WAKE UP CALL

The father in Marshall

Jeg ringte på døren og smilte da jeg hørte krafsing på andre siden av døren.

-God, I don't think I've been here since mom moved here actually... We moved here a litte bit after my birthday after gone to Detroit the first time, I got Hector as a gift... Sa jeg tankefull idet døren ble rivd opp og vi ble dratt inn.

-Get your famous butts in here, I want my babies to myself! Sa mamma og så på meg smilende og så bort på Marshall med store øyne. -Oh my, Marshall... Look at you! I haven't seen you IN PERSON for... How long has it been?? At least 10 years!

-Well damn... I'm sorry about that... Lo han og klødde seg i bakhodet, hun dro han i det ene øret smilende.

-Oh, you've grown to your ears... Lo hun, han himlet med øynene smilende. -Our little Mickey! Sa hun smilende og dro han inntil seg i en klem.

Da Marshall var mindre, hadde han store ører i forhold til hodet så vi kalte han Mickey. Alle kalte han Mickey, inntil han ble tenåring og fikk lyst til å rappe, da kalte vi ham bare Em, etter M&M.

-Alexis! I haven't seen you in a year! Hun pekte på meg faretruende etter at hun slapp klemmen. Jeg så på henne unnskyldende.

-I'm sorry, I've been incredibly busy this year! I've had two movies, interviews, I've even done a couple model jobs for Victorias Secret! Lo jeg, mamma nikket smilende.

-I know, baby. I've seen it all, you've gotten so big out there! Lo hun, jeg kjente noen slikket ankelene min og lo kort da jeg så det var Hector. Jeg satte meg ned på huk og da gjorde han som han alltid gjorde. Han la forlabbene sine på hver sin skulder så han klemte meg. Jeg klemte rundt kroppen hans smilende idet Marshall satte seg på huk han også. -How is everything going? Marshall, you haven't been so much in the media recently? People are questioning if you're gonna retire?? Spurte hun, Marshall møtte blikket hennes.

-I'm not retiring, I'm takin' a break from the spotlight to be there for my daughters. I haven't, not much at least... Sa han trist. -Haillie turns 11 this year, Whitney just turned 4 and Alaina 13...

-I thought you only had one daughter? Spurte mamma, jeg himlet med øynene smilende. -Whaaat? I don't exactly stalk the guy. Lo hun.

-Haillie is mine... She's my biological daughter, Whitney is... She's Kim's daughter, she cheated on me in 2001 and got pregnant with her, she was born the next year.

-Oh my...

-And Alaina, me and Kim adopted Alaina from Kim's sister, Dawn. She wasn't treated well... When Kim got caught leaving the kids at her place and drive away to smoke pot, I filed to get full custody of the girls. I got it, but Kim still watch the girls while I'm gone... And I don't like that, besides... Kim calls now and then and tells me that, "Oh, Haillie did this and Haillie did that" I like that, but I wasn't there. I didn't see it, I didn't see Haillie take her first steps, I was at The Shelter tryin to get a name for myself. And when I got famous, I couldn't go anywhere without paparazies and fans following me. I couldn't walk my daughters to school, I couldn't play with them in the park, I couldn't...Han møtte blikket hennes trist. -I've dreamed about being a rapper, almost my whole life... But, it seems like the dream is almost becoming a nightmare... That's why I'm taking a break, to do the things I've always wanted to. To be there for them. They don't have to call on the phone and say "I wish you were here, daddy! I miss you, I want to be with you!" ... Instead, I'm actually gonna be there. They can run into my arms and tell that to me face to face...

Jeg så på Marshall med store øyne, den barnslige holdningen han alltid har forsvant helt når han snakket om døtrene sine. Til og med mamma var lamslått.

-You've grown so much, Marshall... Sa hun smilende og dro han inntil seg i en klem. -So much...

Da Marshall la armene rundt mamma, så jeg inn i øynene hans og så tårer bygge seg opp. Det var først da jeg innså hvor vanskelig han hadde det når det kom til døtrene sine, han elsket dem alle så mye og kunne ikke være med dem.

Det må være et helvete for han, å ikke være der for dem man elsker når de trenger deg-