Activation, Part 5

It was another day with his parents. Another test of endurance. They didn’t think he had a real job, and were disappointed by his singleness. Every time they visited it was the same questions and lectures all over again. Why do you still work at that game company? You should visit more often. When are you going to find yourself a nice girl and start a family? You won’t get a wife until you get a better job. It never stopped. Every time he deflected their words as politely as he could. He knew they loved him, but they had an odd way of showing it. Today they were on a family trip to the zoo. A pair of pandas had just been brought in from China, and his parents had planned a day there along with some of the relatives. Gawking at animals in a cage had never made sense to him. His parents became distracted by activity over at the elephant exhibit and left him temporarily, granting him a moment’s peace. Looking for something to take his mind off the fact that he was stuck with them for the next five or six hours, he pulled out his phone and thought to himself that he could clear another level of his favorite game before they got back. He started the level, but didn’t get far before he was interrupted by the notification of a new message arriving. Switching apps, he opened the message, expecting something from his boss about the next work deadline. But it wasn’t his boss. He looked over to where his parents were. They were annoying at times, but with what was now happening this could be the last day he would see them for the foreseeable future. He got up and walked over to them. Time to be a good son and make the most of what might be their final day together.