A Father’s Love
(Short Story)

After the death of his wife, Carl is left taking care of their children. Carla is six years old and Carissa is eight. Since he has no proper education and the only source of income is farming, he struggled a lot with their needs. His children are not used to this kind of life since his wife did all the support needed from her day job in a prestigious company as executive.

As a promise to his departed wife to give the children a lifestyle of luxury and comforts, he never told the children how he strived for their financial well being. On the other hand, the kids may not also understand this kind of struggle since they are too young to understand.

Years have passed. His daily routine is doing both a mother and father. He often does household chores, farming, feeding the children, taking care of them and giving their needs and an extra job from 10 in the evening up to 2 in the early morning which actually he never told his two young girls now, aged 16 and 18.

A week before Carissa’s 18th debut party, she gave his father a list of expensive needs for the said occasion, which Carl accepted without any complaints. The younger sister Carla has her own wishes ; too, for a classy dress which again he never refused to accept.

A day before the said occasion, while preparing ,Carissa and Carla noticed what their father bought for them was a little bit cheaper and not as what they both expected. Out of dismay and anger, they both confronted him in a very disrespectful way, Carissa accused his father of spending his money on women almost every night, and Carla stomped on the dress that her father brought that day. After all the shouting and accusations, their father remained calm and silent until tears suddenly fell upon his cheeks.

At that moment, both girls were silenced. Carl stood up and approached them with a humble tone of his voice, saying “if I haven’t been sick for these few months, surely ,I could still work at night to afford all your desires. It was your mother’s last dying wish to give you all the comforts in life you wanted. Indeed, I did everything I could and left nothing for myself just to give it all. I am old now, I am sorry if your wants outweigh your needs. Perhaps, one day; you both understand the importance and difference of having both”.

Before Carl could leave the venue of the said preparation both Carissa and Carla embraced him saying, “We are sorry dad ,we have been so selfish, we didn’t know”.

After that incident, Carl,, Carissa and Carla held the said occasion with simplicity and full of meaningful moments.Carissa is now a working student while Carla is helping his father doing the household chores.
Carl resigned from his night shift job and concentrated on farming with the help of his two beautiful daughters. And they lived a prosperous and happy life together as one family.

Ven- Lyn A. Valdez