Hunter or Hunted

Chapter 22- Bye Bye

Juno’s  P.O.V

 

I had exactly an hour to talk to my dad for the last time. We had four years to talk about. Moreover, I had so many questions to ask him.

 Why did you leave? Why didn’t you try to escape? Why didn’t you tell me? Were just a few of the questions running around in my head.

The iron doors slammed closed behind me. The sound ricocheted down the bare hall. The room was only about six the foot from left to right. There was a small rickety bed in the corner; with a soiled mattress on top.

There my dad sat with his feet cuffed together. His head bowed down, looking at the concrete floor. He sat there in dirty, ripped sweat pants and a too small tee shirt. His hair was considerably longer and been pulled out in random places.

 I stood stiffly in the corner of the room, well away from my dad. I really had no idea what to say or act around him anymore. We had spent so much time apart; changed in more ways than one.

My dad cleared his throat and I looked over to him. “Juno?” his voice was hoarse as he spoke- I almost didn’t recognise it.

“Y-yes dad?” I stuttered clumsily. He pointed weakly to where I was standing. Catching on, I slid down the iron bars and ended up on the floor. My dad nodded in approval.

We sat there in thick silence before my dad tried to speak again “Is there anything you want to ask me?” this time is voice was stronger, much more to how I remember it. I nodded slowly.

“Erm-,” I didn’t know which question I wanted to ask first, so I jumped into the deep end.

“Why did you leave?” my dad looked thoroughly surprised but nodded “Terry would never tell me. But a few weeks ago he did but I know what he said was a lie." 

He smiled weakly “Yeah he never was good at lying.”

“So…?”

“Oh yeah sorry, let’s do this.” he breathed out and put his hands in his lap “well when you were about four, I was starting to struggle to bring you up by myself; money was really tight. So I took out a loan but when I had to start and make the payments back I was falling behind rapidly.”

“So the quickest way to make extra money was drug dealing. I got a really good wage out of that…” my hands suddenly clenched at my sides. My dad noticed and said “Son, you O.K?” I nodded stiffly.

“So when you were thirteen I had plenty of money to pay the loan back and have enough to keep us afloat. I even had a good college fund going for you. I tried to the leave business but I couldn’t. The leader-which so happens to be Hunter said ‘once you’re in the business you can’t leave.’”

“Hunter threatened to kill you if I tried to leave. Therefore, I carried on the work but purposely would talk back so Hunter would know that I was serious about me leaving. It’s bad because I was being bossed and beaten by someone who’s at least ten years younger than me,” he laughed humourlessly.

“Anyway the threats got worst. Therefore, by the time you were close to your fourteenth birthday I decided that I would run away so he would follow me thinking that I took you with me. However, you would be safe with Terry instead. I really didn’t want to leave but it would ensure your safety.” he sighed softly before returning to telling the story.

“I decided I would spend your fourteenth birthday with you and then leave. I was going to say bye but it would just have broken my heart more. Plus I left on a good memory of you; and whenever I had a bad day it would put a smile on my face.”