The secret they kept

Noami

I just got home for winter break. I have called my father twelve times and he hasn't picked up. He is probably with his new girlfriend, ever since he met her, he has forgotten about me. I got in around 4:30pm, I have been at the airport  for ages now; I don't have enough money for a cab or an Uber, all the money I have is enough to buy myself a sandwich or maybe even a drink.

I keep trying to call my father to come get me, but every time I call it goes straight to voicemail. I even told my father I'll be coming home for break in March. He had plenty of time to remember. I even sent him multiple texts to remind him of when I would be coming home.

My last option, before I have to sleep at the airport or hitch hike is to call my dad's best friend, who has been more of a father to me than my father.

My father wasn't always like this. Ever since my mother left him for a woman in Pennsylvania he became distant, he has been blaming me for her leaving ever since.

We lived in Grand forks, North Dakota. He has not even come to my soccer games since she left. I was seven when she left. It's been years since I had my father present enough to know what's going on. I recently turned twenty-four two months ago.

My father's best friend, Dexton, has been in my life since I was a baby. He was like my father ever since I lost mine. All because of my mother and his new girlfriend.  I was scrolling through my messages to find his name, pressing the message. As I pace around trying to find the right words to say to him, I worry of the fact he will try and kill my father for forgetting about me.

He gets very protective and he will beat even his best friend if they hurt someone he loves or cares about. I'm no different. I watched Dexton sucker punch my father one year on my birthday because he made it all about him when he brought his girlfriend Maly to my dinner.

He can't stand when I get the attention from his friends or anyone. He is always telling me I shouldn't get the attention for ruining his life. His girlfriend has made my life harder and made sure the relationship I had with my father didn't exist anymore.

She does everything she can to make sure my father will not pay attention to me, help me out or even come and pick me up from an airport because she's so selfish, that if I want attention from my dad she will do whatever she can to make sure I'm alone and not have my father around. 

Naomi: Hey Dexton, I was wondering if you would be able to come pick me up from the airport. Dad is not answering his phone and I've been here for hours. I wanna go home.

Dexton: He hasn't answered you at all? I am on my way right now. When did you get in?

Noami: I got in at 4:30, I have been calling Dad for so long. I thought he would be here to pick me up.

I saw he read the message, and I knew my father would be getting a beating. I didn't like seeing Dexton so angry. I once watched him walk away from a guy in his fifties who was touching a woman in her twenties without her consent.

He walked over and punched the guy. By the time Dexton was done, the guy was barely alive. That was the night I got my drivers license and Dexton took me out to celebrate.

I was standing outside in my blue mid thigh skirt, red knee high boots, black galaxy tank top and a black hoodie. I was shaking slightly because of the weather in Jackson, Mississippi.

If I would have known my father wouldn't be picking me up and I'd be stuck here for hours, I would have worn my long sleeve purple T-shirt, my fleece sweater, my sweat pants and my Nike high tops.

I watch as Dexton pull up in his black Rolls-Royce Phantom with gold rims. He gets out, walking towards me he's putting his jacket on my shoulders. He grabs my bag and puts them in the back, when he's done putting my things in the back, he stands in front of me shaking his head in disappointment.

He hated when I wear clothes that are revealing. He gets extremely protective and I have to hear about how if I continue to dress like I do, he would have to kill people for looking. I gulp knowing the look he is giving me.

I'm getting chills down my back from it. If I wasn't already freezing; I would be, with the amount of chills he is giving me with a single look.

I look down and side step him, going into the car and getting all buckled up. I watch as he takes a deep breath in, trying to stay calm and not go into aggressive dad mode where he can get really brutally honest with what he says. He gets in the car putting his seatbelt on and driving away. The car is silent, no one dares to say a word until he broke the silence focusing on the road.

"It's 10:40pm, Noami! You didn't text me till 7:30pm, why did it take you so long to ask me to pick you up?" I look up at him, swallowing my spit and lick my lips.

"I didn't ask you because I thought my dad would come. And if I was gone by the time he'd show up, he would go ballistic. I'm sorry. I should have texted you sooner." 

Saying those words, I know my dad would go ballistic and it made me laugh inside. He wouldn't have cared if I got kidnapped or even killed. He would have just shrugged his shoulders and drove back home to Maly.

She has turned him against me to the point he wouldn't give a second thought about me. Dexton had stopped the car and was tapping my shoulder.

I was so in my head I didn't even know he stopped the car or that he was trying to get my attention. I look at him shaking my head.

"Did you hear what I said to you Noami? You've been zoned out for fifteen minutes!" I looked at him confused. Has it really been fifteen minutes since I answered his questions?

"I'm sorry, I was thinking about—well, everything at this point." He pats my head, getting back in his seat, starting the car and driving to his house. Not a sound from either of us again. It was a comfortable silence between us though. He turned on the radio and all I heard before I passed out from a very exhausting day was 'big girls don't cry'.