My Father´s Choice: A Father's Choice

A Father’s Choice In life there comes a time when you say. Mirror, Mirror, on the wall, who 's the loneliest child of them all? For you seek the one that 's not here. He is far away in another land, with others beside him stand. Some gave love, other 's none at all. Only to know that you have overcome all. The day started out normal. It was 1983 and I was 16 years old. On this summer day I was to seek the knowledge of my father 's whereabouts. There was a demeanor about my mother that said she wasn 't ready share the information to me. She was cold and brutal. First, mother said he was a drunkard. Mother then asked in anger, " Why are we speaking of this?" The lion was to roar. Then mother rose to her feet and looked at me coldly.

It was full of cigarette smoke and the smell of unclean truck drivers. He sat in the middle of the restaurant at a table with four chairs. The table was silver and red with matching chairs. Dad was drinking coffee. He wore a button down cowboy shirt that was clean and pressed. He almost didn’t fit in as a trucker. As I walked in he stood up and immediately and I knew he was my dad. I had seen earlier pictures of him. He was a short man with a stout look about him. I walked over to him and then I sat down, nervous as a lamb in a lion 's den. As I was waiting for my other two siblings to arrive. They had phoned dad and said they would be running late. So this was our time dads and mine alone. A sense of joy came over me. I don’t have to share him now, I thought. Then there came a mighty rush of information, from my father. He claimed he didn 't know of our whereabouts. Father then proceeded to tell me that he had driven a truck since my birth; and that he didn 't drink. (Coffee, yes) he laughed. There was more to come from my father than I was ready to bear. My father continued to tell me that he would look for us, but if he got close to us mother would move us. Mother would move us at least once a month or more often depending if mother had paid the rent or blown it at the race track (horses). Father said that he loved Mother. How she was raising us kids was not what he

On this day, there is sadness, loneliness, and heartache lingers. As I recall the days of lost times, there are no memories, no photos, and no mail from dad. I have grown up not knowing the love of my father. My father has had two heart attacks. As for today, we now communicate on the phone once a week. It is not as I want but in time, I am hoping for more. As for why the change I am still baffled by it. I accept him with a grateful heart. We love each other unconditionally. He wasn’t there for his daughter in the past. Yet, today he is proud of me and my accomplishments, along with my life choices. I am an eagle soaring higher, a lion roaring louder. I stand strong and confident. I may not have the common father daughter relationship, but what I do have I will cherish for life. The truth may hurt you, but it makes you stronger. A lie only destroys. The choice is