by Tina Chan
Troop sucked in a deep breath then opened the door to his apartment.
A man stood in the kitchen with his back to Troop. His father. At the sound of the door clicking shut, his father spun on his heels to face him. Troop hid his discomfort as the man scanned him from head to toe. In return, Troop observed his father.
He had changed a bit. Granted, the last time Troop saw him was ten years ago, but he had changed more than Troop expected. His father had acquired a gaunt and haunted look. Dark circles encircled his eyes, which flickered around in an unnerving fashion.
“Troop.” His father stuck out a hand.
Troop reached out his right hand and briefly shook his father’s. Everything felt wrong; everything felt too formal and alien.
“What time does your mother come back from work?” his father asked.
“Not for a while.” Troop couldn’t bring himself to call this man dad. “How did you get in here?”
“Your mother picked me up from the air-train station and dropped me off here before going back to work.” His father lifted up a duffle bag and said, “Where should I put my belongings?”
I used to belong to you, Troop thought. I used to be your son, and where did you put me? Nowhere, that’s where. You ditched me. He took a second to get his emotions under control, and then said, “This way.”
He showed his father to the guest room and left him in there to unpack.
Troop wanted to leave the apartment. He wanted to get away from this relative stranger, but for some reason, Troop didn’t trust leaving his father alone in the apartment.
His father sat on the couch across from Troop in the living room. So far, he had looked at everything but Troop. As a matter of fact, he seemed unsure of what to do.
Good. The more uncomfortable he is, the better. Troop still hadn’t taken his eyes off him yet, as if he was afraid the man would stab him in the back the first chance he got.
The door swung open. Two pairs of eyes trailed to the door. Troop’s mom stepped into the apartment. “Has Troop gotten you settled in yet?” she asked.
Troop’s father stood up to give her a hug. “Yes, Troop has already shown me my room. Thank you so much for taking me in.”
“Not a problem.” She gently pushed away his attempted embrace. “Troop, don’t you have a tutor session in fifteen minutes?”
Troop detested the idea of leaving his mom with his father. His mother saw the concern in his eyes and shooed him out the door with her hands, “Get out of here. I need to talk with your father and if you don’t leave in ten seconds I will personally skin your hide.”
He took off without another word.
chapter fourteen
[ Kristi ]
