I didn’t
recognize him right away, but the way he kept dodging his head from side to
side, as if not wanting to be seen, made me look at him even harder.
And then I saw it.
It took
some time,
But I saw
it.
I knew why
he wouldn’t look at his lady friend straight on, because if he had I would get
a clear view of his face.
It was the principal from my old high school. The one dad yelled at in my freshman year.
Even the
most obvious can be overlooked until you force people to look at it. I hadn’t
thought about my old principal since dad took me out of that high school. Had he just acted natural I wouldn’t have
noticed him sitting before me now. But apparently he recognized me right
away.
“The guy’s
a moron. I’m not having my daughter attend school run by a moron.” Dad said. Never mind the fact I had older brothers still
in the same high school.
And so, I attended
a new school, made all new friends.
“Do you
know that guy?” Georgina asked when she saw me staring at my old principal.
I
explained to her who he was.
“Poor guy,”
Georgina sympathized.
I saw what
she meant. He couldn’t even look at me. I suspect most Principals (back then)
didn’t get yelled at by parents much, if at all. These days who knows?
I wanted
to explain to him that dad wasn’t trying to interfere with his responsibilities
as a Principal; my dad just didn’t want to be bothered by something he already knew was true, even (especially!) if the other guy incorrectly
thought it was false, particularly something as superficial as a sick-note.
That,
And I’m my
dad’s kid. He shows his love (like me) the best way he knows how.
Dad did
best he could. I’m still alive, healthy,
and not stalking or killing people, so that has to count for something!
Happy Father’s
Day
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