They're Not That Bad

34 - Understanding The Misunderstandings

Chapter 34

Understanding The Misunderstandings

Recap

Already a little pissed off at him, I was getting fed up that he wasn't saying anything. I decided to give up and made movement to leave, until he called out one more time, finally finishing his sentence.

"Is it true? Is it true your father was murdered?"

*

My body jolted to a stop. I slowly turned to look at him.

His face once again was unreadable. How did he know? The only other soul I had told about my father was Axel. Could he have told Dixson?

As if on cue, Dixson answered my thoughts.

"I overheard your Mother talking to my Dad about it. Was he?" He was being blunt now. He just wanted to know.

You can imagine that anyone would be annoyed that someone eavesdropped on a conversation that they weren't meant to hear. And the fact it was Dixson made me even more annoyed. So I was reluctant to answer his question. I glared at him for a long while and he held my glare.

Then I thought. Having this trauma kept in me wasnt doing me any good and from when I told Axel, I knew it was better to talk about it than hold it in. Even if it was with the guy I despised.

I sighed and broke contact. Walking over to the window I answered his question without looking at him.

"Yes he was." My voice felt thick and heavy like it always did when I talked about what happened to Dad.

I sat down on the windows ledge as I felt Dixson's move towards me.

"How?" He asked.

Any other person would've been timid or awkward in asking how my father was murdered but Dixson showed no emotion and for some reason that made it easier to answer his question.

"He intervened in a robbery. Tried to save another man but no one was there to save him. He was shot in cold blood by a criminal who smiled as he he did it."

"What? You were there?" Finally Dixson voice wavered and I looked up at him.

His eyes swirled with confusion and even pity. I looked away. That was an expression I was used to seeing, especially at Dad's funeral.

I nodded.

"I saw it happen. It made me realise something. I used to believe I lived in a bubble. As in I thought the stuff I saw on TV news doesnt and wont happen to me."

I laughed bitterly. "But no. This was a wake up call, that anything could happen to anyone at any time and that I couldnt live in a bubble all my life. It made me realise how vulnerable and short life is."

I heard Dixson sigh. He sat down on the bottom treadmill edge opposite a metre apart from me.

"I'm sorry. I had no idea you lost your dad like that." He spoke with sincerity and it was a different tone to how he usually talked to me.

I could tell he was debating whether to speak again but he did.

"I cant say that I've been in your shoes but I lost my mother before I even saw her."

"How?" I asked curiosuly.

He paused before continuing.

"When I was younger, I was always curious why my friends had mothers and I didn't. Dad never told me and would always change the topic when I bought her up. In the end I gave up asking I grew up like a normal kid."