Short Story Fiction
Once an Asshole...
Scott A. Gese
After twenty years, a reunion with a father confirms a long held belief.
Ash Goldbrough/UnsplashIt was a beautiful summer afternoon. Marcus, an inquisitive 8 year old was in the back yard with his mother. His father walked out the back door and handed his mom some papers, then walked back into the house. He continued out the front door and kept on going. She looked at the papers and began to cry. His father had just handed his mother divorce papers. It was totally unexpected.
That was twenty years ago. Marcus had never forgiven his father for the shitty way he handled the situation on that fateful day and vowed he would never talk to his father again. Up to this point, he hadn’t.
At the time, Marcus had no clue as to what was going on in his fathers head. All he saw were the physical manifestations of those thoughts. From his point of view, he saw his father walk out on his family. He believed his father was a full blown asshole. For the next twenty years, he held on to this belief.
Age tended to mellow Marcus. It allowed him time to reflect. Realizing he didn’t have all the facts, his hatred toward his father may have been unfounded. He eventually decided to find him and talk with him. Marcus needed to know the truth. Why did he end his marriage and why did he disappear from their lives with no prior warning?
His father had tried to bury his whereabouts. It was apparent he didn’t want anyone finding him. Marcus was adept with a computer and public records being what they are, he managed to come up with some assorted bits of information including an address. It was enough.
He discovered his father lived in a very small mid-western town. He had changed his last name, remarried and had two kids. His wife’s name was Beth.
Marcus took a few days off and drove to this small town. He stopped at the local cafe, took a seat at the counter and ordered something to eat.
He needed to think about how he was going to approach his father. An older woman waited on him. Business was slow and she was talkative. He was surprised to find out that her name was Beth. Maybe it was just a coincidence, or maybe providence. He wasn’t sure.
Among other things he gleaned from the conversation was that her husband picked her up each night. Out of habit, he would eat a piece of pie before they left. Turns out his name was Mack… his fathers name.
Marcus decided to linger until Mack showed up to have a piece of pie. Marcus guessed he would order the piece of cherry pie he had noticed sitting in the cooler. It was his father’s favorite when he was still married to his mother.
When Mack walked in the door he took a seat at the counter and ordered the cherry pie.
Beth noticed he smelled of cheap liquor.
“Have you been drinking again?” She asked.
She was visibly upset and didn’t care who heard her.
“What’s it too you? I got a right to have a drink once in a while.”
“You say you’re going to quit, but you never do,” she countered.
Mack shot back. “I’ll do what I damn well please. I don’t need you telling me what to do and I sure as hell don’t need any more of this grief. I’ll be waiting for you out in the car.” He shoved the pie at her and stomped out.
As Marcus recalled, his father had a short fuse and a quick temper. If this was him he apparently still did.
Marcus handed Beth a ten and followed him outside. “Mack Sheridon?” He called out.
Mack, hearing the name he hadn’t used in twenty years, stopped in his tracks. He turned around. “Who the hell are you?”
“I’m your son, Marcus. Remember me? I thought we might talk.”
“Why the hell would I want to do that. I left that life twenty years ago. I have no desire to relive it.” replied Mack.
“I thought maybe you’d changed over the years,” answered Marcus. “I thought we might...”
Mack stopped him in mid-sentence. “Well you thought wrong, kid. If I wanted to talk to you I would have looked you up. Now get the fuck away from me and back out of my life.”
The curt rejection stunned Marcus. “I guess I did have you figured out from the day you left,” he replied. “You’re still the same asshole I remember you as.”
Disappointed, Marcus walked back to his car.
He drove off and never saw the old man again.
© Copyright 2024 by Scott A. Gese All Rights Reserved.
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