Page 18 of Like Fathers, Like Son
He’d left mum broken-hearted, and left me without a dad. Did he even tell us where he’d be? Nope. He had his mobile phone, but when mum tried the number later that day, it was playing a message saying it had been disconnected.
How would we reach him? How could we tell him about the things that would happen in our lives? How would he know when I was back at school, or when I achieved things, or won things? How would we tell him anything?
“Annie, baby?” I got up from the sofa and went to the kitchen, where mum was warming some soup up for lunch.
“Yeah, mum?”
She pointed to the table, and I sat down as she served up some tomato soup with toast. She watched me start eating before she touched hers.
“I’m sorry about all this, my darling girl. None of this is your fault, you do understand that, right? This was all… it’s a grown up thing. Your dad just needs to follow his new path now with his new job.”
“He left us, mum. I’m old enough to understand that. He doesn’t want to be our family anymore, and he left. That’s why we can’t even text him now.”
She set down her spoon and sighed.
“I know. I’m just trying to make sure you don’t blame yourself for anything, because it wasn’t either of our fault. He hasn’t been happy for a while, and who knows, maybe this is what he needs now.”
“Why aren’t you mad at him? Why aren’t you screaming and calling him all kinds of horrible names? He abandoned us!” I couldn’t eat my soup. I shoved the bowl aside, and mum shook her head, pushing it back to me.
“Regardless of why he did what he did, we need to think about us now. I’m due for a promotion at work, which means more hours. That’ll mean a bit more money than I’m earning now. If we’re careful, we should be able to stay here and have enough to survive, but that means no wasting food, love. You need to eat, and we need to make sure we don’t waste things we can’t afford.”
I picked up my toast again, dipping it and taking a bite while I absorbed her words.
“Mum, are we going to manage? I’m scared that we won’t.”
Mum reached over and squeezed my hand, but she looked as worried as I felt.
“We’re going to be fine, baby, don’t you even worry about that. I’m going to make sure of it.”
“What if I get a job too?”
She squeezed my hand again. “Maybe at some point, but school comes first, remember?”
“Babysitting! I could do that. I’m old enough now, aren’t I? I could look after little kids in the local area, and make some extra money for us.”
Mum smiled. “You’re such a good girl, Annie. Let’s work together and prove that we can do this. We can survive without your dad, right?”
Blaze
I HAD BEEN TRAPPED under Anneka’s bed until they’d all been asleep for hours, because every time I thought about moving, I’d hear a noise and panic. My mum and dads must not have noticed I’d crept out of my room, or they’d be freaking out right now.
I’d had to wait under Anneka’s bed while she undressed, just dropping her clothes on the floor by the bed, which surprised me because her room was so tidy otherwise. I’d reached out and dragged her t-shirt under the bed, pressing my face into it as I lay on the carpet, smiling because I could smell her sweet apple and flowers perfume on it.
I even fell asleep like that, but when I did finally creep out from under her bed, and tiptoe out of her room, I had to stop and watch her sleep for a few moments, listening to her calm breaths in and out.
I was so tempted to stroke her lovely hair as she slept, but if she woke up, she’d scream, and I’d get caught. Never get caught; the most important rule my dads had taught me.
I tiptoed downstairs, and made it outside just in time to see a light come on upstairs again. I was so scared I’d woken someone up that I ran back to my house, and let myself in with the key I’d taken from dad’s keyring.
As I was closing the door, I saw the strangest thing. It was Anneka’s dad, and he was carrying suitcases out to his car again. Were they going away again?
“I can’t wait to hear this,” daddy Dory said from behind me, making me jump and drop the key on the wooden floor with a clang.
He locked up the door, and guided me into the living room, pushing me gently onto the sofa.
“What have we always said about being outside alone at night, Blaze?”
I lowered my head, feeling guilty and ashamed, and even more frustrated that he’d been waiting for me.
