Page 27 of Paying Daddy's Debt Collector

“Oh. Did he miss it?”

“No, baby girl. That’s the thing. He sold his truck and some other things and paid me in full.”

“Well… That’s good, right?”

“Yes, but now that he’s paid up, he wants you to come home.”

“Oh.”

“Listen to me. I’ll do anything in my power to keep you, but I won’t hold you against your will. Never. If you want to go, it’s going to kill me but I’ll do it. Doesn’t mean I won’t spend the rest of my days working on getting you back.”

“I don’t want to go. I want to stay with you but I think I have to be the one to tell him that.”

“Then that’s what we’ll do. He expects to see you tonight. So if you’re ready to do this, we’ll drive over to see him.”

“Is he at my old place?”

“No, baby. He got evicted.”

“That’s what happens when I’m not around to be responsible for him.”

“Does that bother you? Do you think you should take care of him?”

“I guess I feel some obligation to him. He did raise me, but I was a kid stealing money from his wallet to buy food and save up to pay the rent. If I didn’t, we would have been out on the street a long time ago.”

“That’s no way for a little girl to grow up. It’s amazing you came out of that as strong and healthy as you did. I’m proud of you, baby girl.”

His kind words make me smile, but seeing my father is going to be difficult. I’d rather just call him or send him a letter, but if Chris says I need to do it in person, that’s what I’ll do.

“I don’t know where he’s living now, and I guess he wants to keep it that way. He wants me to take you to a pub on the west side.”

“That’s not a big surprise. Are we going right now?”

“Yeah, baby. I want this thing put to bed as soon as possible.”

I agree and follow him out to the car. The idea of coming face to face with my father after so much has changed is more than a little unnerving, and I think Chris senses my hesitation.

“It’s gonna be alright, little girl. The truth is that you’re better off without him and he’s better off without you. Maybe being alone in the world will be the thing that wakes him up. Maybe he’ll get his ass in line.”

“I doubt that,” I answer as a tear drops from my eye. I’m not crying because I’m going to miss him. I’m crying because I wish he had been a father worth missing.

We arrive at the seedy little corner pub, and Chris steps out of the car. A drunken man stumbles down the sidewalk and nearly falls onto the fender, but Chris catches him by the arm and pushes him into the street. He shakes his head and mumbles something inaudible then opens my door and helps me out of the car.

“In and out, baby girl. I don’t like bringing you to a place like this.”

“I understand.”

Inside, I see my father seated at the bar, downing shots of whiskey as fast as the bartender can pour them. I walk to him, with Chris following close behind me. My father sees me and smiles. “There’s my daughter. Come on over and have a drink with your old man.”

“No, I’m not old enough. Remember?”

“Really? Well, how about a Coke then?”

“No, thank you.”

He eyes Chris and leans close to me. The smell of whiskey on his breath makes my stomach churn. “Why is he still here?”

“He’s with me.”

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