Cuento de Mi Id

“The Separation”

(Another early short story)

“I’m sure glad my parents aren’t divorced,” said Timmy.

David ignored him, intent on the toy soldiers.

In the next room, his mom cradled the phone like an expectant lover. “No, I haven’t heard from him in months. No child support, either. Just like the bum.”

Mom had worked hard since Dad left. First as a secretary, then as a bookkeeper. Eventually she became a C.P.A. Otherwise, she spent almost all her spare time in the garden.

“No, I don’t intend to sell the house,” she said to her friend. “Just because Doug shirked his responsibilities doesn’t mean I’m going to.”

One afternoon last week, Dad had showed up at the patio door, looking very pale. David had ran to let him in, but he was gone by the time he got there. David had then went outside, but no one was there.

Later that same day, he had told Mom. She turned pale.

“What did he say?” she had said.

“Nothing.” David had told her. “He just looked sad.”

The next time he mentioned it, Mom bawled him out for lying.

“Don’t you believe me?” said David. “David, your father left for good,” she said. “He’s not coming back. You have to believe that.”

“Then why does he keep showing up?”

One night, Dad came to the window. He beckoned to him. David followed him outside to the garden. Dad handed him a garden trowel and told him to start digging. David didn’t want to. He would be destroying Mom’s favorite spot. But Dad insisted.

A few feet down, David came across a hand bearing Dad’s ring. He looked up, but Dad was not there.

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“They‘re really quiet in the morning and always trying to outstare each other,” said Timmy of his parents. “But at least they‘re not talking divorce. I can‘t imagine anything worse than that.”

“I can,” said David quietly.

He said nothing more.