𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙲𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚘𝚏 𝚊 𝙻𝚒𝚏𝚎𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎 ✓ (𝟷𝟾+)

The Meeting

Arin

I posted the letter as a homage to my mother's wish, assuming well my father wouldn't revert. But he did.

Mom's journal entries about dad were beautiful and interesting. She was clearly smitten, charmed off my the man. Upon her request to raise me on her own, he respected it without any fight.

Ballooning up with questions to ask, I couldn't believe, he contacted me. Of all the things I wanted to do, the topmost was seeing him. How he looked now. After all, its almost been a a couple of decades since he met me.

Charles conveyed the time and place of meet tomorrow. Waddling through the doubts of moving on so soon, meeting a man who was literally absent while I grew up, it was my mother's journal entries which gave me the solace. It was her decision to push him away.

Eskimoed under layers of quilts, I thought of the day that would be tomorrow. A part of me was thrilled, pounding onto my ribs while the doubtful evil twin of it reared up worst case scenarios about the meeting.

Self doubts and I had a long standing relationship. It was no surprise, it came knocking only a day prior to the biggest day of my life. I slept off, encircled with the thoughts of a perfect father, something which was conjured up watching cheesy rom coms.

I blame Liam Neason for it.

Waking time was always relaxed when one doesn't have to rush to office on time. I dialed Mrs. Rose's number, frolicking in bed and willing to make up an excuse from work.

"Everything okay my dear? You never call this early," said her concerned voice.

"Yes.. I wanted to tell you that I won't be coming to office today. I am taking a sick day." And right on cue, I faked a cough.

"Ohh honey.. what happened?" Her dipped tone reminded me of my mother.

"Nothing worse. Just the usual flu. Don't want to get others sick so.." My bass voice was improvised to make a blocked sinuses voice. Haven't we all done that at some point in our lives.

"You take rest honey and have lots of hot fluids. And soup. I will check on you in the evening. You take care."

Hanging up the phone, I merrily fell back in bed and slept for several more hours.

It was only by mid morning when I woke up, feeling peacefully. A quick shower and dress check later, I was off the door.

My heartbeats paced up as I reached my destination. My cuticles substituted breakfast, most of which were chewed off. The remaining blunt was born by fingernails. I was witnessing what most of us would feel during an exam. The anxiety and frustration, waiting for it to begin just to get it over with.

With Charles the anticipation was killing me. Moment after moment. Crawling from my feet below all the way upto the top of my head, every time a stranger eyed me, my blood hosed up and down, making me jittery.

I was about to call Charles when I witnessed Mrs. Rose's missed call. She must be checking on me. Before I could do anything about it, my phone buzzed up again.

"Hey Kid," a familiar voice came across. "Where are you?"

"Da.. I.. Charles," refraining from being too advance, I looked around. "I am at the coffee shop you asked me to meet."

Like a hummingbird, my heart beat paced up. Although I tried answered calmly, my ears ran up my heightened pulses. My eyes roam around everywhere, scanning the place to spot a man who struck a resemblance to the ones in my mom's journal.