Outer Space | Spruceworth 6.3

Chapter 31: Can't Go Back

Chapter 31: Can't Go Back

~Ollie~

       My mind had been all over the place the past week and I was trying to do something, anything, to distract myself but nothing was working.

       I couldn't even really concentrate on playing the piano, which I was doing right now. 

       Well, trying to do.

       It wasn't working out well. I was constantly messing up, no matter how many times I replayed the piece.

       Eventually, I got way too frustrating, groaning loudly as I smacked a bunch of random keys. A bit too hard. My hands stung a bit but I just shook it off.

       "Try not to break the piano," Dad spoke up from the kitchen.

       "I'm not going to break the piano just by hitting the keys," I said.

       "So you are talking to me now?" Dad asked.

       "I'm talking to you to tell me that I'm not going to break the piano," I said. "But now, I'm going back to the silent treatment."

       "Normally, when someone is going to give another person the silent treatment, they're not going to tell them," Dad said.

       I didn't reply. I walked over to the shelf near the piano to grab a different book of piano sheet music. Maybe playing a different song would help me.

       I chose a song and sat down at the piano, placing the song on the stand. Before my fingers could even touch the keys, Dad walked over and closed the lid. "Ollie, can you please talk to me?" he asked. 

       I continued to ignore him, this time flipping through the song book to turn my focus on something else.

       "You can't ignore me forever," Dad said.

       "I don't plan on ignoring you forever," I said. "Just the amount of time you lied to me so... eighteen years. I'll call you when I'm thirty-six."

       Dad was way too persistent right now. I was hoping he would just walk away and leave me alone but he didn't. He sat down beside me on the piano bench and opened the lid. "Fine, ignore me. Just ignore me sitting here."

       "I will," I muttered, flipping the book back to the song I wanted to practice.

       I did for a few moments but I still couldn't concentrate because of Dad sitting beside me. I was trying so hard to ignore him but I just couldn't. I hated being mad at him but at the same time, I was mad that he lied to me for years.

       That when he and Mom got a divorce, I had to live with her even though I should have lived with Dad. He was too worried about whatever this blackmail was.

       Not only that but he had so many opportunities to tell me that Mom wasn't actually my real mom.

       Like when I was growing up.

       Or when they got a divorce and was trying to figure out who I should live with.

       Or when I had to go to Alberta to get married.

       Or when my wedding was crashed.

       Literally so many opportunities.

       And he didn't tell me until Cyndi came back in his life. What would have happened if she never moved here to Spruceworth. Would he even have told me?