5 Acts in the Life of a Middle-class Family

A common scene in the life of a middle-class family (I live in Jakarta, by the way), and the venue was Blitzmegaplex (yes, that place where I got bitten by a red ant while watching a movie), one cozy Saturday afternoon.

Act 1

Father walks into waiting room pushing empty stroller. Two small boys in tow. Let's call them Son #1 and Son #2. Two women walk in several minutes later (one of them is mother of the kids, the other might be her younger sister playing good auntie.... or both of them wives? Very unlikely) one is carrying a little girl toddler, the other one pushing another stroller containing another boy, let's call him Son #3. Everyone sits down, puts food and drinks on the table, and waits...

Act 2

Father absentmindedly munches on hotdog while Son #1 and Son #2 fight over french fries. Son #1 starts yelling at Son #2, in an attempt to prevent #2 from "stealing" his fries. Mother shushed him by darting him an evil look and saying something threatening. Auntie barks at Son #1 as well. Mother then turns to Daughter, who's obviously being considered (and treated like) an angel, compared to the rather demonic sons.

Act 3

Son #1 screams something at nothing and nobody in particular, loud enough to shake Father out of his hotdog-induced catatonia. Father shoots evil look at son, and points finger in a menacing gesture. Not a pleasant kind of attention, but it's some kind of attention nonetheless. Better than nothing, thinks Son #1.

Act 4

Son #2, probably jealous at the attention and tender-loving-care being poured upon angelic sister (a.k.a Daughter), steps closer, and smacks her on the face. This causes a huge commotion as every adult in the group barks at Son #2, and tries to console angelic Daughter, who begins to wail very loudly. Mother slaps Son #2's head, to emphasize her disapproval of son's misbehavior. Son #1 looks on, contentedly, from his seat... silently eating his fries. 

Act 5

Father, now munching on popcorn, leans back and lets Mother and Auntie remedy the situation. Slowly he falls into a popcorn-induced paralysis... pondering over his fate as paterfamilia of this hectic group of people... wondering whether the four kids will wreak havoc later in the movie theater... "damn, the popcorn's good"... whatever...