The Hidden Life of Casper Kade

Entry 2

Entry 2

     I'll be straightforward: my dad left my mom and I when I was about 2 years old. He's a surgeon and had crazy hours. When he and mom wanted a divorce, there wasn't even a custody battle. He gave me up to her. "My life's too hectic to add raising a kid. You can have him, Lucy." That's what she told me he said that day.

   So my mom was single about a month before getting with Lewis. He was actually her lawyer and they met in court. Romantic, right? Not really. Lewis started out treating me like his own son but after they got married and planned for their kids, he treated me more like an outsider. Like I was what was keeping them from being a normal, no half siblings, one-last-name family. And I was. Still am and always will be.

  Anyway, back to my dad. We'll call him by his name, David. He came to see me when I was about four then twice when I was six. I'm sixteen now and I've seen him a total of  four times since the divorce. I've talked to him over the phone once when I was eight. He got his 'son's-life-update' and stopped coming or calling. Until yesterday that is.

   It was before I went to school, about six in the morning. I was eating cereal like every morning and the phone rang. That was unusual for such an early time. Mom was only awake because she had to get Ben ready for day care before she went to the hospital where she works. She answered the phone, her whole demeanor changing when she heard who it was.

   "David... What do you want?"

   I slowed eating, only pretending to still be absorbed by my breakfast. I suddenly wasn't hungry anymore and sort of just ran the spoon in circles to make the milk suck the cereal into a whirlpool.

   "The one you gave me on our honeymoon?... Yeah. Oh... Congratulations. Okay.... Sure. Bye."

  I waited for her to tell me that he'd called but instead, she waited for Lewis to come into the kitchen and she told him. I guess it's not important to tell a son that his father called after years.

   "My ex-husband just called. He's about to get married and wants that necklace back." I could tell she was sort of upset. There had been a few different instances throughout my life that made me question whether or not she still actually loved David.

   Lewis, like the inconsiderate jerk he is ,ignored her feelings, kissed her on the cheek and grabbed his briefcase. "Well that's good. He's moving on. See you tonight."

   He passed through the dining room, kissing Ben and Sadie on the head. "Bye guys."

   My 14 year old HALF-sister, Sadie, hardly looked up from her phone and muttered a goodbye. Ben leapt up and clung to his leg, begging him to stay with teary eyes. Lewis tried to pry him off. "Come on, son. You're wrinkling my suit... Lucy!"

   I hated the way he overlooked Ben but got up to pull him from his leg. Ben thrashed for a minute but finally let go and watched his dad from my arms. Once he drove off, I put Ben down and told him to finish his breakfast. Instead, he ran to the glass door and watched for Lewis, as if it could bring him home.