It was three years ago that Mum and Dad decided to split up and go their separate ways. I think it was about money. Mum moved out, took with her her belongings and with that bunch of my childhood memories. It was for the best though because the fights stopped; the arguments, the yelling. I used to just sneak off to my bedroom, lay on my bed and plug my ears with my iPod; my sanity.

I got over it. So did Dad. For a while he used to just mope around the house, go to work when he felt like and drink a lot. Everyday was like ground hog day. I used to hate waking up in the morning because I knew Dad would be there.  It felt like he didn’t care, didn’t love me anymore. I couldn’t face losing one parent let alone two and it hurt. It really hurt. The days, weeks, months went by and Dad seemed to slowly work himself back into a semi normal life. For a while there it was great again. I still missed Mum but at least dad was giving me the time of day and even a hug. Life was good.

Then one day he bought home this lady, Cherie. Dad said she was just a friend and that they had met at the pub a few weeks ago when he was there after work. I didn’t mind too much at first until Cherie’s visits started to become more frequent. I would get home from school and she would be there. I would head down to footy on the weekend and she would be there. I even got up in the morning and was sitting at the table having breakfast and she was there. Had Dad given up on him and Mum? Deep down I guess I had wished and hoped that they would somehow resolve their differences and Mum would come home. Man I hated Cherie. She tried so hard to be nice to me and it just made me so much angrier. Again my iPod became my saviour; a diversion from my crappy life. I hadn’t even heard from Mum. Where was she? Did she even care what I was up to? I just needed something from her to know that she still cared. A letter, an email, a call; even a text for God’s sake. How hard was that?

Then just yesterday Dad came in to my room and beckoned to me to take my iPod out and listen to what he had to say. He sat on the edge of my bed and talked in a very calm and collected tone. He told me that he and Cherie had decided to get married. He said that they were in love and that she was going to move in with us and that we would have a normal family again.

What in the world is he thinking? Mum only left us last year. She might come back. She might still love Dad. I know Dad still loves her because on the very few occasions she is mentioned in our conversations, I see that twinkle in his eye. The spark is still there. I know it is. What in the world is he thinking?

I don’t really hate Cherie. She’s actually quite a nice lady but there’s no way I’m going to let her know that. She’s not my Mum.

Cherie and Dad have been planning their wedding for a couple of months now and it is torture. She is trying way too hard to please me, trying to do motherly things like make my lunch for school and check that I have done my homework. What would she know about it? She doesn’t have any kids. She didn’t know my mother. I hate banana sandwiches. The banana goes all brown by the time lunch comes around.

Dads really worried about me. He says that I am bottling up my feelings and that it’s unhealthy to do that. Well I learned from the master because that’s exactly what he did when Mum left. He wouldn’t even say good morning to me at his worst. So he’s decided that I need to go and see Mr Mackey the guidance councillor at school. I really don’t want to go and see Mr Mackey. He’s weird. He wears those high socks with those brown pleated shorts and a skinny leather tie with a short sleeved shirt, like teachers from the fifties used to. I know he’s going to ask me all of these uncomfortable questions that I don’t want to answer like ‘How do you feel about your Mum leaving?’ I know this because my best mate Hoani had to go and see him because he was doing really badly at school after his parents split and they thought he was depressed. Bet that’s what they think about me. I’m not depressed. I just don’t want any other lady to be my mother.

Dad and Cherie decided that they might hold off on the wedding for a few more months. He said to me that they thought it was a bit too soon for me to have to deal with somebody new living with us full time. I don’t think that’s the reason though. I think Dads using me as his scapegoat because he still loves Mum but don’t have the guts to tell her or Cherie.

Dads been seeing less and less of Cherie lately. He said they were two quite different people and that they needed space and time to think about was best for them and for me. She has stopped coming round so much now. I see her occasionally at the supermarket or driving past when I walk home from school. She waves and I wave back. I feel sorry for actually. She probably genuinely loves Dad but I know deep down he didn’t really love her.

Mum rang the other day. She seems fine. She wouldn’t speak to Dad though. She said it was still to painful for her to talk to him. She asked a lot about him though. How he was. What he was doing. I didn’t mention Cherie. It is probably best that I keep that to myself for a while; until she’s ready to hear it. I’ll let dad tell her when they eventually talk. They will eventually talk. I know. I can tell by her tone when she calls. She has forgiven him.

I got a package in the mail today. It was from Mum for my thirteenth birthday. I was stoked. Do you know what it was? It was a new twenty gig iPod that plays movies and stores pictures as well as my beloved music. Weird though because I haven’t been listening to my old iPod as much lately.

Rhys would love to hear what you think of his writing - rhyschamberlain@gmail.com