Neighbours

Meeting Dad

The journey to the hospital is a quiet one we didn't say a word to each other every time I looked at him he seemed lost in his own thoughts. We reach the hospital and walk in I ask the receptionist for his dad's room the receptionist a mature woman with a few grey hairs on her hair tied back I to a bun looked like she hated working there looks at me through her glasses "only family is allowed to see him" I grab Akio "he is! He is his son" the woman rolls her eyes "girl, anyone can claim to be his child you cannot go through" luckily Hee comes out "you made it!" She says and holds Akios hand "he's my brother and she is my sister in law" I look at Hee and at Akio she just called me her in law! I'm happy yet sad but it's not about me maybe it was just to fool the receptionist. We get to the room and see Akios dad in his bed Bee whispers "here he is" she walks over to him Akio still holding onto my hand looks at him I see his face turning red his nostrils flaring why is he angry? I squeeze his hand gently and rub his arm Hee wakes up her dad "papa. . . Daddy" he opens his eyes slowly "dad there's someone who would like to meet you" she points to our direction at that moment he turns to face us I look at Akio as he looks at his father his fathers eyes widen as he speaks " Chen Hei? . . Is . . . That you Hei?" a tear falls from Akios eye I look at him as he lets go of my hand and walks away Hee Young looks at her dad "no dad that's not mother . . . . That's JaeYoung" I look for Akio I run up and down the hall way and through a fire escape and see him standing outside I open the door he stands there looking around "Akio" I whisper he shakes his head "he doesn't even know me! He's never thought about me! . . . . Do you know how he treated my mother? All those nights he would come home drunk and beat her?" I hear the pain in voice he is close to tears " the whole time I've been missing he's never bothered to look for me! The one moment he sees me he can't recognise me" tears fall from his eyes and he sits on the bench I sit next to him and put my arm around him "come on he's just a little delirious right now I'm sure once you go back in he will recognise you" he holds my hand. I move his hair from his face.

We sit in silence for a while as he cries seeing him like this hurts me I begin to cry he looks at me "why are you crying?" I wipe my eyes "because you're hurting. I don't like seeing you like this" he looks at me and smiles slowly and wipes my face with the sleeve of his jumper he kisses my cheek "don't cry Denise" I smile and move his hair from his face I take out my hair band and pack his hair back for him "that's better, don't let your dad see you down and sad you have to show him how strong you are and forgive him for all that he did, since your sister has why can't you?" He nods his head we get up and go back inside.

In the room his father is sitting up he looks at Akio. Akio stands next to his bed "father" his father stares at him " you know you got your mothers face" Akio looks at the floor,