Kai walks on legs of jelly, his heart drumming in his ears, his stomach twisted and knotted…towards the man that he’s known only from a portrait on his wall. The man stares at him with an expression that’s hard to decipher. Kai summons all of the courage he has to take the final steps. When he’s finally standing in front of him, Kai opens his mouth to speak, but his words come out in a dry rasp. He swallows to moisten his tongue and throat, and then he tries again.
Kai: Hi. I’m Kai. I’m your son.
Craig: You’re my kid? And your name is Kai…like the ocean?
The voice coming out of the man is unfamiliar, deep, and jolly…sort of like Father Winter.
Kai: Yeah
Craig: Oh wow! I have a son.
Craig pulls Kai to him and envelopes him into an unbelievably strong hug. Kai allows it for a moment before pulling away and taking two steps back.
Craig: I’m guessing you want to talk.
Talk is an understatement, and Kai suddenly feels very irritated that Craig has whittled this moment, which is a lifetime overdue, down to those simple words. His mom was right. Kai suddenly knows exactly what to say to his father.
Craig leads him to the covered porch and sits down at a table. He beckons Kai to do the same. Kai sits and begins.
Kai: I’ve often thought about how I’d feel when I finally met you. I thought I’d be happy or even scared, but I’m pissed off – because where were you all of my life?
Kai continues.
Kai: All of my friends have fathers – fathers they could talk to and visit. But I didn’t. How could you leave Sulani but never come to see me? Did you ever wonder about my name or if I was a boy or a girl?
Craig: Of course I did.
Kai: But not enough to try and find out?
Craig: It’s true that I never knew your name or if I had a son or a daughter. But I always felt your presence in my heart.
Kai: *sarcastic chuckle* That did me a whole of good as I cried myself to sleep at night staring at your picture. Or when I had to take my uncle to the Donuts for Dad’s event at school. I’m honored that I was a presence in your heart.
Craig: Your mom and I agreed. I never wanted to be a father, and she knew that, so she didn’t ask that of me.
Kai: Well, it’s too bad no one ever consulted me about it! Who cares if you never wanted to be a father! I NEVER ASKED TO BE BORN!
Kai can feel the tears coming, and he’s not about to shed them in front of a stranger. He leaves his chair and begins to run away, unsure of where he’s heading. He just needs to be away from his so-called father.
Kai stops once he reaches the water. He didn’t put all of this effort into trying to find his father, just to let him off the hook again. He stands there alone for a few moments, slowly making up his mind to go back and finish saying everything that he’s waited to say his whole life. Suddenly Craig is standing there beside him. Neither of them speaks for a while; both of them search their mind for the right words. Craig eventually breaks the silence.
Craig: I’m not sure how to do this. I thought I was prepared. I knew you’d find me one day. So I figured I’d start by teaching you some things or telling you about some of the things that I like to do.
Kai turns, suddenly interested.
Kai: Like what?
Craig: Well, I’m a pretty good fisherman. I know a lot about conservation. I can make my own furniture and let’s see…I know how to raise bees, beetles, and grubs.
Kai: Bees? How do you keep them from stinging you?
Craig: *laughs* I’d tell you, but I can’t. I’ve been stung more times than I can count.
Kai’s emotions begin to bubble up once again. He holds them in as long as he can, but they suddenly start to spill out, and he balls his fists up like a toddler on the verge of a tantrum
Kai: *frustrated* You sent me a soccer ball. And I tried to teach myself, but I’m not very good.
Craig: I don’t play very much soccer anymore. I was never great at it either, to be honest.
The dam breaks, and the tears finally escape. Kai tries to cover them with his hand, but his body shakes with his sobs giving it away. Craig stands there, unsure of how to comfort him.
Once the crying has slowed, Kai wipes away the remaining tears and finishes it off with a few loud sniffles. Craig waits a few moments to give Kai a chance to compose himself. He could see the kid trying to hold his emotions in the whole time, and he’s sure he’s probably needlessly embarrassed that he lost the battle. Craig does his best to lighten the moment.
Craig: Can I show you something that I can do well?
(Generation 2 Chapter Summaries)
Thanks for reading! Please hit the “like” button below to let me know you were here! Keep scrolling if you’d like to leave a comment. 🥰
