Jahvel Douglas - Aged 15

The Weight of Not Knowing:

Life had been difficult since he was gone, everything was monotonous, sad as if all the light which i saw was dim no longer vibrant and colourful. I had just finished my homework for the week like usual. As I sat in the dimly lit living room, the weight of my mother's words hung heavy in the air. A secret would be revealed by her that would warp my world, my dad, who I believed to be deceased for years, was actually alive. The shock and disbelief surged through me, mixing with a strange sense of hope that flickered to life in my heart. I remembered the day we received the news of his supposed passing. The grief had consumed us, leaving a hole that seemed impossible to fill. But now, faced with the truth that he was alive, a whirlwind of emotions overwhelmed me. Anger, confusion, and a glimmer of joy entrapped within me, creating a storm of conflicting feelings.

My mother's eyes glistened with silenced tears as she rethought the web of lies she had woven to protect me. She explained how she had created the story of my father's death to shield us from an unbearable truth. The weight of her deception bore down on me, mingling with a newfound sense of betrayal that cut deep into my spirit. Questions swirled in my mind like a tornado, each one more pressing than the last. How could she keep such a monumental secret hidden for so long? What other truths had been twisted and contorted in the name of protection? And most importantly, how could I face the man I had mourned for years, now knowing he had been alive all along?

In the days that followed, a sea of emotions swept throughout our abode. The truth of my father's existence cast a shadow over everything, leaving me grappling with a mix of longing and resentment. I yearned to reconnect with the man I thought I had lost forever, yet the deceit that had shrouded his absence left a bitter taste in my mouth. As I stood at the threshold of a new reality, uncertainty loomed. Would my father be willing to bridge the gap that years of lies had carved between us? Could our fractured family find a way to heal the wounds of the past and forge a future built on honesty and trust? Only time would tell as we navigated the uncharted waters of redemption.

As the layers of deception peeled away, my mother's true motive behind the elaborate lie began to surface. She confided in me, her voice tinged with regret and sorrow, revealing the reason she had lied about my father's death. It was to shield us from pain, my father had been serving in the army. He had deserted to protect himself to protect our relationship so he could see us again and she didn't want me to worry about him while he was navigating alone through dangerous territories.

The revelation hit me like a thunderbolt, reshaping my perception of the past and illuminating the sacrifices my parents had made for our family. The pieces of the puzzle finally clicked into place, painting a portrait of love and sacrifice.  As the truth unfolded, a newfound sense of understanding and compassion bloomed within me, paving the way for a journey of healing and new experiences.

As I sat down with my mother, the weight of our shared troubles drifted through the air, a sudden knock at the door shattered the fragile peace that had settled between us. With a sense of urgency, I rose to answer it, my heart pounding in my chest.

As the door swung open, a figure stood in the archway, silhouetted in the fading light of dusk. My father, long believed to be dead, stood before me, his eyes filled with a mix of emotions I couldn't quite decipher.  He looked different, his face was weathered as if he had witnessed a tragedy. A charged silence engulfed us, the unspoken truths of the
past echoing in the space between us.

And there, in that moment frozen in time, the threads of our fractured family wove back together once again.

''Hello son, its been a while''.