By Anu Yengden Limbu
And there was a note: ‘Father, I know the truth about you. There’s no way I could ever be embarrassed by you. I accept you just the way you are. Live your life head held high and keep loving me and have my back. I love you father”.
17th April, 2010
It was springtime when flowers were blooming in the garden. Tigs, the chummy doggy was chasing the butterflies while Aria, the 8 year-old was tailing behind him. Inside the house, her parents were preparing dinner together. A full-hearted conversation was in full swing. It was so lively that Aria could clearly hear her mother, Rie saying to her father, “Oh Adam! I just can’t ever beat you over this cooking battle. These muffins taste 10 upon 10. Please never leave my side, Kay?” After hearing the word ‘muffin’, Aria shot her legs towards the kitchen. She saw her father and noticed his eyes unsettlingly vacant. She shouted “I am going to gulp all of these yummy stuff by myself”. Her voice brought back him to his senses. When he looked at his daughter, things were back to how it always had been: warm and welcoming.
Later that day, all of them spread a mat outside under the cherry tree and crashed on the mat. Aria went back into the house and came back with a handful of nail polishes. Rie sighed at the sight and told her not to wear it since her new session was going to start tomorrow. Aria, with her grumpy face, stood up sternly to return the nail polish. Seeing her distorted facial expression, Adam said, “Hey there beautician, if you may, can I have my nails painted?” He knew his words would cheer up his dearest human. She let out a giggle and painted her dearest human’s nails.
12th July, 2018
It was raining cats and dogs for 5 hours. Inside the house, Adam ran to pick up the washed clothes on the rooftop. His phone buzzed twice. Rie casually opened the message and the screen flashed “From Samuel: Meet me after this rain stops, at our Detroit pub. Love you, babe.” After 7 minutes, Adam came back. He knew by her expression that he was too late. Suddenly, remorse filled him and he got on his knees.
“I.. I wanted to tell you this for a long, long time Rie. We were never supposed to get married. My parents were so inclined to us marrying and I could not go against their will, not ever. Sorry for keeping you in darkness for so long. I had to hide this truth for your and Aria’s sake.”
Rie was standing there frozen, tears welling out in the deafening silence. After few seconds, she regained her composure, only little of which was left.
“I..you are playing tricks on me. You gotta be…Adam.”
“I am gay, Rie. And this is the truth. And I love Sa…”
SMACK!
The corners of the room that used to be filled with snorts, giggles, chuckles, was now reverberating with the sound of the slap, unbearably sorrowful. She didn’t want to hear another word. She raced out of the room. Aria too heard every word. She sat on the cold floor trying to cover her bawling mouth with her hands.
12th December, 2018
It had become 6 months since “that day”. Rie and Adam had separated. Aria was staying with her mother. For the past few months, Aria kept sitting by the window, kept looking at the door, kept waiting for her dad to come back home. Deep down, she knew it was not going to happen. Later, while they were getting ready for dinner, the phone rang. Aria grabbed the phone and it was from an unknown number. By instinct, she recognized the number. It was her father. She picked it up. “Hey Rie, how is Aria? How have you been? How much I miss my princess. Have you told her the truth about me? Please don’t. I am too ashamed of myself. Can..ahm.. Listen, it’s my birthday tomorrow. Can you both come to my place? I want to meet my daughter, for one last time. Please don’t say no, Rie…Rie?” On the other line, Aria was crying silently. After she hung up, a message of Adam’s location popped out.
13th December, 2018
Adam paced over from room to room. He checked his phone, maybe for the 100th time. Every 5 minutes, he would look out of the window. There was still no sight of the two women, the two women who he worshipped, respected and loved. When he was in brink of losing his hope, there was a knock on the door. He ran over the door to welcome his guests. They had come.
The oven beeped. He was so caught up by the excitement of having his family under one roof after so long that he forgot to wear gloves and dropped the tray. Muffins, which was his one and only strategy to win his daughter’s heart was scattered on the cold floor. Rie quickly brought back the first aid kit and started treating his pounding, burnt fingers. More than physical pain, he was feeling disheartened and hopeless deep inside: a feeling of complete failure.
Aria unzipped her side bag and took out a small box and gave it to Adam. It was addressed; ‘From Princess to Dearest human’. Inside, there was a nail polish of exact same color, which she had used to paint her father’s nail that fine spring day, along with a laminated cherry flower from that day. And there was a note: ‘Father, I know the truth about you. There’s no way I could ever be embarrassed by you. I accept you just the way you are. Live your life head held high and keep loving me and have my back. I love you father”. Hesitantly, they hugged each other for what felt like hours that even their tears dried up. Rie watched them from behind. She was proud of her daughter more than ever. Sunrays penetrated the cold room, introducing warmth on their heads, on their hearts.