We walk in the park hand in hand. My parents were quarreling again, so my grandma once again took me away from it all. After a stroll, I'm going to her place.
"Granny... Why do mom and dad fight?..." I asked. She had a deep sigh, it feels like she doesn't particularly know why either.
"Honestly, what did she see in that man? I know when we're young, we tend to act with stupidity, yet... Ahhh... I wish I had the foresight not to keep her."
"? What do you mean?"
We sit on the nearest bench. The amber light cast a shadow on her face.
"... I got pregnant with your mom at roughly the same age that she had you. Back then I thought it was a labour of love, but then her dad left me once he discovered that I was pregnant and shamed me to everyone. At the time I wanted to keep the child simply to spite the world despite everyone telling me "no"... Now I come to regret that decision, keeping her brought me nothing but misery.
And she inherited that idiotic stubborness from me by giving birth to you. God I wish I could turn the dial back."
"... Am I bringing you misery as well?"
"!!!
No, of course not, Denjirou. You absolutely not. You're an absolutely sweet kid and I couldn't have asked for a better grandson than you.
The issue is... You're now stuck with a failure of a mother and an even bigger failure of a grandmother. No child deserves to be born into such mess of a family. If I knew you would be born, I would've pressed harder on abortion. - simply because you wouldn't have to suffer through all of this.
...
... But now, all I can do is to keep you safe. I would've moved away from these two ages ago, but knowing that you're here with them - it is my duty to protect you."
She then looked at the bruises on my neck "God, what was she thinking doing this to you? I know I didn't treat her nicely, but I didn't stoop that low..."
"..."
She then hugs me tightly, breaking down.
"... I'm sorry Denjirou. I'm a horrible person. You deserve so much better than that."
The sun still paints the park in warm amber.