CHAPTER FOUR : Initial Encounter
1094 Words
Marcus' POV
Mom told me we had a big meet up planned, keeping the mystery alive. She was acting strange all day. Her phone got a lot of attention as did her hair. Three outfit changes, which was so odd. I'd never seen this side of her.
"Do my clothes look good?" I asked as we waited inside a downtown coffee shop. I had on the blue shirt she wanted me to wear. It was my top pick shirt, totally stain free, just how I like it.
"You're perfect," Mom replied, but her focus was elsewhere. Her gaze was glued to the entrance. Her hands trembled slightly. It was visible as she gripped her coffee.
A very tall man walked inside. He gave the room a scan, searching for someone. Spotting us, his face did a weird shift. A mix of fear and joy flickered across his face. He looked on the verge of tears.
Mom’s grip on my shoulder tightened. A bit too forceful for my liking.
"Hey," the man greeted. He walked to our table and paused. Not sitting, just watching me like I was the only thing that mattered. "Hey, Marcus. I am James. I... knew your mom, way back when."
I stared at that photo Mom flashed earlier. It had to be him. The guy who painted sorrow onto her face. Right there, he looked even more like my own reflection. The spooky eyes matched my own. Even the strange face shape was a mirror. I already knew who it was without any hints.
"So, you're my father," I stated. It was less of a question, more of a fact.
James’ eyes suddenly sprang a leak. He glanced at Mom, like waiting to be told he can sit. Mom gave a slight nod, keeping quiet. She squeezed my shoulder.
James slowly lowered himself. Like he might break himself or the chair. He glanced at me, his mouth acting like a fish. "Yes," he blurted finally. "Yes, I am your dad. My name is James Chen."
My mind felt like scrambled eggs. I’d known a dad existed somewhere. Mom told me when I was young he lived far away and had stuff to do. But I had pieced together the truth by listening to grown ups and the way she looked lost when I wasn’t watching.
"Why haven’t you come around?" I asked.
James stared at the tabletop. "Because I messed up big time. A huge blunder. Your mom told me she was pregnant, but I didn’t believe her. I fell for someone else’s lies. So I left. I am sorry, Marcus. I am so sorry I wasn’t there."
Mom squeezed my shoulder even harder then. I felt like she was jiggling strangely now.
"Mom told me you didn't like us," I mentioned. I needed to find out if that was real or not. It was important.
"That isn't real," James told me, sounding like he was feeling hurt. "I didn't think you folks were real. If I knew that, if I thought your mom was telling the truth, I would have stayed close every single day. I would have hugged you when you came out. I would have stuck around for all that stuff."
I did trust him. I'm unsure of the reason, but I did. His voice had some realness to it that helped me trust him.
"Is your home a long way off?" I then asked.
"Not really far," James replied. "I'm living in this same city. I've stayed here always. If I knew all about you, I would visit you every single day. I would take you to school plus help you study up and drive you to games of basketball."
I had fun playing hoops. I had never told folks about this, besides Mom. She was the single one in the know.
"Where did you find out I like hoops?" I then asked, kind of puzzled now.
"I wasn't sure," James replied. "I was just wishing... I was hoping we would hang out doing fun stuff like that. If you liked doing that."
Mom made some sound like she was getting choked. I turned over to check her out and her face lost color. Her eyes looked like she might begin crying soon. "Are you okay, Diane?" I wondered.
"I feel fine," she said to me, but her voice didn't feel okay. Her voice felt cut up some. "Just hold on a sec."
She stood right up and headed for the restroom. She let me sit there all alone with James.
We just sat still for some time. James stared at me like I popped out of thin air. He nearly spoke like he had things to say, but shut it down real quick.
"I am curious," I spoke at last. "Since you're my father, things need explaining."
"I'll clear it all," James replied. "Every thought in your head, I'll make clear. But perhaps your mom should join when heavy stuff is on. Yes?"
I gave a nod. That felt right. Mom was there for the big stuff always.
When Mom came back in, her eyes looked like she sobbed in the toilet. She took a seat and viewed James like she would snap at him. But instead, she spoke, "See him once a week. Saturday at noon. For three hours flat. That's all."
James's face glowed like lights came alive inside him. "Thank you. Big thanks Diane. I swear I'll behave. I swear I won't—"
"Cut the oaths," Mom told. Her tone was rough and icy. "Simply appear. Be a parent. That's my ask."
James gave a nod. He eyed me. "I'll get you on Saturday at noon sharp. We'll grab food then have some kicks. Sounds decent?"
"Sounds good," I told.
As James rose to leave, he went down and kissed my head's crown. It felt swift and soft, like I'd fade if he slipped up. He waved bye to Mom, but she gave no words back. She just eyed her cup.
Once James left, I faced Mom, asking, "Why are you so blue if he's a nice guy?"
Mom paused, like, forever. Then her phone sang. She glanced at it, suddenly frozen. She showed me the screen. It was a mail from some Victor Cross dude. The title said: "I know your plan, so we should chat."
Mom's face went super white. "We gotta split," she said softly. "We have to leave now."
She snatched my hand, dragging me from the cafe quickly. I'd not seen her look this spooked ever.
- Writer
