Trail Of Broken Dreams [ONGOING]

CHAPTER 6: DADDY'S TALE

"John, you scared me, how long were you here," I said as I quickly stand up from my bed.

"Not long enough to figure out what you are up to," He said rolling his eyes.

"Let me run and get something outside," I said, heading straight to the door.

"Better!!" John said staring at me.

"What did you get me?" Rebecca asked trying to divert from the conversation.

"Baby guess what..." John said with a one-sided smile.

"Just tell me already, guessing is not my thing," she said as she sit up and rest her back on the wall.

"I got you an alarm," John said as he brought out a brand new alarm clock.

"For real, alarm!!" She said in surprise.

"Yes, you are always complaining about getting up late and losing track of today's date," he said still smiling.

"Ah-ah," she chuckles, "A fancy watch would have been suitable.

"But you are fancy already and alarm, you know is also a form of a watch," John said jokingly.

"Oh that is what you have to say, I just know you will ruin my day," She said angrily.

"What are you smiling about?" Rebecca said in response to John who has been smiling since his last statement.

"I got us a ticket to a concert, not just any concert but to UC Theatre Music Hall," He added.

"Wow!" Rebecca ran to hug him, "thank you, dear!" she said and gave him a soft kiss.

"You could have told me earlier before you consider spoiling my mood," she said as she hit him on his chest.

"But the mood is bright now," John said. "Only I can do that you know," he added.

"I'm still angry oo," she said smiling halfway.

"Why so?"

"You haven't sang me a birthday song yet," Rebecca said playfully.

"That's why we are going to the concert, I will even sing you a 'marry me' song there too," John said as they both laughed.

"Ok let's get going then, I will stop by my place to get dressed," she said.

"Just wait a minute or you can go, I will drop by to pick you up at your place."

"Let me wait for Khalid, I need his suit and tie, he got one."

"Ok that's not a problem, see you soon"

* * *

"Morning! sleeping beast," John's words sound like thunder to my ears.

"Morning, what time is it," I replied stretching my body.

"Past 8, you are lucky today is Saturday," Jack said.

"What time did you sleep last night," he asked.

"I don't know, maybe 4 am" I replied still sounding tired.

"Besides what are you doing all night, playing with your laptop."

"Don't say chatting, we both know we are just the only friends you made since high school."

"You don't even have a girlfriend yet, so that is also out of it," John asked as though he desperately want a reply.

"I was sculpting" I replied.

"Sculpting? Is that an assignment or what?" Jack said.

"No, Just a skill."
"For modeling," I added.

"Oh you're an artist," he scoffed.

"I never said so, I'm a noob by the way."

I was lying or let me say not completely being honest with them. I was finishing up the poem Rebecca asked me to write for her as her birthday gift. But I still purchased a 3D Sculpting course on Udemy.

This just makes me remember a story my dad usually tells my siblings and me.

'Once upon a time, the liar who never lied' is the statement my dad usually uses to start this story.

The first time my dad said this statement, we were astonished, I remembered laughing hard because it was impossible.

In the 80s there was a man, who was determined to become wealthy, but he was too lazy to work hard for it, he decided to come up with an idea which he used to accomplish his plan and become famous.

He told everyone he has gold and that he is the richest man in the world, he told them his father died with the gold and pass it to him as an inheritance. People with gold during that time are very rare and are considered wealthy and of a higher class. He told everyone to bring him a huge amount of money for him to show them his gold. Many of them gave him money even the king as well.

After weeks of spending and eating their money, it was finally time for him to show them the gold. He
brought them to his house and show them a picture of gold. All the people became angry and were furious that they were deceive all along.

Liars were punishable by death then. He was later called upon to defend himself before carrying out his punishment. He told the king and the people around him that he didn't lie to anyone and that they didn't ask the right question. He told them, he only said he has gold, he never said it was real or in his possession. One of the people shouted you lied about your dad giving you an inheritance before dying. He defended himself saying, I only told you the half-truth, my dad is a thief and was killed while stealing the picture.

One shouted again, you lied you are the richest man in the world. That is my dream and I'm not talking of this world he said.

The king later set him free but banished him from the place. He did not lie, why was he then banished? we all asked.

A statement can be honest or deceptive since he was trying to do the latter which means he lied by omission. A half-truth is a skillful way of not lying but still not saying the truth. A half-truth is also a lie, my dad usually concludes.

My siblings and I loved this story because of the irony in it and we named it Daddy's tale.