Beware of Brooklyn *Beware of the Parker Boys Sequel*

Chapter Fifteen

I am sitting on the bench at the park that I have become far to famiular with, when my phone rings. For a second, I don't even pull it from my pocket. The park was where I came to do my thinking in peace, or where I came to do absolutely no thinking at all.

Finally on the fifth ring, I pull the device from my jacket pocket and find an unsuspecting name on the screen.

"Hey, dad." I say, putting the phone to my ear when I have accepted the call.

"Hey there, what have you been up to? Sorry it's been so long since I have called, I have been working on getting some things settled." He informs me as I watch a chubby duck dive into the water, disappearing for a moment before he comes bobbing back up to the surface.

"What kind of things have you been working on settling?"

He proceeds to tell me about the promotion he got at work, the same one he told me he had been rewarded with the last time we talked on the phone. He tells me about his new apartment and how it has one of the best views in the city, how he was thinking about getting a puppy since he would be home more than he ever has been and would like some company in this bigger apartment.

"Brooklyn, I know that I haven't been the best father figure, trust me I know that." He begins and I hear him draw a deep breath, as if he had been preparing this speech for some time, but had suddenly forgotten everything he rehearsed.

"I have failed to be there for you physically, and emotionally. I cannot express the extent of my regret for my lack of presence in your life, but there is nothing I can do to go back in time and make things differently. What I can do, is make up for the time I missed, by being there for you now. I want to be the father I never was for you, and I want to prove to you that I am someone you can count on."

My mind was completely blank, I had no words that I could form into response for what had just came out of his mouth. I had suddenly forgotten the entire English language.

"Brooklyn, are you there?" He says slowly, the question snapping me back into the conversation.

"I'm here." I clear my throat, changing position on the park bench. "I'm not quite sure what I am suppose to say to something like that."

"I wasn't expecting you to say anything, honestly." He admits with a soft chuckle. "You don't have to respond, or be accepting about what I have to offer, not right now. I would just like for you to take in that I am going to be making the effort to be in your life, and I am hoping that you can somehow let me in."

"Okay, dad." I tell him softly.

"I would also like you to consider the idea of moving up here with me, I don't want you to say no right now, just toss around the idea in your head. Okay?" His words are fast, as if he was trying to get everything out before I jumped at the idea with a huge decline.

"I'll think about it." My lips form and I can practically hear his smile from the other side of the phone.

We talk for about thirty minutes more, chatting about small stuff rather than continuing with the deep conversations we had started out it.

Whenever we have said our goodbyes, and him reminding me to consider the idea of coming up to live with him, we hang up the phone, leaving me with even more to think about on my park bench than what I originally came with.

I don't know exactly why I had told him that I would consider it. Was it really something that needed to be considered? Was his effort really something to trust, or would he eventually dip out again? I didn't really have a reason not to leave anymore.