HOME | DD

Description
Remembrance
By; Ryan Malone
The next morning as the sun began to raise the new father sat on a bench. It was damp from the rain last night, but he was too conserved with his own thoughts. He just sat there looking down at the horizon as the skyline became brighter.
Then footsteps came from behind him. The stranger sat down next to him, but the father dared not look upon him. He knew too well who it was and without a word they both sat there as the sun made its movement up. Red painted the sky as the red orb of the sun started its course through the heavens.
Without looking up the father said, "Where'd I go wrong Ryan?"
"When you stopped being a father and started being a dictator."
"How would you know what I was like? You barely even remember what it was like than, much less than knowing me."
"But I do remember."
"No you don't. All that you know you've heard is from your mother. She has always told you stories to make you hate me."
"She never had to do that. I don't even think she had to try. Did you know I hated you for nearly seven years?"
"No, but I'm not surprised after what I did."
"It was never what you did, but what you never did. I remembered things from the past that were memorable, but there was a time where all I could do was miss you. I was a son without a father growing up and I always hated you for that."
"Why?"
"I never knew the damage you did at my age. Everything I remembered was painted to look like it was nice. There were moments of terror and fear, but for the most part I remember the love. Like this." He gestured to the sun. "The day you first watched the sun rise with you. That day we set out early in the morning and went running to this park. As we got here the sun rose. It was like nothing I had ever seen before and I loved it and you."
"How do you know it wasn't just your mother telling you this?"
"She wasn't there. One night as I waited for you to return home I was sent to bed early. They told me that you would come home soon and that I would see you in the morning, but I couldn't wait. Instead I stayed awake as long as I could. I watched as the shadows flickered around my nightlight and made them scatter. From time to time I would hear talk from down stairs and I would become more and more worried. Then as I laid there I heard you come in. I was so relieved that you had come home that I immediately fell asleep."
"How does that-"
"-Mom wasn't there that day. At that time we were already only spending the weekends there. That particular weekend we were all alone. How could mom have told us of that day if she was never there?"
"That was only one day." He looked up staring at the sun.
"Then what about the day when I forgot my flip-flop outside? I needed to have my shoes to go, but I knew Lonesome would be out there. I knew this and even though you told me that I had to get it I was still fearful. I was relieved when I found that my flip-flop was on the play house outside and that Lonesome was chained very tightly."
"So why'd you do it?"
"I did it because you told me to. I told you already I never hated you till we were unable to see you anymore. Often when I'm in the car I remember one of the days that I was looking out the window thinking. I remember almost crying at the thought that I could no longer see you. It wasn't till I was much older that I found out why we couldn't see you and from then on I really hated you. There would be days when all I could think of would be you. It would consume my life and I would shut everyone out for nearly five days."
"Why do you do this to me? You constantly torment me with the past and clam that all you want is to talk. So why do you just do it?"
"I am talking to you. All stories might not start at the beginning, but mine does. Multiple memories line my past and remind me of lessons I've learned on my own. So in order to get to what I really want to know I just wanted to remind you of what I know."
"Than what do you want to ask?"
"Why? Why'd you do it? You are smart enough to know the world at your age, yet when you have children you don't stop to think of the repercussions of your actions."
"I did it to prepare you. I was only thinking of you." He said looking the son into his face.
Looking back he said, "But you didn't. The world is a terrible place, but I never realized it even when I was young. I knew once I lost you, but till then the world was a peaceful place."
"Then why do you care what I did?"
"Because now I know and you know. Thinking back you never think that you did something wrong?" the father looked down as if he was being scalded. "I came for answers, but I also came to help you. For all the things you did in your life you can make it up. You missed half of my life, but you don't have to miss the rest. My mom may never forgive you and my sisters may never forgive you, but I want to. Years ago I promised myself that I would forgive you for everything."
He placed his hand on his shoulder and the father brought up his head, "And now I forgive you for everything."
Tears welled up in his eyes as they both went forward in a hug, "I'm so proud of you."
"Don't be. I didn't do this just for you. There is another in my life and if you give me a chance I could share him with you, but first I must tell you something."
"What?"
"Tomorrow I will come back and tomorrow I will bring back two people who won't be a forgiving as I am. Tomorrow you two daughters will come to see you and I will accompany them. If you give them a chance they might forgive you."
"How could they?"
"I don't know. We'll see tomorrow."

Description
Remembrance
By; Ryan Malone
The next morning as the sun began to raise the new father sat on a bench. It was damp from the rain last night, but he was too conserved with his own thoughts. He just sat there looking down at the horizon as the skyline became brighter.
Then footsteps came from behind him. The stranger sat down next to him, but the father dared not look upon him. He knew too well who it was and without a word they both sat there as the sun made its movement up. Red painted the sky as the red orb of the sun started its course through the heavens.
Without looking up the father said, "Where'd I go wrong Ryan?"
"When you stopped being a father and started being a dictator."
"How would you know what I was like? You barely even remember what it was like than, much less than knowing me."
"But I do remember."
"No you don't. All that you know you've heard is from your mother. She has always told you stories to make you hate me."
"She never had to do that. I don't even think she had to try. Did you know I hated you for nearly seven years?"
"No, but I'm not surprised after what I did."
"It was never what you did, but what you never did. I remembered things from the past that were memorable, but there was a time where all I could do was miss you. I was a son without a father growing up and I always hated you for that."
"Why?"
"I never knew the damage you did at my age. Everything I remembered was painted to look like it was nice. There were moments of terror and fear, but for the most part I remember the love. Like this." He gestured to the sun. "The day you first watched the sun rise with you. That day we set out early in the morning and went running to this park. As we got here the sun rose. It was like nothing I had ever seen before and I loved it and you."
"How do you know it wasn't just your mother telling you this?"
"She wasn't there. One night as I waited for you to return home I was sent to bed early. They told me that you would come home soon and that I would see you in the morning, but I couldn't wait. Instead I stayed awake as long as I could. I watched as the shadows flickered around my nightlight and made them scatter. From time to time I would hear talk from down stairs and I would become more and more worried. Then as I laid there I heard you come in. I was so relieved that you had come home that I immediately fell asleep."
"How does that-"
"-Mom wasn't there that day. At that time we were already only spending the weekends there. That particular weekend we were all alone. How could mom have told us of that day if she was never there?"
"That was only one day." He looked up staring at the sun.
"Then what about the day when I forgot my flip-flop outside? I needed to have my shoes to go, but I knew Lonesome would be out there. I knew this and even though you told me that I had to get it I was still fearful. I was relieved when I found that my flip-flop was on the play house outside and that Lonesome was chained very tightly."
"So why'd you do it?"
"I did it because you told me to. I told you already I never hated you till we were unable to see you anymore. Often when I'm in the car I remember one of the days that I was looking out the window thinking. I remember almost crying at the thought that I could no longer see you. It wasn't till I was much older that I found out why we couldn't see you and from then on I really hated you. There would be days when all I could think of would be you. It would consume my life and I would shut everyone out for nearly five days."
"Why do you do this to me? You constantly torment me with the past and clam that all you want is to talk. So why do you just do it?"
"I am talking to you. All stories might not start at the beginning, but mine does. Multiple memories line my past and remind me of lessons I've learned on my own. So in order to get to what I really want to know I just wanted to remind you of what I know."
"Than what do you want to ask?"
"Why? Why'd you do it? You are smart enough to know the world at your age, yet when you have children you don't stop to think of the repercussions of your actions."
"I did it to prepare you. I was only thinking of you." He said looking the son into his face.
Looking back he said, "But you didn't. The world is a terrible place, but I never realized it even when I was young. I knew once I lost you, but till then the world was a peaceful place."
"Then why do you care what I did?"
"Because now I know and you know. Thinking back you never think that you did something wrong?" the father looked down as if he was being scalded. "I came for answers, but I also came to help you. For all the things you did in your life you can make it up. You missed half of my life, but you don't have to miss the rest. My mom may never forgive you and my sisters may never forgive you, but I want to. Years ago I promised myself that I would forgive you for everything."
He placed his hand on his shoulder and the father brought up his head, "And now I forgive you for everything."
Tears welled up in his eyes as they both went forward in a hug, "I'm so proud of you."
"Don't be. I didn't do this just for you. There is another in my life and if you give me a chance I could share him with you, but first I must tell you something."
"What?"
"Tomorrow I will come back and tomorrow I will bring back two people who won't be a forgiving as I am. Tomorrow you two daughters will come to see you and I will accompany them. If you give them a chance they might forgive you."
"How could they?"
"I don't know. We'll see tomorrow."