The Disappearance: Chapter 2: PICKY SEVENTEEN

THE DISAPPEARANCE

CHAPTER 2

PICKY SEVENTEEN

"You slept okay? Happy birthday sweetie"

"Yes, thanks mom"

Truly, sometimes I feel like birthdays are meaningless and are a marketing propaganda.

A false glorification of having “sum of all your stupidities” turning you into ‘wiser’.

"Good, your dad will come at 6pm at cafe Lamar"

I had totally forgotten about that. And God, it hurt.

"Oh so, I'm not even relevant enough for him to pick me up from home"

"Sweetie he loves you, he is just too busy with his work"

"Right, mom he left us, why are you always defending him? Why??????"

Oops. There they were! Tears. The one thing I was avoiding in front of my mom ever since he left us. I wanted to be strong for her, to show her that I was a big girl but today, I am done with how she is glorifying that man. He left us for dead (well not technically but you get the point) and tries to walk into our lives back as if nothing ever happened. God I wanted to slap her some sense but she IS my mom and I can’t do that. My mom whispers apologetically and I almost don't hear her when she says...

"...........sweetie, he never left us because he wanted to. Dangerous circumstances called for desperate measures"

"DANGEROUS CIRCUMSTANCES?"

"Yes, and I'm sorry I cannot say more than that. It's not my story to tell."

“Fine! I'll go."

I agreed to go partly because I didn't want to hurt her and partly because I want answers but mostly because I’m late for school and my teacher would definitely kick me out. "Dangerous circumstances" agh who does he thinks he is? A fugitive? LOL!!!

Anyway, I head for school.

Leaves are falling as they slowly turn to pale colors. This is what happens to a person when they are not showered with love (water for plants). I’m too philosophical for anyone else; people think I’m ‘dramatic’. They’re not wrong but whatever.

Turns out, God granted my birthday wish! A normal day at school for me! One of the few days no drama was there and everything was peaceful. Teachers came, taught and then went away. Some of my classmates wished me, some didn’t. I don’t really blame anyone for not remembering because I don’t really tell anyone anything. I’m a popular loner; everybody’s cool with me but not frank with me.

 I finished my homework in the central library of the town. You see, completing my work early gives me a backup in case I get mentally sick because of my mother and in turn didn’t do my homework. My teachers would kill me if I didn’t submit my homework.

Career>>>pretty much everything else.

I head for the cafe now imaging all the little scenarios of how our meet would be when I absent mindedly walked inside and there he was, sitting in the most unnoticeable booth reading a newspaper and sipping on what seemed like his 4th coffee. So like him, if he couldn’t leave, he’d stay as to hide.

It took everything in me to muster up the courage to move forward. How do you see somebody in their eyes when they do you dirty? I ignored these thoughts and went on.

I looked at him and whispered words that I thought I’d never get to say.

"Hi Dad"

"Hi sweetie"

-Gayatri