My Final Choice

Matthew's Outbreak

“So tell me, why were you were running? It sure didn’t seem like you usually run.”

We were walking to his home. I knew I could be in lots of danger, but I really didn’t care. “I was just catching some fresh air.”

He narrowed his eyes at me, “We probably won’t ever see each other again, so you really don’t need to hide anything from me.”

He had a point there. I could tell him that I was a drug dealer running from some thugs, but somehow, I actually wanted to tell him the truth. “I got in an argument with my dad,” I said softly.

“Well, that’s no reason to run. You should have stayed and talked about it.”

“You don’t understand, my mom left us five years ago, and now my dad has become some heartless person.” Why had I just told him that?

“Look boy, we all have our pains that we slowly deal with, you can’t let one fight end the relationship you two share.”

“We don’t share anything. He hasn’t been in my life for five years! All he does is concentrate on his stupid karate class.”

“We all control our emotions in different ways.”

“But it has been five years! Don’t you think that he should have been over it by now?”

“His wife left him. He must have loved her dearly to fall into such a deep depression.”

I sighed, “You don’t understand.”

“Of course I understand. The one who doesn’t understand is you.”

I was growing impatient, “I perfectly understand! My mom left us, but I had to get over it without my dad’s help.”

“Who helped your dad?”

I paused. I hadn’t thought about that. I hadn’t thought of how my dad had felt about this whole situation. I had only been thinking about myself.

“Maybe he hasn’t really opened up to you because you remind him of your mother.” We stopped in front of a rundown retirement home. “This is my home,” he said sadly.

There was no way that he could have been someone bad. Even if he was, he lived in a place like this meant that he couldn’t do anything sneaky.

“You can leave if you wish.” He said as he opened the gate.

I looked around and sighed, I didn’t want to leave, so I headed in.

“So tell me more about your father.” He said as he gave me bottled water.

“He has a little business that he teaches at home. Well, they’re karate classes that he gives to kids.”

“Why don’t you go to one of his classes?”

“It’s no use. I’ll never be the son he wants me to be.”

“Have you ever thought about giving it a try?”

I sighed, “What’s the point? I know I won’t be able to please my dad.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Every time I tell him something I did, he tells me how one of his students has improved. He only cares about his students. They are the kids that he always wanted.”

“Well maybe he’s trying to convince you to join.”

“I know he is,” I stopped talking. This man didn’t understand the full point. “Mister, I think I should go. You don’t understand what I mean.”