From Dark to Light

It was that time of the year for deep cleaning the house and Gabrielle was in charge of the closets. She was clearing out unwanted items from her dad’s closet when she found a loose page that contained his piece of writing.

“Have you ever cried so hard that your tear ducts ran out of tears and you were tired out? Have you ever cried so hard that your throat starts to close in and choke you from within?

If these things also happened to you then you are not alone my friend. I have cried so hard that my nose would start to block out and it would be difficult to breathe. Lying on the bed, staring at the ceiling and crying would eventually be an involuntary hobby. Lying with my back facing the bed my tears would often overflow and start to pour down inside my ears. Pillows would be deformed and have concave holes in the shape of my face from screaming inside or in the form of a finger from scratching it. All of those tears for a girl who does not even know that gallons of tears are being wasted for her. Till then I thought a breakup was the worst pain a man can have. But I was wrong.

Do you know what is more painful than a breakup?

To watch your girl you love date someone else. The feel of a breakup is an unbearable pain that makes the heart heavy at first, followed by an explosion inside your heart which tears it into millions and billions of pieces. Watching your love date someone else is a pain which you won't’ even wish for your enemies. The pain is like a flame burning within you. The flame never extinguishes and only pains more as the years go by. Choosing another guy over you makes you wonder, what is that he has which you don’t have. It makes you wonder if he would take care of her the way you used to. The curiosity itself would prick you from the inside until you are nothing but an outer shell who resembles a human being who does not know happiness because you forgot what it feels to be happy”.

Gabrielle was in tears by the end of the writing. Her heart felt heavy after thinking about how his dad suffered. Touched and wretched by her dad’s writing she knew that her Dad needs someone in his life. Her mum passed away when she was a child and her dad loved her to the moon and back. She used to read her mum’s diary which tells the tale of her dad's love towards her and the extent he goes to make her happy. She realised how lonely and depressing it can become after a breakup, love failure and loss of a loved one which her dad had experienced all three at some point in his life. It was only fair that he should also experience some kind of happiness in life.

“Dad!”

“Yeah?”

“How much did you love mum?”

“Let me ask you a counter-question. How do you measure an immeasurable thing?”

Gabrielle was impressed with her Dad’s reply. 

“Hooo hoo, Dad, I am aware of the love you have for her. I have read mum’s diary”.

“Wooah! That’s her personal thing Gabe”, said Kevin as he turned pink. 

“Dad, there is nothing more spicy and interesting than a person’s past ”, said Gabrielle with a wicked smile.

He laughed at her daughter’s humour.

“Dad, it’s been almost twenty years since mum has gone. Don’t you think it’s time for you to move on? Mum would also want the same won’t she?”

“The same? She would wake up from her grave if I even think about other women”

“Dad, enough joking!”

“Joking? Ooh no no no no nooooo, did you know that your mum holds the unofficial record of 7.62 seconds in a 100 metres sprint making her the fastest woman alive if any women came near me”

“Dad!”, said Gabrielle with a poker face.

“Alright go ahead. Tell me”.

“It’s been a long time since you are with someone romantically. You will get me married to someone and I will be moving out of this house. After that who is there for you? Hence, I think it’s time you find someone for yourself?”

“I will come and visit you often Gabe”.

“Okay, you visit me for a month and come back to this house. After that whom will you speak to? Who will give you company? Who will be there to take care of you?”

“I don’t need anyone, Gabe, look at me I am strong and fit. Why would I need help?”

“Will you still be pumping in a gym, picking up 55 pounds of weight at the age of 70?”

“I don’t know about 55 pounds Gabe, but 30 pounds should be a piece of cake. What do you reckon?”

“Dad please don’t move away from the topic.”

“Ok, listen. Have you ever felt love?”

“Yeah, I mean one time during my college first-year days.”

“One time, my ass! You had four boyfriends by the time you finished college!”

“Daaaad! But how come you know?”

“Because I’m your dad!”

“You promised me not to snoop into my phone anymore”

“Well, I broke it for the safety of my daughter. Okay?”

Tears started to flow from her eyes as she stormed out of the room. 

“Don’t you remember the agreement when I got you that 899$ phone?”, shouted Kevin so that Gabrielle can hear him even with the doors shut. 

After some time Kevin came to her room and knocked on her door with a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice.  

“Come in”, said Gabrielle as she wiped off her tears. 

“Why the mood swings. Is any guy bothering you?”

“No”.

“Chums?”, asked Kevin, to which Gabrielle slightly nodded her head. 

“Juice?”

Gabrielle quickly gulped the juice when her dad started to massage her feet. 

“Dad, it’s not necessary”.

“Will it not make you feel better?”

“It will but I came down to talk to you about a thing and you bummed me off by saying other things”.

“I am sorry Gabe”.

“No dad, I am sorry. I can’t control my emotions and the period days are really irritating for me”.

“Understood, you take some rest and after that why don’t we go check out some bathtub which you always wanted for your bathroom? 

“Dad, you're too sweet. You don’t have to buy me anything each time I’m in pain. I just wanted to talk to you about something”.

“Sure Gabe, what is it? Ohh by the way how was the juice?”, asked Kevin.

“It was okay okay…”

“Huh? You liked it the last time I made it”.

“Yeah, but I started to dislike the pulp in it”.

“Alright alright, next time I shall make it without the pulp”.

Gabrielle smiled and said,

“Thanks Dad! By the way, the boyfriend-count, it was not four, it was three and a half”.

“Huhhhh? What do you mean by half? You loved only half part of the fourth guy?”

“It’s just a term used by the kids these days”.

“Okay, but what do you mean by that?”

“Daad, you will make fun of me”.

“Comeooon Gabe, at least give it a try will you?”

“Okay, a half-boyfriend means one does everything with the person except for….. for…  intimacy”.

“So, a close platonic relationship?”

“Close relationship yes, but this goes as far as staring into each other's eyes for a long time but does not engage in any kind of..you know…”

“Ohhh… Wow, kids these days!”, said Kevin while he chuckled. 

“Okay, enough Dad. Let’s leave my complicated past and move onto yours”.

“Why do you suddenly want to discuss my life? You never spoke about my feelings or my love interest”.

“I am so sorry Dad, I should have realised it soon. I saw your writing when I was cleaning your closet and it made me remember my break up days. Moreover, I always mourn on how I lost my mum when I was young but I forget that you lost the love of your life and stayed single for some reason. I want you to get married again. If not marriage at least a live-in arrangement or at least for me if you can start speaking to women and see how it goes from there?”

“I don’t want to, Gabe. I like who I am now. No pain nor expectations”.

“Dad, pleaaaseeeee”.

“I don’t know Gabe”.

“Pleaase Dad, at least for me can you try speaking to other women? Pleaseeeee”

“Okay fine”, said Kevin. He gave her a hot water bag as he kissed her on the forehead and left the room. 

Kevin was waiting for this moment for the past six months. He quickly took out his phone from his pocket and with a smile on his face he started to type. 

“Gabe asked to find a girl for me. Come on over tomorrow evening. Let’s surprise her”. He got a reply within minutes.

“Thank God! I was worried that she might not like the idea of you dating again. Can’t wait to see you honey! Love you loads. Muuuuahh”.