Categories > Original > Romance > Death & Life
When I left home I was 19, to be honest I wasn’t leaving a home, just my dad. Home is where your family is but he was all I had left. I hated leaving him, but I had too, I had to move on with my life try and make something of it. I knew that and so did dad. I’d even taken a year out of school to look after him; but now it was my time to fly the nest as they say, whereas, the rest of my family had fell out.
I wasn’t just leaving for the sake of it though; I was going to uni in London, over a hundred and fifty miles from Devon where we lived. I was going to study art, not my dad’s choice – he never failed to mention that I was wasting both my time and my money – but I liked art and to be fair it’s the only thing I was ever good at or interested in.
The night before my friend and I were due to drive to London to get settled in before the start of the term, me and my dad were sat in the lounge finishing off the lasagne on our laps.
‘I’m gunna miss you, dad. I wish I didn’t have-’
‘What you talking about? Of course you have to go! Something has to come out of this ludicrous fantasy of yours.’ He was referring to his lack of confidence in the art world.
‘What I mean is I don’t want to leave you,’ I struggled, looking sheepishly at the floor I continued, ‘on your own.’
‘Oh.’
‘I think you should try dating again,’ I tried to recover.
‘Well I might but I’m not going to settled down just so I’m not on my own. I was thinking I might get a dog though you know an old one so I don’t have to walk the buggar too often!’
‘Or a cat, I mean you don’t have to walk cats. All you have to do is feed it then it leaves you alone..’ I wasn’t good at this.
‘Okay fine but this time I’ll do it my way, last time you put me on that dating website, I kept getting all these winks from guys. They got the wrong end of the stick.’
I laughed trying to keep the conversation going. ‘Oh, and Danni is coming at eleven tomorrow so I need you to be here, to say goodbye.’
‘I’ll be there, but I’ll have to phone in sick as I’ve taken all my leave. And I’ll miss you too, but I promise we’ll talk a lot, you can’t escape me that fast.’ He smiled, I smiled back and took mine and his plate through to the kitchen and rinsed them off with water. I kissed dad on the forehead and said goodnight and headed upstairs.
I splashed my face with cold water and tied up my hair is a loose pony tail. My fringe covering my eyes, I pinned it up to remove any left make up. Once I was finish in the bathroom, I headed for my bedroom and changed into my hole-infested vest top and shorts. I sat on my bed and grabbed my laptop from under my bed where I’d stashed it last night. I checked my facebook, then packed it back up.
At about 2am, thirst was killing my throat so I headed downstairs and got a glass of water trying not to wake dad who was stretched out across the sofa. The kitchen was dark but I managed to get the glass and fill it, I drank it quickly relieving my thirst. Returning upstairs, I noticed a shadow in the corner of my room, after a second of starring I saw the resemblance to a human figure. But whilst looking around for an explanation like a chair or something the shadow had disappeared. I got back into bed reassuring myself that I was too tired to trust anything I saw. And as if to back that up, I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.
I didn’t dream that night, well I didn’t remember dreaming. I got up at eight sharp, having a quick shower and washing my hair. I blow dried it knowing dad wouldn’t be able to hear that from downstairs. I got dressed in to my comfy sweatpants and vest, got some breakfast and ate it in front of my tv, one of the only things left in my room. At nine I called dad’s work to tell them he would be off and then woke him up so he could drive me to the shops for some supplies for the journey. I’d learnt how to drive last week but I was still shaky on the road I only drove when I had to.
I bought four packets of crisps and four diet cokes; I also bought a bag of Haribos for Danni as she has an obsession with them. I bought dad a chocolate bar to soften his mood after I woke him up.
Danni arrived just on time and by the time we loaded all my stuff and her in my car it was 11:30. She was leaving her car at ours til Wednesday when her mum would drive up to London in it and take the train back. I had decided not to take my car to uni as I never used it by dad had said he would feel better if I did and I guess he was right I mean it cost so much to give it on the road even if I didn’t use it.
As dad got smaller and smaller form my car window I realised what a big mistake I was making leaving him alone but most of all leaving myself alone.
I wasn’t just leaving for the sake of it though; I was going to uni in London, over a hundred and fifty miles from Devon where we lived. I was going to study art, not my dad’s choice – he never failed to mention that I was wasting both my time and my money – but I liked art and to be fair it’s the only thing I was ever good at or interested in.
The night before my friend and I were due to drive to London to get settled in before the start of the term, me and my dad were sat in the lounge finishing off the lasagne on our laps.
‘I’m gunna miss you, dad. I wish I didn’t have-’
‘What you talking about? Of course you have to go! Something has to come out of this ludicrous fantasy of yours.’ He was referring to his lack of confidence in the art world.
‘What I mean is I don’t want to leave you,’ I struggled, looking sheepishly at the floor I continued, ‘on your own.’
‘Oh.’
‘I think you should try dating again,’ I tried to recover.
‘Well I might but I’m not going to settled down just so I’m not on my own. I was thinking I might get a dog though you know an old one so I don’t have to walk the buggar too often!’
‘Or a cat, I mean you don’t have to walk cats. All you have to do is feed it then it leaves you alone..’ I wasn’t good at this.
‘Okay fine but this time I’ll do it my way, last time you put me on that dating website, I kept getting all these winks from guys. They got the wrong end of the stick.’
I laughed trying to keep the conversation going. ‘Oh, and Danni is coming at eleven tomorrow so I need you to be here, to say goodbye.’
‘I’ll be there, but I’ll have to phone in sick as I’ve taken all my leave. And I’ll miss you too, but I promise we’ll talk a lot, you can’t escape me that fast.’ He smiled, I smiled back and took mine and his plate through to the kitchen and rinsed them off with water. I kissed dad on the forehead and said goodnight and headed upstairs.
I splashed my face with cold water and tied up my hair is a loose pony tail. My fringe covering my eyes, I pinned it up to remove any left make up. Once I was finish in the bathroom, I headed for my bedroom and changed into my hole-infested vest top and shorts. I sat on my bed and grabbed my laptop from under my bed where I’d stashed it last night. I checked my facebook, then packed it back up.
At about 2am, thirst was killing my throat so I headed downstairs and got a glass of water trying not to wake dad who was stretched out across the sofa. The kitchen was dark but I managed to get the glass and fill it, I drank it quickly relieving my thirst. Returning upstairs, I noticed a shadow in the corner of my room, after a second of starring I saw the resemblance to a human figure. But whilst looking around for an explanation like a chair or something the shadow had disappeared. I got back into bed reassuring myself that I was too tired to trust anything I saw. And as if to back that up, I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.
I didn’t dream that night, well I didn’t remember dreaming. I got up at eight sharp, having a quick shower and washing my hair. I blow dried it knowing dad wouldn’t be able to hear that from downstairs. I got dressed in to my comfy sweatpants and vest, got some breakfast and ate it in front of my tv, one of the only things left in my room. At nine I called dad’s work to tell them he would be off and then woke him up so he could drive me to the shops for some supplies for the journey. I’d learnt how to drive last week but I was still shaky on the road I only drove when I had to.
I bought four packets of crisps and four diet cokes; I also bought a bag of Haribos for Danni as she has an obsession with them. I bought dad a chocolate bar to soften his mood after I woke him up.
Danni arrived just on time and by the time we loaded all my stuff and her in my car it was 11:30. She was leaving her car at ours til Wednesday when her mum would drive up to London in it and take the train back. I had decided not to take my car to uni as I never used it by dad had said he would feel better if I did and I guess he was right I mean it cost so much to give it on the road even if I didn’t use it.
As dad got smaller and smaller form my car window I realised what a big mistake I was making leaving him alone but most of all leaving myself alone.
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