Think I felt the physical transition of this while I was on the bus to work the other day. I was already feeling my worst- overly sensitive, emotional. Then I overheard a conversation between a family behind me that really got to me. The Dad kept swearing and being blunt. The mum kept trying to have a rational convo but was struggling the kid was patently ignored.
I heard the little boy say 3 times "I love you" I heard nothing else, no response during that moment.
The aggy convo continued on to the Dad's stop where he proceed to the stairs (double decker) I heard Mum say "so I/ we will see you later then yeah? At home?"
To which his only words were loud and clear "YEAH YOU FUCKING BETTER BE!" and stormed off. I death stared that mother fucker right on out.
No words to the kid from either of them. Nada. Zilch.
Kid proceeds to cry for his Daddy and he "wishes he was coming to the party"
That was it I was silently balling at this stage, quiet tears of anguish.
Mum half arsed tried to comfort and yeah...she wasn't that effective (kid could be any where between 6-9) nor seemingly that emotionally tuned in to her sons patent emotion.
By the time I came to my stop I wiped away my tears (wishing I had a packet of sweets any shitty little thing to offer this kid but I didn't so I left it), clicked my neck, my joints, took a deep breath and got off the bus same way I usually did. I felt the lump over the next hour go from that sticky bit in your throat all the way down to my gut. There it remained like a smouldering methane rock until I got home.
