Page 84 - To Family with Love

− Who was that?
− Dad called. He’s coming home for the weekend and is really looking forward to seeing us again.
− Did he ask about me?
− We didn’t even talk about anything else. − Then why do you look so worried?
***
And then the weekend came. I lied my ass off to ma, saying that my old man called again to tell us that he couldn’t come for the whole weekend, but that he would definitely try to come on Sunday. My ma was excited, tidying up and getting all dressed up just like in the era of the jerk, if not more so – she had even more highlights done this time. She didn’t seem to have slept a wink all night before Sunday, though I hadn’t heard her howling like a baboon.
***
The phone’s ringing again. Just a sec.
It was Marina. She was wondering if it was my birthday and if the police had discovered anything about us. Yes, today is my birthday, and this, mind you, is my fourteenth birthday, and I’m just wondering where she has been on my first thirteen birthdays. I told her she didn’t have to worry about the police. They were lazy, war-made slackers.
If people keep on interrupting me, I’ll never finish writing this. Anyway, even if it has nothing to do with this book, I have to tell you that today I am hoping for a purebred dog and some custard slices.
***
My old man arrived at about seventeen past ten and left at about twenty-two past five. It was one of the coldest days of Au- gust (+ 25.70C), so the ice between my ma and pop didn’t melt
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