Page 29 - Reason To Sing by Kelita Haverland

Chapter Five

Daddy, I can do it. You just sit down. Right here.” I try to be
calm and sweet. He slumps onto the bench. Vian starts patting
his back. She is trying so very hard to be brave and helpful. “It’s
okay, Daddy,” she murmurs. “Don’t cry. Please don’t cry.”
His hair keeps falling back into his face every time he
slumps. He never lets his hair fall like this. “Lemme, lemme
me help with your skates,” he whispers, trying not to draw
attention. “Come on, honey, I want to help you.” I sense he
knows people are watching us. He can feel their stares too. It
doesn’t feel good.
“Daddy, it’s okay,” I sink down next to him. “I can undo
our skates. It’s really okay. You just sit still right beside me.” I’m
only 10 but at this moment I feel much older, taking care of
my father.
He won’t have it. “I am your daddy and I’m gonna take off
your skates!” He is bellowing. “You girls mean everything to
me and I’m gonna take these off, right here!” His eyes are filled
with tears. “Right now, that’s what I am going to do. Cause I
can do that for you.”
He bends over sideways and reaches for our feet. I don’t
want to make a scene so I let him untie our skates. His eyes are
so red. Tears are tumbling down his face. A few drops fall onto
my skates. He grabs a hankie from his pocket. My poor daddy!
It’s obvious Vian isn’t at all sure what’s going on. I reach
out to squeeze her arm gently. I want so badly to comfort her.
As for me, I just want to crawl under this bench. I feel sick.
Finally, we are ready to leave, and it can’t be soon enough
for me. Daddy is taking way too long to walk to the parking lot.
Vian and I hold onto his hands as we slowly make our way to
the truck. I cannot wait to get in and fly away from this place. I
never want to see those people again as long as I live!
I wish Mommy was here. I need her to make everything

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