The Swipe

TOM

"Tom, as you should know your dad, Max was a close mate of mine," Jack began to explained, "he was part of a group of 10 people and now he has passed away. His spot in this group is now vacant. As his third born son you are to take his place in this group."

Everyone else had just came up to me at the funeral and told me how my father was a good man. He had been absent for the first 15 years of my life. Only when I turned 15, did he decide to re-enter my life. Jack had been the fatherly figure most of my life as a close friend of the family. Max had been a friend with my dad before I was born and during. I stared at him not knowing what to say.

I looked at him still not knowing what to say and waiting for him to continue. After two minutes of neither of us talking, he stood gave me a hug sliding an envelope into the palm of my hand.

"It is for your eyes and yours only." was all he said looking towards the black coffin with a distant look. I slid the envelope in my pocket. I just nodded probably confusion written all over my face. However he just gave me a small smile and I noticed the smile didn't quite reach his eyes. Death does that to people I guess.

I looked left my mother was in tears and just staring into the coffin. He had been back in our lives for seven years. The most I knew about my parent before my brothers and I were born was they were teenage couple and dad had to leave mum but told her he would be back. Mum had raised us by herself mostly. Yet she truly loved my dad and that I will never understand. I gave her a hug trying to comfort her. My second oldest brother, Charlie walked over and just stood next to mum and just stared into the coffin.

He had been back in our lives for 7 years and sure I was sad but these two confused me. Hell, I don't understand how you can love someone that much when they hadn't been there up until it suited them.

This was unfair to say, as I knew more than those two. Dad told me himself when he got home drunk and everyone else was out when I was 16, what he had been doing, the past 15 years. His words replaying in my head; there were other women but that's ok as I love your mum more. That is when I lost all respect for this man he tried to justify it this sick bastard. Mum had not once even gone on a date. Even though she had been asked more then once.

That is the day I concluded love is a pile of shit here was my proof.

His next words meant nothing to me then but he had explained something that his job and 9 others before he said more he passed out. So much alcohol does that to you. My mind went back to the group of 10 Jack had mentioned.

The rest of the funeral I don't remember very well. My mind was still spinning with my thoughts. When I got home I changed into running clothes. Without telling anyone anything I ran to the nearest pub.

"What can I get you," the bartender asked while putting glasses away.

"Something strong," I needed something to clear my head.

I had hated my father for what he had done to my mother, how he ignored his family until it suited him, pretending to be the worlds number one dad when he came back and most of all I hated him because no one would have found out about his cheating if he hadn't been drunk.

In everyone else's eyes he was considered a perfect dad and I was lucky to have him. Mum, Charlie and Dan loved him so much. I hated him. I went on dad and sons fishing trips and lived as though I didn't know where "dad" had been for most of our lives. Dad didn't know either as he forgot anything he told me that night.

The bartender handed me a glass with blue liquid. It burnt going down my throat but I took 5 more before heading home.

My head hit my pillow and I was out to the world.