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The week slid by and the day came. I got up and got cleaned up in the shower, put on my best clothes and some nice cologne and prepped myself. It was going to be a long day and I was going to have to be social which wasn’t really my strong suit, but father was going to be here and maybe some people I knew from school. I went downstairs and found Jennifer sitting in the kitchen with breakfast waiting for me. “What time are we doing this thing?” I asked. She said “Well the party starts at noon.”
I tossed my food down my throat as quick as I could and went to walk through the house. The media room was all set up for a party. Streamers and a small disco ball. It looked great, I loved that girl, she really knew how to take care of me. I sat down and looked at the clock, 10 am, two hours. I hate waiting, every minute feels like ten. My mind wondered and I pictured a room full of people I used to know dancing and smiling. I pictured Jennifer bringing in snacks and then my father walking through the door with a huge present and a big smile on his face. This was going to be the best day. I sat and waited.
The hours passed as I sat there and imagined the perfect party, I hadn’t even realized that it was one in the afternoon and there was still nobody there. I glanced toward the clock and saw the time, I remember thinking to myself “Well people are always a little late.” I sat there on the couch, party decorations surrounding me, music on quietly in the background, and day dreamed about my perfect party.
Jennifer came into the room with a piece of birthday cake. I looked up at her and I know she saw the hurt in my eyes because she sat down next to me and hugged me hard. She said “Its ok Michael, I love you and your mother will be out soon, your father should be here soon too I think. Im sorry none of your friends came.” I smiled and held back my tears. She handed me the piece of cake and watched on as I ate it. I heard her take a deep breath and say “I have to go in the kitchen, I have things in the oven. You can go upstairs and I will call you down when your father gets here.” “Ill just stay here and wait.” I looked down at my shoes and she got up and left. I really didn’t feel like talking. There was a pain in my chest that made me feel a lot of things at once and I hated it.
I heard the doorbell ring through the house. I instantly thought to myself “That’s him! Father is here!” not even considering that it’s his house and he probably wouldn’t ring the doorbell. I sat there patiently waiting for him to walk into the room and make everything better. I sat and I sat, why is it taking so long? Just then Jennifer walked in holding a long box wrapped neatly and a card. She looked at me and said “I’m sorry Michael, I tried…” She handed me the card and sat the box down next to me on the couch. I read the front of it, it just said, From Dad. I felt the damn break and the tears stream down my cheeks. I watched the tears drip off onto the envelope and stain the paper. I opened it and took out a very generic looking letter. On the front it read “Happy Birthday” with a picture of a dog blowing out candles on a birthday cake. Inside typed in a nice font it said “I wish you the best on your birthday.” And then at the bottom was fathers name, but it was signed in printed ink. I flipped over the card and it said it was from Amazon on the back. He didn’t even buy it and mail it, he just purchased it and whatever that box is on Amazon and had it shipped here.
As the tears poured down my face anger and hatred flowed through my veins, I could feel myself locking this away. This was the kind of thing I got from him every year, but this year was supposed to be different. He told Jennifer he would be here. This year was when he was supposed to come back and tell me he loved me and wrap his arms around me. I balled uncontrollably, I didn’t even notice Jennifer was still standing there. She had tears in her eyes but was doing a good job of holding it together. I sat the card down and took a deep breath, I said “Jennifer, I think I am done for the day, tell mother that I went to bed early if she comes out. Oh and I am done with these attempts at parties. I think I have outgrown them.” “What about your dinner?” She replied, I wasn’t hungry at all, but I didn’t want to hurt Jennifer’s feelings. “Can you please bring it up to my room?” I said in a quiet voice. She said “Of course, go ahead.” I got up and went upstairs, feeling incredibly defeated.
I laid down on my bed and cried harder than I have ever cried in my life. I heard a voice tell me, “It doesn’t matter, you don’t need to worry about him.” I stopped crying and listened, I think I heard a voice in my head but it didn’t sound like me. Then I heard it again, and clearer “Don’t worry about that ass, he will get what’s coming to him. You just need to concentrate on Jennifer and your mom.” I felt the tears dry up and suddenly a calm came over me. My mind cleared and I realized the voice, myself, whatever it was was completely correct. I didn’t know him, I didn’t know anything about him. Why do I care if he shows up? His only use is to pay the bills and keep me in this beautiful house.
There was a knock at the door, I ignored it for a second waiting for Jennifer to walk away. After I heard her footsteps walk away from the door, I opened it and saw my dinner on a tray and the present that he had sent. I picked up the tray and sat it on the computer desk. Then grabbed the present. Closing the door behind me I ran my fingers over the wrapping paper. My pinky caught the edge of one of the ridges and I felt a sharp pain shoot up my finger. “Damn” I shouted. Paper cut. I grabbed the edge of the paper and ripped it open trying to ignore the huge amount of pain from the tiny cut. “Well, at least the guy got a good present.” I looked on thinking of the potential as I revealed a long Daisy Pellet Gun from inside of the wrapping paper. I could use this I think.
Feeling slightly more cheerful I unboxed the gun and played with it a bit, it was easy enough to use and it came with a box of two hundred pellets that should last me a little while. I was feeling anxious to use it, but it was evening and getting dark outside. I decided to put it away and save it for another day, maybe this weekend. I grabbed the tray of food and polished off my dinner. After the great meal I sat the tray outside of the door and headed for bed.
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