Papá Querido

Karina was ready to go home to her fiance and her daughter. It hadn’t been a hard day but it had been long and her back was killing her. She smiled to herself as she sterilised the tattoo chair ready for another day. 

It was as she turned her back to hang the sanitiser back up when she heard the faint ‘ting ting’ of the front door. She thought she had locked it, but clearly not. Karina glanced at her watch - it was still two minutes to closing. Perhaps a last minute booking? 

“Excuse me?” The door to the tattoo shop closed behind a middle-aged Latino man with the very little hair left on his head hidden beneath a brimmed hat, and a lot of hair in his beard, though he was muscular as though he worked physically for a living. He had sporadic tattoos on his bare-arms and a kind enough face. Karina turned on the professional charm that came naturally to the petite former-model, tossing her tinted blonde hair over her shoulder and smiling at him.

“Hola,” She beamed, “How can I help you?”

“I’m looking to get tattooed by Karina Rojas?”

“That would be me, senor.” Karina smiled her lipsticked lips. 

“You’re Karina?” The man asked. 

There was something uncertain about him that Karina could not quite place. 

“Si.” Karina forced herself to smile in spite of her reservations. “I don’t have any walk-in appointments for a while. We’re about to close, I have to pick my daughter up from…” 

“I’ve come all the way from Chile.” He interrupted earnestly.. Karina frowned at him as he removed his hat and held it humbly in his hands. 

“Chile?” Karina frowned. “Small world.” Karina may have moved to California ten years previously but she was a Chilean at heart. She was trying to read the man and work out her uncomfortable feelings. He didn’t seem to be a threat, and there was something about him that was... familiar. His English wasn’t smooth and his accent was thick. He definitely wasn’t native. Karina, ever the people person, decided to give him a chance. “You came all the way here from Chile to get tattooed by me but you didn’t call ahead?” She frowned. 

“I didn’t know the number.” The man shrugged. “It probably sounds weird and I’m sorry. But I saw you on television on that tattoo show you judged and I knew I had to meet you. I put everything I have, and that’s not a lot, into flying out here and I asked around until I got the right shop.” He laughed slightly, “Do you know how many tattoo shops there are in downtown Los Angeles?” 

Karin managed a small laugh in spite of herself, there were a lot, but quickly frowned and swallowed hard, wishing her fiance Johnny was around so that she wasn’t alone. 

“I’m very flattered…” She said dryly, “But like I said I have to pick up my daughter… perhaps if you come back when I have space…?” Fear was rising in her as she swallowed again. He didn’t seem dangerous and she couldn’t brush away the fact she recognised him, but she was a young, pretty woman and he was a man. Karina knew where this could go. She and Johnny had watched enough true crime to know...

“I know this is weird.” He said sorrowfully. “But you see…” He gulped and lowered his head. There was a long, long silence before he spoke again. 

“I think you’re my daughter.” 

Karina stared at him. Suddenly she realised why he was so familiar: his wide-eyed humble expression was exactly the expression Karina’s daughter Thelma pulled when she was in trouble. 

“Lo siento…” She said heavily. “I…”

“I’m sorry. I don’t want to alarm you.” He stepped forward a little and she leant back so that he stopped. “My name is Agustin Contreras. I’m a farmer from outside of Santiago. About thirty years ago I met a woman named Ursula Rojas in a bar.” Karina’s eyes widened. “We…” He shrugged instead of saying ‘slept together’ “And then when I tried to call her the number was wrong. I never found her again, and I had no idea that she was pregnant. You have to believe me that I looked for her. She was quite short in height, dark hair, beautiful eyes, and she had a tattoo of a serpent from her breast to her toe.” Karina blinked at him, stunned. “She was the best thing that ever happened to me but I never found her. I had no idea I had a daughter until my son showed me a programme on television about tattoos. I saw you and it was like it all came flooding back.” 

Karina was numb. 

“She told me you left her. That my father was a drug addict and a waster who didn’t care about me or us.” Karina blinked back tears. 

Agustin smiled lightly. “That was her boyfriend at the time.” He nodded. “When we were together she told me she was leaving him.” 

“So if she had a boyfriend how do you know I’m yours?” Karina narrowed her eyes but she already knew the answer.

“I don’t.” Agustin swallowed. “Not for certain. But…” He sighed, “It’s your smile. I see it in my son. It was my grandfather's smile. With the two dimples and…” He shrugged. “I’m sorry for just telling you all this, a complete stranger.” He laughed nervously. 

Karina blinked and looked away from him, swallowing back tears. All her life she had longed for a father. 

“I just… I…” She shook her head and ran her hands through her long hair. “It’s a lot to take in. For thirty years I had no idea I had a father and I never needed one.” She wiped her eyes. She may have never needed one but there was a reason she had done the things she had in her life, the things that had led to her shotgun marriage four years ago and the birth of her daughter. She was the epitome of daddy issues. “It’s a lot.”

“I know. I’m sorry.” Agustin nodded. “I should have called.” He turned to leave. “You should go and pick up your daughter.” 

Karina shook her head and spoke before she could stop herself. “Please don’t leave.” 

He turned back to her.

Karina swallowed dryly. “Would you… would you like to go for dinner or something? Later. I would like to get to know my... father.” It felt very strange to say. She had called Johnny’s dad ‘dad’ but this felt different. Weird different. Good different. 

“Of course.” Agustin nodded enthusiastically. “Tonight?” 

“I’ll see if my fiance would like to join us. My daughter can go to her father.” Karina smiled at him. “Where are you staying?”

“I haven’t found anywhere yet.” Agustin was beaming as he replaced his hat. 

“I recommend the Castle. It’s two blocks over. Would you like my number now?” She picked up a business card as he nodded and took it, smiling at her. 

“I am so glad you haven’t just sent me away. I have travelled so far and feel so lucky to have found you.”

She smiled at him. “I’ve always wanted a father.” She thought about all the lies her mother had told her. Karina had never been so happy to have abandoned her snake of a mother all those years ago. Any regret she had held was now gone. “I’m very pleased you’re not a drug-addict.” 

Agustin laughed and nodded. “What is your fiance called?” 

“Johnny.” 

“I look forward to meeting him and getting to know you both.” He grinned at her. “I’ll let you go and pick up your daughter.” He smiled. “I’ll call you when I have found a room.”

Karina nodded. “Please do.” 

She waited for him to leave before her smile faded and she breathed out slowly. 

“What the… .” She swore under her breath, dialling Johnny’s number as she grabbed her things, now very late for Thelma.

“Yello?” He said on the third ring. 

“Johnny.” Karina gabbled, “I think I just met my father.” 

“What?!” Johnny exploded, “the hell?” 

“I’ll explain at home.” Karina turned off the lights. “Are you in?”

“Yeah, just got back.” 

“I’ll be home soon, just getting Thelma from kindergarten.” Karina shook her head disbelievingly as she caught her smile in the reflection. She was stunned, but she was happy too. She just hoped it wasn’t too good to be true. She hoped her father would forgive the things Karina had done in her life…