that being around a family would have this effect
on me. I wouldn’t want my son to be forced to
grow up like me, with no relatives and just one
parent.
“Why do you call your father by his first name?
Is it some kind of masculine pride or something or
are you just too big for that kind of thing?” I tease
him a little just to distract myself.
“Because Carl is not my father. He’s not father
to any of us,” he says, looking out the window.
“Oh, I’m … I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to be
nosey.”
“It’s not important.”
“And you’ve got a good relationship?” I try
probing.
“He’s a good man. He takes care of my mom
and all my brothers and sisters. If it weren’t for
him, I don’t know what would have happened to
all of us. My mom sure could not have carried on
all by herself for much longer.”
“What about your dad?”
“He took off when I was fifteen.”
“Don’t you ever see him?”
“No. The day he left us he was dead to me.”
I try asking a bit more before he closes up for
good.
“Did he abandon you?”
“He left a wife and six kids alone without a
dime and without looking back.”
Now I understand. I understand everything and
