wander

3|forgotten letter

"W-what" I stutter. I forgot this was hidden in the envelope of the 17th birthday card my dad delivered to the house with Mom. She didn't know about it. I just hid it in my phone case. She would lock me up if I had any contact with him.

"Italy" "Rome" "Beautiful" "Welcoming" "Fun" I skimmed through the letter. An address. "34 cheris lane" a few lines in some Italian and then a small line pleading me to visit. I knew this was my way out. I had to take it. I couldn't live as a caged animal all my life. I mean I am 18 now. I can explore if I want to. And I'm going to. I'm going to explore the world... for the first time.

Thats when I realise. I'll meet my Dad after 14 years. He left when I was 4. Oh god. What will he think of me. I mean look at me. I slept in a playground last night. Fuck I need to get out of this country.

"Hello. Hello? Are you ok? Do I need to call someone?" I hear the shopkeeper say as I zone back in from my thoughts. I reply with a quick "Oh... u-uh I... I'm sorry. I'm okay thank you." I pay for the sandwiches and water and just try to get out of there quick.

I had clenched the letter so tightly I had crescent moon shapes in my palms from my over grown nails. I look back down at the letter and see a number. A fucking number.

I pull out my phone and dial the number right away. I hear my heart thump faster and faster in between every buzz of the line ringing. It stops and I let out a little, "D-Dad. Sorry uh Leonardo Smithers. Is this you? It's Chiara"

Three long seconds of silence. "Oh my god. Chi, you did get my letter. It was ages since I sent that. Are you okay?" came from the other end. A voice. My fathers voice. My fathers voice.

I couldn't believe it. 14 years since I've seen him. And I didn't really know who he was. This was it. I can't mess it up now.

I tell him about the argument and about how I walked and walked and walked and about the weird guy who whistled at me. I felt... safe. His voice felt safe? His voice was very safe. Wow. This was real love. Care. Compassion. I had missed out on a lot.

He asked me to come to Italy. He says I'll love it. I'm sure I will but i don't know him. I know he's my father but he's still a stranger. He says he'll pay for all the expenses and even has a spare room in his traditional Italian house. God it sounds like a dream.

I find a taxi station and ask for them to drive me to Lafayette Regional Airport and they nod in agreement. I reached for my other pocket and found some coins that I could tip the driver with since my Father had arranged all this and since he was some pretty big guy in Italy he had this taxi sort me out for free! I had never felt this special. It was different to what I was used to. Very different. But I enjoyed it.