Boy Cuts off the Electricity So His Family Would Spend Time Together, but Ends up Uncovering a Family Secret — Story of the Day
Kevin yearned for the days when he played with his brother and movie evenings with snacks were a regular occurrence. Though it felt like those days were gone now, Kevin had a plan to make them return. He had no idea that one of his jokes would really end up saving his family.
Kevin, eleven, was sitting on his room floor, cross-legged, with a field of toy troops in front of him.
Taking hold of two soldiers, he made them march across the floor while he spoke softly, explaining their made-up purpose. A scenario full of action and adventure came to life in Kevin’s head as one soldier yelled orders to the other.
He could practically hear the explosions, the cheers of victory, and the sounds of battle. Even while his imagination kept him occupied, there was still a gap.
In the middle of their fight, he paused to glance at his older brother Jake’s bed, where Jake used to join them in their games.
They used to spend hours laughing, making up stories, and transforming their room into a furious battleground. But those times seemed so long ago today.
Jake entered abruptly, his head down in his phone. He hurled himself into his bed without looking at Kevin, resting on his stomach with his eyes fixed intently on the shining screen.
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Kevin’s smile vanished as soon as it surfaced. His joy dissipated and was replaced by a dreadful sense of isolation. His excitement in the game suddenly wained as he cast a glance down at his toy army.
Jake hadn’t even given him a close look. It didn’t matter; he was too engrossed in whatever he was doing on his phone.
Kevin got up quietly, leaving the toys strewn all over the floor. With a heavy heart, he left the room and headed downstairs, hoping his dad would have some time to spare.
Norman, his father, was in the dining room, hunched over a stack of papers and typing away at the keyboard on his laptop. Kevin paused for a bit before coming over to him.
“Dad?” he whispered. “Is it possible for us to watch a movie together tonight? Or how about we have a board game?”
Norman didn’t even lift his head. His gaze were fixed on the screen while his fingers skimmed over the keys.
“Not right now, Kevin,” he quickly responded. “I have a ton of work ahead of me. Please go find something to do on your own.
Kevin slouched his shoulders. Every time, it was the same response. His father was no longer able to find time for family matters.
Kevin turned away, feeling even more alone, and headed toward his mother’s chamber.
Kevin went back to his room alone. He took a seat on his bed’s edge and fixed his gaze on the troops lying there. As he pieced everything together, his thoughts drifted.
All of them were engrossed in their own worlds: Jake was glued to his phone, his father was engrossed in his job, and his mother was sobbing in private.
They used to do stuff together, like laugh, play games, and watch movies. It was as though they were strangers sharing a home now.
Kevin firmly stood outdoors, gazing at the electrical service panel. Memories of his father teaching him how to turn off the main breaker during a storm flashed across his memory.
He recalled the sound of the switch being flipped, how the house darkened, and the silence that ensued. Kevin made up his mind right then. He was determined to take action if technology was the cause of his family’s disintegrating relationship.
The soft glow of lights and the hum of technology disappeared back inside. Confusion was heard throughout the house, and then silence. Kevin’s family gathered in the living room in a matter of minutes, all of them clearly frustrated.
Clutching his phone, Jake was the first to storm into the room.
“What’s the deal with WiFi? My phone isn’t working! My pals are anticipating my arrival.” He cried out, obviously upset, pacing back and forth.
Kate, their mother, then showed up. Despite her best efforts to conceal it, Kevin could see that she had been crying since her eyes were red. She appeared tired and depressed rather than angry.
Norman finally emerged, his expression serious.
“The breakers are broken. He looked around at everyone, “We won’t have electricity until morning.”
“I called the service, but they can’t fix it until tomorrow.”
Kevin hurried upstairs to retrieve his favorite board game while trying not to show off the excitement that was building inside of him. He saw his mother’s door slightly ajar as he walked by her room. He was so curious that he had to have a peep inside.
His heart fell at what he witnessed.
Divorce papers were sitting there on her desk. His mother had obviously been crying over these pages because there were tears all over them.
When Kevin realized how serious what he had discovered was, his heart skipped a beat. He was unaware that his parents were thinking about divorcing each other.
Kevin backed away from the door, shocked. He refused to accept it.
His mind racing with concern, he ran back downstairs without touching anything.
Kevin entered the softly lit living room where his family was gathered, enjoying the gentle glow of candles, while clutching the board game.
Though his earlier exhilaration had subsided, he wasn’t prepared to quit up just yet.
With a broad, eager smile, Kevin raced into the living room clutching his favorite board game.
“How about we play this since we don’t have electricity?” he said, glancing at his family. For a brief while, nobody answered.
Jake sighed and sank back into the couch.
He was obviously displeased with the scenario as he grumbled, “I can’t even text my friends.”
With a sigh, Norman looked at his laptop as though he was missing the task he couldn’t complete without electricity.
But they agreed, what else could they do? Kevin became even more excited when Kate rose to light several candles, filling the space with a comforting, warm glow.
She got snacks out of the kitchen, and Norman and Jake reluctantly helped spread pillows and bean bags on the floor.
Everyone was together for the first time in a long time, and the atmosphere in the room began to loosen up.
Kevin saw the atmosphere gradually changing as the game started. What had appeared to be a forced task at first was transformed into something far better very quickly. As they played, the room erupted in laughter.
with Kevin and making fun of his careless errors.
Norman, who typically stayed concentrated on his task, also joined in, bringing laughter to all with his lighthearted rivalry.
Kate watched her family with a smile on her face, recalling the times when they used to spend more time together in a similar manner.
Across the room, she met Norman’s gaze, and for an instant, a glimmer of their previous connection returned. Kevin noticed, too, and was filled with joy.
His strategy had succeeded. His family was back together, giggling and having a good time as though their troubles had vanished.
However, a knock on the door interrupted their good times just as they were getting lost in them. Standing outside, an electrician said that the problem with the breaker had been a simple fix.
In order to save the family from having to spend the night without power, he had made the decision to arrive later than expected and fix the issue.
The lights flickered back on, and Kevin felt his heart sink. He cast a quick look around, worried that the distractions that had kept them apart would resurface with the return of power.
But before anyone could grab their electronics, Kate approached coolly and turned the lights back on.
She smiled softly and said, “I think we’re fine with just the candles for tonight.”
Norman, Jake, and Kevin looked at each other, their smiles coming back. Resuming their positions on the floor, they were all set to resume the game. Kevin had not felt like he and his family were entire in months.
Kevin awoke earlier than normal the following morning, experiencing a sense of peace that he hadn’t had in a while. The silent house appeared different as he descended the stairs—cozier, more serene.
He noticed something in the garbage bin as he was walking to the kitchen. He peered in curiously and noticed small fragments of shredded paper.
His pulse skipped a beat as he stooped to get a better look. The torn-up divorce paperwork were what it was.
A smile came on Kevin’s face. In addition to creating a wonderful family evening, his bold decision to turn off the electricity had also revealed something far more profound. It had been intolerable to consider his family disbanding, but suddenly there was hope.
Perhaps, just possibly, things weren’t as bad as they had appeared. Kevin had a flash of inspiration. His family appeared cheerful for the first time in months, laughing and playing together like they always did.
For the first time in a long time, Kevin was confident they could mend and experience true happiness again, even though he realized there was still work to be done.
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