And so, you begin to dream.
https://youtu.be/O7gz0QgJN7M - 'HOME'
<span class="mu-i">Pitter-patter. Pitter-patter.</span>
<span class="mu-i">You're a teenager again. You were 14, maybe 15; this was a while ago.</span>
<span class="mu-i">It's another rainy night. There have been a lot more storms brewing down here lately. You think this is the fifth night in a row where your house has been caught by a downpour.</span>
<span class="mu-i">Drip. Drip.</span>
<span class="mu-i">The roof is beginning to yield to the constant torrent of rainwater. Your dad placed several buckets around the house to catch any leaks.</span>
<span class="mu-i">Pitter-patter.</span>
<span class="mu-i">You told him that he should've fixed the roof ages ago. He fired back by saying he doesn't have enough money to pay for it. You still remember him chewing you out, saying that if you cared so much, why don't YOU fix it?</span>
<span class="mu-i">Sizzle. Sizzle.</span>
<span class="mu-i">Your face is hovering over a shimmering stew of random shit you found in the fridge. It's time to cook for the whole family again. Your younger brothers and sisters are as impatient as ever. They keep pestering you about when the food's going to be done.</span>
<span class="mu-i">Your father is watching some stupid game on the TV, trying to drown out the world with help from his trusty beer bottle.</span>
<span class="mu-i">Your mother normally cooks for the family, but lately, she's been...different. Something's wrong with her brain. Over the last few months, she started to slur her words, and her memory has been getting worse and worse. She didn't even remember who you were today. You had to <span class="mu-s">remind</span> her that you were her son.</span>
<span class="mu-i">She's still sleeping, last you checked. She's been sleeping a lot more these days. Your dad doesn't seem to care or notice, only saying that if she wants to rest, she can rest.</span>
<span class="mu-i">You had to pick up the slack. You have to clean around the house, you have to cook, you have to take out the trash, and you even have to take care of her garden now. Why?</span>
<span class="mu-i">You're the oldest. You're the man of the house while your old man is working yet another 14-hour shift. It's your <span class="mu-s">responsibility</span>, your obligation, your DUTY as a man to take care of your family.</span>
<span class="mu-i">Your other siblings are too young to help. Your mother is barely able to take care of herself. Your father is too tired to do anything besides drink and sleep. So it all falls upon you to take care of everything here.</span>
<span class="mu-i">This is your life now. Go to school, study, go back home, clean and cook, and sleep.</span>
<span class="mu-i">30 GOTO 10</span>
<span class="mu-i">You barely get any sleep anymore. You barely get any free time either. If you even THINK about taking a break, someone would chastise you.</span>
<span class="mu-i">Your mother. Your father. Your siblings. It doesn't really matter who; they've all done it. And the worst part? You can't blame them; you are one of the only reasons this family hasn't fallen into ruin.</span>
<span class="mu-i">Your father makes barely enough money to make ends meet. Last you heard, your family's financial situation is in the shitter. Your father makes sure that you remember that fact.</span>
