A Day in the Life...

Confrontation

"Dad!!!"

"Chad? Son!!! Is, that really you?"

The two men hug, squeezing each other tightly. Slowly they release each other.

"Yeah dad... it's me... Sorry for showing up out the blue like this. I... I... I don't know what to say, I mean, I know you're probably, mad... and oh man, mom... I bet she's furious... I didn't mean..."

"Chadrick... hush, it's alright big guy. I'm not upset, and neither is your mother. If anything, we were just worried is all. You should understand, losing a child is quiet... painful... to say the least. Now that we know you are alright..." he sighs "Things are going to be a lot better around here."

"B... But I just vanished, how could you not be upset!"

Moving over to the sofa they both sit down, Ceddy no longer hanging around, seeing as his job was done.

"Listen, son... Of course, when you first... uh... went missing we were beside ourselves. Your mother and I thought it was our fault that you ran away. The two of us were angrier at ourselves then, with you. Then we thought about the club you use to belong to and figured you went off with them. After countless attempts at trying to find you through them and with no avail we went to the police. Filing a missing person's report, the whole nine yards. Even that turned out to be a dead end. Your mother... she... well she ended up very depressed, for quite some time. It took us months, to get her back to her old happy self."

Chad felt his heart breaking at his father's words. He could barely speak; his mouth had gone dry. Letting out a whimper as his eyes starts to dampen. His father continues.

"Eventually we ended up conceiving Cedrick, hoping to do a better job as parents to him. Mind you we were not trying to replace you, but... we felt something was missing without you being here son. Often, during our search for you we felt as if we were bad parents. Always pushing you so hard to be the best, perfect even..."

"Dad..." Chad croaks through his hoarse voice

"No, no... son we were, and we admit it. No child should have to go through their childhood with sooooo much pressure on their shoulders. Granted you were a prodigy, we shouldn't... I shouldn't have pushed you so hard. It's all my fault..." Dad's voice begins to crack "If it wasn't for me... you wouldn't have..." He sniffs, bringing Chad into another embrace.

Shocked, Chad sits there. His face shifting from shock, to anger, to sadness. He returns his father's hug.

'I am such an asshole... not for a second did I think of how this would affect my family. If I wasn't so self-centered, they wouldn't have had to go through so much heartache, because of me. Is there anything that I can do, right? Feels to me that I've failed at everything, the KND, being a friend, and being a horrible son. God, what the fuck is wrong with me!' He chastises 'And then my mother, god knows what hell I put her through... maybe it's better if I leave and not come back' He thinks

His musings were interrupted when his father begins to speak again.

"The worst part of it is was when the police, claimed that you were dead. On that day, we stopped looking. That very day a little part of me died. No parent should have to lose a child. Oh, it hurt something fierce to hear those words from the officer. My son, my only beloved son... dead at the age of fourteen. Not a child yet not an adult, yet to have lived the life that was meant for him. So many dreams lost... I couldn't bear it, but I had to be strong for your mother. We ended up boarding up your room, it was so hard for us to walk past it... As you know time went on, without a word from you. We kept our hopes up, but we know we had to move forward with our lives. Having Cedrick helped to an extent... I can't say we are one hundred percent, but we are getting there.... I... I'm just glad you are here son!" He gasps