East-Side Girl

Chapter 6

The rest of the week passed by now it was time for all of us to see our dad. I'm not nervous or feeling anything but anger and a sense of hate welling up from the pit of my stomach. I now have to play the 'sorry you got caught and put in jail act dad.' for my younger sisters and brothers. I'm pretty sure Jeff and Liu knew that i'm putting on a fake smile and act for my siblings, since when we got there he nodded to James to go ahead and take the younger kids ahead. Jeff just stood there till the younger kids were out of earshot range and said,

" You don't have act like you actually miss him you know that right."Jeff and Liu just stared me down as I kept looking down and said nothing. The boys were waiting for a answer.

"I know, but i'm keeping the fake smile on around the younger kids, they didn't know what dad did to us and I don't want the way they think of him to change." The only thing I kept in was the anger and hate I carried for my dad over the years and if I had any say in it I wasn't letting my younger siblings carry that feeling with them all their lives. They wouldn't need to turn out like me, the mess that I am they never see it and they'll never know about those years.

Eventually Jeff , Liu and I got to the security gate, our siblings waiting for me and the boys to get there. My sisters were just standing there and smiling and jittering in one place. It was a nice change of scenery for them and a good thing to see that they weren't as screwed up as Liu,Jeff and I are to see our 'Dad' again. James wasn't our full brother he's our half brother so he never knew what our dad was capable of. The gates guard let us through and that's when the long day was going to start.

We were walking for what felt like hours, but in reality it was only a few minutes till we were where we're supposed to be. When we arrived to the front of the building there was a good amount of kids with who I assumed were with their folks. But the funny thing about the situation was that all the dads were holding sings with their kids names on it reminded me of a classic movie scenes where this missing person comes home and they see their family all over again, only part of that was true for my case.

My sisters were so excited to see our dad again, but the funny thing was he was a no show. All I heard from my sisters was

"Where's dad? When's dad coming?" the younger kids were getting anxious. Eventually we stood there almost a whole hour before he showed up. Then at Noon he waltzed in with a smile on his face. That same smile he had when he'd leave large bruises on Jeff,Liu,and I. That smile sent a sickening feeling through me. Jeff and Liu just stared and stayed in one spot while my younger siblings ran up to him and just in general said that they'd been missing him and all that. After my younger siblings said hi, he looked at Jeff,Liu and me he smiled and walked over to us. I was looking at him trying to see the intentions of his next action. Except when I looked at him there was no violence or malice like there was once before, instead that look of evil was replaced with a look of I didn't know how to explain it or how I'd identify it. He stands in front of us and made a attempt to hug Jeff and Liu. Jeff saw this and backed away along with Liu, his face turned to the look as if he'd been hit, then he tried again with that aimed at me. My internal reaction was to move away and avoid him, my mind told me to follow it's lead and that's exactly what I did.

I had backed up and stood by Jeff and Liu. My dad just stood in front of us and stared till he finally said.

"Why aren't you going to say hi to your old man?" asked my dad. Jeff and Liu answered for me in a almost growling tone.

"No, why would we say that to someone we can't stand." replied Jeff and Liu. My dad just looked over at me and said.

"Aren't you happy to see me?, your siblings sure are." my dad replied with a laugh. I just stared at him and tried to will an answer but none came to mind but to flip him off and walk towards my siblings. This entire meeting felt wrong. My dads warden tried to convince us that he's a "Changed man, and that we should trust him." but never in a million lifetimes or years will I ever trust that thing I called a dad a "changed man." and I will never trust the devil in disguise since that's what he is a devil.

A few hours later the event was over and we were some of the last to leave. My siblings were just laughing and singing to the song my dad tried to teach them, they'd been taking pictures all day with him and was having a good day in general compared to the reality of what we'd be going home to was better at the moment. My dads warden came out from his office. He was signaling that it was time to leave.

Me and my siblings walked out,then as we were walking back to the car three of my younger siblings passed out on the way back. All in all it looked like the younger kids were having fun James was always a few feet away but never to far. However Liu, Jeff and I stayed away from our dad. I guess that when James said that ' over time you'll forget what he did and you'll put him back into your life.' just wasn't today for Jeff,Liu and I had all the memories of everything he used to say and do still haunts us everyday. It was around ten at night by the time we got back home, today was a long day and I was glad to be home with my siblings and to be away from the devil in disguise.