Before I am Famous

Ivan arrived home just before his daughter Nivea got off the bus. He opened the door and saw the answering machine blinking. He pushed the button and Robin, his wife, left the standard sorry-honey-really-busy-at -the-lab-won’t-be-home-for-dinner-make-sure-Nivea-does-her-homework message. She always said that though in the 15 years they were married, he made sure Nivea did her homework. Anymore, their marriage consisted of late meals and memorable two week vacations in the summer. She worked hard with bugs and he stayed at home and pursued painting and raised their daughter. He didn’t mind; he loved his wife and his life. Taking the dry cleaning to their bedroom, he heard Nivea open the door gabbing on the cell phone. He opened the closet door to hand the clothes when he noticed large holes in some of his sweaters and some of Robin’s work clothes. He took out the holey clothes and examined them, to him it looked like moths. The clothes were fine earlier today. Ivan tossed the clothes on the bed when Nivea yelled “dad” and stormed in carrying her underwear.

“Dad, how many times did I tell you I will wash my own underwear?” She asked as she threw her unmentionables on the bed. “Now look, you’ve ruined them. What I am going to do?”

When Nivea was 14, he washed her fancy underwear and he always did and ruined most of them. Neither her nor Robin was pleased and since then he never washed them again. Of course, that pleased him because no dad really wants to wash his daughter’s underwear.

“Nivea, I didn’t wash in a couple of days. Anyway I don’t wash your stuff like that anymore,” he replied confused.

She noticed the pile of Swiss cheese clothes on the bed, “What’s up with those?”

“I don’t know. I don’t wash this all dry cleaning stuff. They were fine this morning. Maybe moths.”

“So was my underwear.”

He puzzled over the fact of calling Robin and asking her opinion since she was the bug expert but decided against it and figured he would show her when she did come home.

After dinner, Ivan sat at the computer while Nivea sat at hers, ear buds growing out of her ears. The house was quiet save for the speed typing and random clicks of the mouse. Then he heard buzzing and chewing like that of honey bees living in the siding. Rising from the chair, he walked around the room and listened. The noise surrounded him. Ivan wandered from room to room and the noise was everywhere. This is weird, this is only March Ivan thought there should be no bees around.

The power zapped off. Nivea called out for her dad. He lit his lighter and then lit a candle and brought it to his daughter.“Dad, what’s that noise?” Nivea asked as she heard the increasing deafening noise of the buzz. He heard her but when he went to answer the noise drowned them both out. She shrieked in the dim glow of the candle he saw something coming out of the wall, a bee it looked like.

He grabbed her hand and ran the kitchen. Picking up the phone to call Robin, he discovered no dial tone. “Nivea, where is your cell phone? We have to call mom?”

“Upstairs in my room.”

“Okay we’ll go together and then we are leaving.”

Holding onto a flashlight, he saw several more holes forming in the kitchen and bees coming of them. They dashed up the stairs, going past forming holes. He opened her bedroom door and gave her the light, “hurry and get the phone,” he whispered.

Soon the furious flapping of wings encroached his ears. They had to get out now, “Nivea.” She had the phone in her hand. The light beamed down the stairs illuminating a swarm of honey bees except they were much bigger. She screamed, only angering the mutant bees more. Ivan knew they couldn’t go downstairs. He shoved her in her room and shut the door. Only to realize that act was futile. Bees poured put of the wall into her room. He took off his sweater and covered her head and faced the mob outside. The insects smelt fresh flesh swarmed Ivan. He expected stings but it felt like the flesh being ripped off his body. The bees went after Nivea, he did his best to protect but she still screamed in agony.

His heart began to race and his muscles ached like he just ran a marathon. Ivan had to get Nivea out. The front door lived at the bottom of the steps. He knew he could make it. Pain ripped through his body both on the flesh and inside. His flesh wounds burned. Halfway down the stairs, his legs gave and he fell on Nivea.

“Dad. You okay?” she yelled

Ivan nodded; he knew death would be inevitable. All those wonderful thoughts he had planned to say before the big moment didn’t matter. Nivea, Nivea mattered and she had to get out. With all of his diminishing strength, he held her close and rolled down the stairs. The bees followed.

“Nivea, grab my keys in my right pocket.”

“Dad. We got to get you out of here.”

“Don’t argue, get them and get the hell out of this. Run to the car and drive somewhere.”

She paused, opened the door and tried to pull her father out. “Damn it, Nivea go.” She reached in and got the keys and ran. The bees came upon him entering his mouth, sucking his breath. He wished he had told her “I love you” and then in a flash breathing stopped.

Special Thanks to Lis at About Every Little Thing for help with this story!!

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