I was caught between curiosity and fury when my father, who departed 20 years earlier, contacted from his deathbed. What he disclosed about his abduction rocked my assumptions about him, and his final wish was something I never would have imagined.
As I was putting my clothes on, my phone on the nightstand chimed. I let the call go to voicemail as I didn’t recognize the number. A text message arrived less than a minute later, saying, “ALICE, THIS IS YOUR DAD.” Kindly give me a call; I’m in the hospital.
My heart gave out. Dad? following twenty years? I stared at the message while perched on the edge of my bed. Curiosity overrode my desire to erase it and forget about it. I returned the call to the number.
“Hello?” It was a feeble voice, hardly discernible.
“Dad?”
It’s me, Alice. I’m running out of time.
“Why are you calling now?” I didn’t want to sound so harsh in my speech.
“I have a question for you and I need to explain. Don’t tell your mother, though, please.”
That same air of secrecy that characterized my early years was there. “What do you want?”
He drew a tremulous breath. “I departed because Harold, your grandfather, gave me money to vanish. He thought I was a failure and detested me. He found a better match for your mother elsewhere.”
I was hearing things that I couldn’t believe. “Grandfather? Did he do that?
Indeed. That was a difficult time for me. Poor choices and addictions. I took the money when your grandfather sensed an opportunity to get rid of me.”
“So you just left us for money?” Anger erupted.
I realize it sounds terrible. But I used that money to invest and launch a company. Alice, it was all done for you. in order to safeguard your future.”
“Why didn’t you ever come back?”
“A component of the agreement. I was unable to get near you or your mother. Still, I was present, observing. I witnessed your volleyball matches and graduation. I was present at all times, albeit distantly.”
My world seemed to be tilting. “Why didn’t Mom ever tell me?”
“I’m not sure. Perhaps she wished you wouldn’t despise him. Or perhaps she believed she was defending you.”
“What do you want now?” My voice trembled as I asked.
“Alice, I must see you. Before I leave, one final time. I’m in the hospital, St. Mary’s.”
I was at a loss for words. Could I really face him after all this?
“Please, Alice. It’s my final request.”
When the phone went dead, I sat there with my phone still in my hand and my mind racing. Shall I leave? How could I possibly respond to him? There was no time to ponder, yet I needed to. He was about to die.
I sat in my kitchen the following morning, staring at my coffee, after calling in ill to work. Must I tell my mother? He’d asked me not to, though.
I gave Jen, my best friend, a call. “Hey, can we talk?”
“Obviously. What’s going on?”
It’s my dad, that’s what. He gave me a call last night.”
“Your father? The individual who departed?”
Yes. He wants to visit me since he is dying.”
“Whoa. What are your thoughts about that?
“I’m not sure. Bewildered and furious. Jen, he told me things. Concerning my grandfather.”
“Like what?”
“that he was paid to go by my grandfather. He claimed to have attended my games and graduation. But he was unable to come near us.”
“That is really crazy. How will you proceed?”
“I’m not sure. I’m not sure I can visit him, but he wants me to.”
Jen was silent for a while. Maybe you ought to leave. Obtain some clarification. Finality.”
“I suppose. However, I’m not sure if I’m prepared to meet him.”
Don’t take too long, but do take your time. Should he be dying…”
“I am aware. Regards, Jen.
I hung up and sat back, lost in contemplation. Jen was accurate. Perhaps I really did require closure. I have to stop carrying around these unsolved questions. And I had to see him if it was indeed his last hour.
My decision was to visit the hospital. My mind raced back to my early years as I was driving. The happy moments before he went, the anguish and confusion that followed. The questions that lingered, the way Mom never talked about him.
I felt the years and unsolved questions bearing down on me as soon as I entered the hospital room. The eerie beat of the beeping equipment filled the sterile room. My father appeared thinner than I could have ever imagined as he lay in bed. His eyes brightened at seeing me, and a feeble smile appeared on his lips.
“Alice,” he uttered in a scarcely discernible whisper.
“Hi, Dad.” Uncertain of what to say, I stood at the foot of the bed. I was filled with perplexity and anger, but I found it difficult to express them when I saw him in such a vulnerable and angry state.
He said, “You came,” with a look of relief in his eyes.
“It was necessary. I had to know why.”
“I know, and I’m so sorry for everything.” I grasped his trembling hand in mine and felt its delicate, icy flesh.
“Daddy, why did you do that? “Why did you leave us and take Grandpa’s money?”
With a loud, rattling sigh, he let out. “I believed that was the wisest course of action to ensure your mother’s and your future. Alice, I was a disaster. bankrupt and addicted. Even though I couldn’t be a part of it, your grandfather offered me a path out and the opportunity to give you a better life.”
“You have no idea how much it pained us. How much did it damage me? My eyes filled with tears. “Dad, you missed everything. My whole life, my volleyball matches, and my graduation.”
“Alice, I was there. observing from a distance. Although being apart from you broke my heart, I felt that I was acting appropriately.” He stopped, panting for air. “I made an effort to correct it. I used the money to invest and create something I thought would be helpful to you.”
“Why didn’t you come back when you were better?”
“I was unable to. I had to stay away as part of the agreement. However, Alice, I wrote to you. Letters, each year. They’re kept in a bank safe. This.” He gave me a tiny key. “Open it after I’m gone. You’ll discover the letters and confirmation of everything.”
I gripped the key with shaking fingers. “Dad, why now? Why are you telling me this information now?”
“Because I can’t leave this world without you knowing the truth, and I’m dying.” Alice, you have my undying love. I have loved you forever.”
My eyes welled up with tears as I held his hand. “Dad, I needed you. My father was necessary to me.”
“I apologize for not being present; I know. But when you read those letters, I hope you’ll see why I did what I did.”
The only sound in the room as we sat there silently and holding hands was the beeping of the equipment. His breathing grew more difficult after a while. After giving me one final squeeze, he departed.
I had mixed feelings when I got out of the hospital. Sadness, rage, relief, and an odd sense of closure. I went to the bank the following day and used the key to unlock the safety deposit box. I discovered a stack of financial records and a bunch of old letters that were all addressed to me.
I read the letters for hours when I got home. His love, his regrets, and his dreams for my future were all present in each one. He wrote of the company he founded, his protection of me, and his pride in my accomplishments.
My rage had turned to a deep, throbbing melancholy by the time I completed the last letter.
The financial records demonstrated that my father had put in a lot of effort to provide for my future. He left behind a sizable sum of money that may have changed my life. However, it went beyond money. It was about appreciating his decisions, his love, and his sacrifices.
I had to get in touch with my mother. Her side of the tale has to be told. She gave me a sad face when I approached her.
“I was aware of the offer,” she said. “I decided it was best for you too, therefore I didn’t stop it. I believed that you should have a better life than what your father was able to provide for you at the time.”
“Why didn’t you ever tell me?”
“I wanted to shield you from the truth and allow you to have a pain-free memory of him. Perhaps my decision was incorrect, but I acted on my instincts.”
Her admission provided me with an additional piece of the puzzle, enabling me to comprehend the intricate network of choices that molded my existence.
Ultimately, I made the decision to establish a scholarship fund in my father’s honor using the funds. It seemed like the appropriate way to pay tribute to his legacy and his work. In the same manner that he had tried to help me, it was a way to help others.
I felt at calm as I started the scholarship. Even if the past was difficult and confusing, it had helped me get to this point. Now that the truth was out, I could go on and respect my mother’s sacrifices as well as my father’s affection.
In these situations, how would you have responded? Here’s another story about an elderly woman who is embarrassed to tell her son about the new man in her life, but when she is taken to the hospital, the truth is revealed. I hope you enjoy it.