the bottle, he lay on the cold floor, sipping the frothy liquid, trying to drink his way through the night.