REVERSED

26 - Happy Birthday Bud

Recap

"Alexander"

I hear his loud voice come from the kitchen. The kitchen? That's weird. I rush over there, not wanting to make him wait.

"Yes fath-" I began but the sight in front of me make my eyes pop out of their sockets and my heart go a hundred mile per hour.

~•~
There he stood in front of the stove in an apron? Was he cooking? Huh?

"Son" he greets cheerfully with a smile so big it was starting to look creepy.

Son?

What in the world is going on here? Has he finally decided to get rid of me once and for all? Is he going to poison me? Shit! This is it....this is how I'm going to die!!!

My palms get sweaty and my eyes begin to brim with tears. I couldn't believe my father would kill his own flesh and blood. I'd always thought he'd get better one day, obviously I was mistaken.

"I know your probably confused"

No shit!

"Give me a chance to explain myself"

Explain how you're gonna kill me? Sure go right ahead!

Of course I didn't say that out loud I stood there absolutely at a loss for words. He took my silence as permission and began to explain how he was going to end my life.

"An old friend of mine that I go drinking with son passed about a week ago. We were at a bar the other night and he completely broke down, bawling his eyes out and all that. He complained how his son was such a delinquent, dealing drugs, getting drunk every other night, joining gangs. How ironic right? When he was doing the exact same thing"

I guess he had expected me to laugh but when I didn't he continued.

"ha ha, uhh yeah um...anyways...he had said how he wished his son had stayed in school and get good grades and make his mother proud. And Alexander, it made me realize...h-how lucky I was to have you as my son, you're everything parents hope for in their children. And here I am treating you like garbage"

His eyes filled with tears and every now and then he would take deep breaths to calm himself down. Me on the other hand? Still at a loss for words.

"After that night I spent a lot of time regretting what I had turned into. I dug deep into my thoughts and tried to think of what started all this, and then I remembered."

"September 7th 2015."

A gasp escape my lips, I didn't think he had remembered the date.

Flashback

"say goodbye to your father sweetie" mom tells me.

I was so excited that we were going to the big fair in the town next-door I forgot to bid father goodbye. He wasn't able to come with us cause he had work stuff. I don't know what that means that's just what he told me.

I run back to our front door where my father had crouched down ready to catch me in his arms. I jump at him with full force and wrap my tiny little hands around his neck. He stood up and spun us around, kissing all over my face.

"I'm so sorry I couldn't make it today bud" he apologizes for like the umpteenth time.

"its okay papa, we'll take lots of pictures so you can see, it'll be like you were there with us right? " I ask hopefully, I don't want him to be sad that he can't come with us.