My Father's Secret by Lauren Myska (100 books to read in a lifetime .txt) 📕

My Fathers Secret

I shivered as my hands touched the cool metal, Beads of sweat collected on my forehead as I knew what I was about to walk into. Pushing open the door, I slowly stepped into the complete darkness. Drafts of wind blew from different directions as I walked through the room. I stumbled to find the flashlight I knew I just held and click on the tiny button. As the light illuminated the area it was pointed to, a flash of metal caught my eye.

“Mickey”

A voice whispered as I grew closer to the object, curious to see what it was.

“Mickey”

The voice grew louder as I grew closer. The flashlight starting to lose power started flickering and the shiny object started glistening.

“MICKEY”

My sister misty screamed forcing me to wake up from my peaceful slumber.

“What?”

I asked dazed and confused as I rubbed the sleep from my eyes. Sunlight poured in my bedroom windows blinding me and making it uncomfortable to open my eyes fully.

“Come on”

Misty said excitedly as she jumped on my bed

“Mommy’s making blueberry pancakes, with hash browns and bacon.”

“okay, ill be there in a minute”

I sleepily replied as I threw the blankets over my face to attempt unsuccessfully to fall back asleep.

“Mickey, let’s go!”

Misty tugged my arm and forced me out of bed. My head hit the floor with a thud which made my mom yell.

“Misty, you better not be jumping on beds again!”

“Mommy, Mickey won’t get up!”

Was all she whined. I heard my mom thump up the stairs and that sent me flying off the floor and standing up.

“McKenzie Rae Johnson, if you don’t get out of bed this minute I swear-“

Misty giggled as our mom approached my room to see me standing and looking annoyed.

“Mom I don’t understand why you have to wake me up at 7 in the morning on a Saturday when you know it’s our only sleep in day.”

I huffed as I walked to my dresser to pick out my clothes for the day. I pulled out my favorite pair of basketball shorts and my black motley crue t-shirt. My mother retreated out of my room followed by misty as they went downstairs to finish breakfast. I changed and tumbled down the stairs ready for the day.

“Don’t forget”

My mom reminded me while placing a steaming plate of pancakes bacon and my favorite dish of hash browns in front of me.

“you need to clean out the attic after breakfast before the movers get here”

I groaned loudly and hit my head on the table. The attic was covered in cobwebs and other kinds of pests and rodents. I was not about to willingly walk into a spiderweb. Spiders give me the heebie-jeebies. I was going to reply with an excuse but the stare down she gave me from across the table shut me up quicker than any come-back I could think of. Misty sat directly across from me in her booster seat and licked her small lips in admiration. As my mom placed her tiny plate of eggs and a cut up pancake in front of her I couldn’t help but watch her bring her small hands up to her mouth and shovel food in it. Her blue eyes gleamed with pleasure as she ate.

“She’s definitely a Johnson”

I thought as my mom placed her plate of pancakes and bacon in front of herself and stated digging in. After breakfast, I threw myself on the couch only to be greeted by my dog Boomer who yelped in pain because I sat on him.

“Sorry, boomer”

I yelled as he jumped off the couch and retreated hurtfully to the backyard. I heard the dog door flap and it reminded me of my father the summer we installed the door so boomer wouldn’t be stuck inside all day. Tears welled up in my eyes and I wiped them. I was immediately taken back to the car crash. The day dad died because of me. We were in our 2015 ford fusion traveling down i-35 to meet my mom at the hospital. She had just had misty a couple months ago and the doctors were concerned for her cancer now. Misty was crying in her car seat because she wanted a bottle and my mom was still at the hospital recovering from her treatment. When misty stared screaming I shut her up by ramming a bottle down her throat causing her to choke. When my dad took his seatbelt off and reached to the back seat to check on misty and yell at me for almost killing my sister an 18-wheeler cut in front of my dad making me scream because we were so close to him. My dad swerved to miss him but was caught in oncoming traffic and we got T-Boned. I remember glass shattering everywhere. My dad flew threw the windshield and my whole world vanished that day. Here we are 3 years later, my mom cancer free, and misty not knowing who her dad is.

“Mickey, the attic, now”

My mother said as she unstrapped my sister from the booster and led her to the bathroom to wash her hands. I reluctantly got up from my comfortable spot on the couch and went to the junk drawer in the kitchen to find a flashlight. Once I found a big enough light, I walked upstairs to the attic door. I shivered as my hands touched the cool metal, Beads of sweat collected on my forehead as I knew what I was about to walk into. Pushing open the door, I slowly stepped into the complete darkness. Drafts of wind blew from different directions as I walked through the room. I could smell the mothballs and dust collection as I stumbled to find the flashlight, I knew I just held and click on the tiny button. I felt like I’ve been here before, even though in my 5 years of living here I knew I not once have. I shone the light around as I walked to the back. Something shiny caught my attention as I walked thought the attic. I came across some shelving that held up mostly old family photos they were all covered in dust and mothballs. When I shone my light to the bottom shelf the shiny object caught my attention again, so I got on my knees and after swearing to myself silently I slowly reached back and pulled the box to me. A small footlocker emerged from the darkness, covered in dust and mothballs like everything else in this room. I noticed a lock on the footlocker and was dumbfounded when I realized the key was around my neck. Dad had given me a necklace with a key on it for Christmas and told me I would get the rest of my present for my 12th birthday. He died 6 days before my birthday leaving me to believe he didn’t get a chance to buy the rest of my gift. I hurriedly opened the footlocker and gasped at what was inside. A beautiful pink handmade quilt with pink bows and delicate stitching was folded neatly on top. Along with a baby bracelet, a couple of baby teeth, a picture of him holding me in the folded quilt with adoring eyes, and a small note. It read:

“Mickey,

I know you won’t understand this now, but your mother and I aren’t replacing you. You are my baby; my first-born and I love you with all my heart. Finding out about another baby was not our idea of hurting you or making you feel less like our daughter. I wanted to give this to you to remind you how special you are to me. My little mickey mouse, you make me proud to be your daddy”

-Dad

The tears ran from my eyes and I didn’t bother wiping them. The years of guilt accumulated, now vanished and peace of mind came over me. I loved my dad with all my heart. I never knew he felt the same. I carefully placed the note back in the footlocker along with everything else and tugged it along back downstairs to go show misty who daddy was…

The End

Publication Date: 09-23-2020

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