SimplyConfused
War Child
Hi, I know it's been a bit of a while since I posted Part 4. But here you go, Part 5. And it's a bit longer just to make up for it. Well really I couldn't stop writing.
Disclaimer: Do we have to do this? Of COURSE it's total crap.
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“Er… Adam, could I talk to you please?” I asked, gingerly touching his arm. He was in the dining room talking to Jack about our trip.
“I know you love me and want to bed me but you should be a bit more discreet about it in front of your boyfriend!” he joked, giving out an exasperated sigh. “There just some things you need to learn girl!”
I had to smile at this. Putting my hands on my hips, I replied, “Oh yes Adam, who could resist your charm? Anyway, this is important.” I tugged at his arm like a little girl would if she wanted something.
“OK, OK, I’m coming,” he replied. I lead him upstairs. “So you really do want to bed me?” He chuckled to himself but I silenced him with a thump in his stomach. “Ouch!”
“You wimp! I hardly hit yer!”
Eve had remained in her old bedroom so was there when I got to it. “So we’re having a threesome?” God that man is dirty-minded…
“Har de har har. This is actually rather important.” I put a serious face on and asked Adam to sit down.
“OK then, spill. You pregnant? Eve is pregnant? What seems to be the problem?” he asked.
“No one’s pregnant,” I reassured him. “It’s… Well, when I was on holiday, I… I… saw my father.”
At first, Adam had a look of disbelief about him, but when he realised we weren’t kidding he was just as shocked as Eve had been.
“What? You sure? What happened?”
“Well…” and I told him the story.
“OK, right well… this is unbelievable. What… Have you told anyone else yet?”
“Only me, Eve, Jack and you know.” I looked at him in despair after being reminded of the memory. “What the hell are we gonna do?”
“I can’t think of anything. There is nothing you can do. He’s all the way in Australia, well was, and you’re here in Ireland.”
“Damn it! Adam, you’re the guy who can answer these type of questions! And now you don’t know what to do, what the hell are we meant to do? Go along with daily life knowing he’s out there somewhere?” I asked, in total confusion.
“Well… yes. Look Jordan, calm down. There is nothing you can do. He’s probably not in Australia anymore, fleeing so we don’t find him. I’m amazed no one recognized him! For five years. Wow. I’m amazed he could keep his big go shut!” Adam said, trying to lighten the mood. But now I think about it, I’m quite amazed too.
Up until now, Eve had been silent. “Should we tell the others? I mean they’ll probably have a fit or something. Well, Ma will. And if we can’t find him, we won’t want to upset them or something.”
“But we won’t find him. I think it’s best if we just forget about it for now. Maybe now he’s seen you, Jordan, he’ll come to his senses and come back. He did say he’d see you again, right?” Adam said thoughtfully.
“I suppose, but I just want to see him now! I miss my Da!” I willed myself not to cry; I could feel a tear threatening to fall down my face.
Adam slid up next to me and put an arm around me. “I know, but there’s nothing you can do.”
The threat disappeared. “OK, I’ll just try and forget about it.” Eve still looked a bit off, but who wouldn’t in this case? Noticing my looking, she quickly composed herself.
We could hear Ma calling from downstairs for dinner.
“Better get down there.” Adam and Eve left me sitting on my bed. I said I’d be down in a bit.
Ack! I can’t believe it! I thought, well, Eve thought, that Adam’d know what to do. Well, he did, in a way, but it’s just not satisfactory! I want to see my father. Now! I know I’m acting like a little child, but a child wants their father, don’t they?
I could feel hot tears streaming down my face. I wiped them away and checked my appearance in the mirror. I looked OK; thankfully the tears hadn’t made my face red yet. Regaining my composure, I stood up and went down to dinner.
We had a Sunday lunch, even if it was Saturday. It was nice. I always like these family dinners, catch up on things, you know? Of course, I didn’t mention anything of my encounter or my conversation with Adam and Eve.
I must have seen a little withdrawn because Edge asked me what the matter was. He’d arrived later on. At first I was a bit shocked. Usually Edge hardly ever talks. Well ever since, you know. He’s so reclusive these days. But I quickly recovered.
“No, I’m…,” I faltered. I stared at my plate for a few seconds before feeling Edge’s penetrating stare. I looked up and smiled. “I’m fine.”
He nodded and looked away, but somehow, I didn’t think he believed me.
We finished dinner and I offered to wash up. Edge also offered. Again, most of us were shocked. He was only dragged along today by Morleigh and it’s a rare occurrence where he actually agrees to go. Probably because me and Jack had been in Australia for a week. And it’s an even rarer occurrence for him to offer to clean up. It’s not that he’s being selfish or lazy. It’s because, as I said before, he’s become withdrawn and not listening much. Sometimes I think about the old Edge, the one I liked, and I get upset thinking what’s changed us all. God my father is selfish sometimes!
I picked up people’s plates and stacked them. Larry and Ann were in America, seeing as they lived in New York, or used to, but Larry had a house over here and since Dad went missing, he’d been spending more time over here, until eventually they’d made this their ‘full-time’ house. But they were sorting some stuff out in New York. Five less plates to clean I suppose, seeing as they had the children with them. They’d stopped at the third and got married.
I made my way to the kitchen and put the dishes I had in the sink. Edge came up behind me.
“I know something’s up, Jordan. I know I’ve not exactly been the same since…” he faltered. “Since it happened. But I still care about you all. And I can still tell when something’s wrong.”
I sighed. I turned to face him. He had a genuine look of concern in his eyes. “I’m fine. There isn’t anything the matter.” I’ve never been any good at lying. Edge and his penetrating stare could see right through me.
“Don’t lie to me. I’ve known you since you were born.” He still looked concerned, but seemed a bit annoyed now.
Turning back to the sink, I answered him, “I… I don’t want to talk about it.”
Edge turned me to face him. His expression had now softened. “I’m sorry for pushing you about it. But if you ever want to talk, you know I’ll listen. You do know that, right?”
“Yeah, thanks,” I said. He put his arms around me and hugged me. In spontaneity, I looked Edge in the eye and asked, “Do you think my dad’s dead or alive?” He was silent for a while. “You don’t have to ‘protect’ me anymore. I’m twenty one years old.”
Edge sighed. “I don’t know. I don’t know if he’s alive or dead. Bono was, or is, such a big character. He can’t just… be gone. Though I suppose if he wanted to go, it’d be in a mind boggling or mysterious way that catches the world’s attention. And it really kills me not knowing what happened to him.” He looked at me. “What brought this on?”
“Oh, nothing. I was just wondering. I’ve been thinking about him a lot lately,” I replied. I shouldn’t have said that. The memory of that night came flooding back. How he talked to me. How he saved me. And how he abandoned me for the second time in my life. It was too much. A big tear rolled down my face. Edge noticed it and pulled me into another hug.
“It’s OK. Don’t worry. Everything will be fine,” he reassured me, rubbing my back as I sobbed into his shoulder. After a while, I calmed down and went to wash the dishes whilst Edge dried. I tried to push all thoughts of my father into the back of my head but it was no use. I started getting frustrated to the point where I flung the dishcloth into the sink.
“OK, Edge. I… I need to tell you something. I need you to promise you won’t tell anyone. And I don’t want you to interrupt. It’s best if I just get it over with.”
“I swear I won’t say anything, you can trust me Jordan. And I won’t interrupt.”
“The reason why I’ve been acting off lately is, well, when me and Jack were in Australia, one time I was out getting some booze for us because we didn’t have any. I was on my way back and a guy came up to me. He tried to mug me. He pushed me down a back alley. I was terrified. Out of no where, a guy comes and tells this mugger to get lost. To feck off. The mugger ran off. But this other guy didn’t. He came closer to me, to ask if I was OK and everything. Then… then I saw his face. It… it was…” I faltered. The memory was just too much. I knew if I carried on talking, I would start crying again. I didn’t want to. My mouth clamped shut and I was unable to say anything else.
“Who? Who was it?” Edge asked. Realisation dawned on his face. “Was… was it… Bono?”
I nodded. Edge jumped to my side and brought me in for yet another warm embrace.
“God, Jordan. No wonder you’ve seemed a bit offish today! Have… have you told anyone else?” he asked me.
I breathed in heavily and recovered. “I’ve told Eve and Adam. Jack knows as well. But that’s it. I don’t know what to do! I talked to him and he finally admitted it was him, said he would see me again, but he… he just ran off and left me and I was just so…” I broke down again.
“Sshh, it’ll be OK. If he said he’ll see you again, then he’ll probably come back. Look, he wouldn’t do this to you.”
“Well he’s been doing it to me for five years,” I snapped angrily, quickly regretting my words. “I’m sorry. It’s just all been a bit overwhelming for me.”
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How do you like?
Disclaimer: Do we have to do this? Of COURSE it's total crap.
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“Er… Adam, could I talk to you please?” I asked, gingerly touching his arm. He was in the dining room talking to Jack about our trip.
“I know you love me and want to bed me but you should be a bit more discreet about it in front of your boyfriend!” he joked, giving out an exasperated sigh. “There just some things you need to learn girl!”
I had to smile at this. Putting my hands on my hips, I replied, “Oh yes Adam, who could resist your charm? Anyway, this is important.” I tugged at his arm like a little girl would if she wanted something.
“OK, OK, I’m coming,” he replied. I lead him upstairs. “So you really do want to bed me?” He chuckled to himself but I silenced him with a thump in his stomach. “Ouch!”
“You wimp! I hardly hit yer!”
Eve had remained in her old bedroom so was there when I got to it. “So we’re having a threesome?” God that man is dirty-minded…
“Har de har har. This is actually rather important.” I put a serious face on and asked Adam to sit down.
“OK then, spill. You pregnant? Eve is pregnant? What seems to be the problem?” he asked.
“No one’s pregnant,” I reassured him. “It’s… Well, when I was on holiday, I… I… saw my father.”
At first, Adam had a look of disbelief about him, but when he realised we weren’t kidding he was just as shocked as Eve had been.
“What? You sure? What happened?”
“Well…” and I told him the story.
“OK, right well… this is unbelievable. What… Have you told anyone else yet?”
“Only me, Eve, Jack and you know.” I looked at him in despair after being reminded of the memory. “What the hell are we gonna do?”
“I can’t think of anything. There is nothing you can do. He’s all the way in Australia, well was, and you’re here in Ireland.”
“Damn it! Adam, you’re the guy who can answer these type of questions! And now you don’t know what to do, what the hell are we meant to do? Go along with daily life knowing he’s out there somewhere?” I asked, in total confusion.
“Well… yes. Look Jordan, calm down. There is nothing you can do. He’s probably not in Australia anymore, fleeing so we don’t find him. I’m amazed no one recognized him! For five years. Wow. I’m amazed he could keep his big go shut!” Adam said, trying to lighten the mood. But now I think about it, I’m quite amazed too.
Up until now, Eve had been silent. “Should we tell the others? I mean they’ll probably have a fit or something. Well, Ma will. And if we can’t find him, we won’t want to upset them or something.”
“But we won’t find him. I think it’s best if we just forget about it for now. Maybe now he’s seen you, Jordan, he’ll come to his senses and come back. He did say he’d see you again, right?” Adam said thoughtfully.
“I suppose, but I just want to see him now! I miss my Da!” I willed myself not to cry; I could feel a tear threatening to fall down my face.
Adam slid up next to me and put an arm around me. “I know, but there’s nothing you can do.”
The threat disappeared. “OK, I’ll just try and forget about it.” Eve still looked a bit off, but who wouldn’t in this case? Noticing my looking, she quickly composed herself.
We could hear Ma calling from downstairs for dinner.
“Better get down there.” Adam and Eve left me sitting on my bed. I said I’d be down in a bit.
Ack! I can’t believe it! I thought, well, Eve thought, that Adam’d know what to do. Well, he did, in a way, but it’s just not satisfactory! I want to see my father. Now! I know I’m acting like a little child, but a child wants their father, don’t they?
I could feel hot tears streaming down my face. I wiped them away and checked my appearance in the mirror. I looked OK; thankfully the tears hadn’t made my face red yet. Regaining my composure, I stood up and went down to dinner.
We had a Sunday lunch, even if it was Saturday. It was nice. I always like these family dinners, catch up on things, you know? Of course, I didn’t mention anything of my encounter or my conversation with Adam and Eve.
I must have seen a little withdrawn because Edge asked me what the matter was. He’d arrived later on. At first I was a bit shocked. Usually Edge hardly ever talks. Well ever since, you know. He’s so reclusive these days. But I quickly recovered.
“No, I’m…,” I faltered. I stared at my plate for a few seconds before feeling Edge’s penetrating stare. I looked up and smiled. “I’m fine.”
He nodded and looked away, but somehow, I didn’t think he believed me.
We finished dinner and I offered to wash up. Edge also offered. Again, most of us were shocked. He was only dragged along today by Morleigh and it’s a rare occurrence where he actually agrees to go. Probably because me and Jack had been in Australia for a week. And it’s an even rarer occurrence for him to offer to clean up. It’s not that he’s being selfish or lazy. It’s because, as I said before, he’s become withdrawn and not listening much. Sometimes I think about the old Edge, the one I liked, and I get upset thinking what’s changed us all. God my father is selfish sometimes!
I picked up people’s plates and stacked them. Larry and Ann were in America, seeing as they lived in New York, or used to, but Larry had a house over here and since Dad went missing, he’d been spending more time over here, until eventually they’d made this their ‘full-time’ house. But they were sorting some stuff out in New York. Five less plates to clean I suppose, seeing as they had the children with them. They’d stopped at the third and got married.
I made my way to the kitchen and put the dishes I had in the sink. Edge came up behind me.
“I know something’s up, Jordan. I know I’ve not exactly been the same since…” he faltered. “Since it happened. But I still care about you all. And I can still tell when something’s wrong.”
I sighed. I turned to face him. He had a genuine look of concern in his eyes. “I’m fine. There isn’t anything the matter.” I’ve never been any good at lying. Edge and his penetrating stare could see right through me.
“Don’t lie to me. I’ve known you since you were born.” He still looked concerned, but seemed a bit annoyed now.
Turning back to the sink, I answered him, “I… I don’t want to talk about it.”
Edge turned me to face him. His expression had now softened. “I’m sorry for pushing you about it. But if you ever want to talk, you know I’ll listen. You do know that, right?”
“Yeah, thanks,” I said. He put his arms around me and hugged me. In spontaneity, I looked Edge in the eye and asked, “Do you think my dad’s dead or alive?” He was silent for a while. “You don’t have to ‘protect’ me anymore. I’m twenty one years old.”
Edge sighed. “I don’t know. I don’t know if he’s alive or dead. Bono was, or is, such a big character. He can’t just… be gone. Though I suppose if he wanted to go, it’d be in a mind boggling or mysterious way that catches the world’s attention. And it really kills me not knowing what happened to him.” He looked at me. “What brought this on?”
“Oh, nothing. I was just wondering. I’ve been thinking about him a lot lately,” I replied. I shouldn’t have said that. The memory of that night came flooding back. How he talked to me. How he saved me. And how he abandoned me for the second time in my life. It was too much. A big tear rolled down my face. Edge noticed it and pulled me into another hug.
“It’s OK. Don’t worry. Everything will be fine,” he reassured me, rubbing my back as I sobbed into his shoulder. After a while, I calmed down and went to wash the dishes whilst Edge dried. I tried to push all thoughts of my father into the back of my head but it was no use. I started getting frustrated to the point where I flung the dishcloth into the sink.
“OK, Edge. I… I need to tell you something. I need you to promise you won’t tell anyone. And I don’t want you to interrupt. It’s best if I just get it over with.”
“I swear I won’t say anything, you can trust me Jordan. And I won’t interrupt.”
“The reason why I’ve been acting off lately is, well, when me and Jack were in Australia, one time I was out getting some booze for us because we didn’t have any. I was on my way back and a guy came up to me. He tried to mug me. He pushed me down a back alley. I was terrified. Out of no where, a guy comes and tells this mugger to get lost. To feck off. The mugger ran off. But this other guy didn’t. He came closer to me, to ask if I was OK and everything. Then… then I saw his face. It… it was…” I faltered. The memory was just too much. I knew if I carried on talking, I would start crying again. I didn’t want to. My mouth clamped shut and I was unable to say anything else.
“Who? Who was it?” Edge asked. Realisation dawned on his face. “Was… was it… Bono?”
I nodded. Edge jumped to my side and brought me in for yet another warm embrace.
“God, Jordan. No wonder you’ve seemed a bit offish today! Have… have you told anyone else?” he asked me.
I breathed in heavily and recovered. “I’ve told Eve and Adam. Jack knows as well. But that’s it. I don’t know what to do! I talked to him and he finally admitted it was him, said he would see me again, but he… he just ran off and left me and I was just so…” I broke down again.
“Sshh, it’ll be OK. If he said he’ll see you again, then he’ll probably come back. Look, he wouldn’t do this to you.”
“Well he’s been doing it to me for five years,” I snapped angrily, quickly regretting my words. “I’m sorry. It’s just all been a bit overwhelming for me.”
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