You know, when I was little, I was always curious about who my dad was. Grew up in a care home, you see, so not having him around sort of became just normal for me after a while. When I turned 14, I met the father of my kids, and honestly, I never really pushed to find my dad. Life just kind of went on.
Later on, after me and their dad split, it was almost as if the universe led me to my real dad, and I wasnt even looking. I run my own little business, and one day this client came in. We got chatting, conversation just flowed, and for some reason, I just mentioned Id never met my father. That man really helped me track him down. We found him in this quiet little English village, same place hed lived his whole life.
When I finally saw him, I felt something I just cant explain pure joy, really. Straight away, we started planning visits, phoning all the time, little treats here and there. Id buy him new jumpers, spoil him a bit, take him on trips I covered the costs, didnt matter if he had money or not. Thing is, he always looked a bit scruffy, a bit sad and lonely, and I just felt this urge to make up for lost years.
Hed tell me he was on his own, had children in the village, but they wouldnt let him have a partner. In their view, any woman who came near him just wanted his money. I asked to meet the lady he said he cared about, so he introduced us. She was, honestly, just a lovely, down-to-earth woman who took care of him brilliantly. You could tell she was genuine. But his children wanted nothing to do with her. They insulted her, got the police involved, made her life difficult whenever they could.
I asked her why they were like this, and she confided in me apparently dad owns some cottages, a bit of land, and has a decent sum at the bank. His kids just wont let anyone get close, scared theyll lose out.
And then the gossip started. They said Id just turned up to take everything from him, when I didnt even have his surname at the time. He insisted that I should. I didnt want to didnt fancy the hassle but he said it was his wish, and in the end, I agreed. Things just got worse after that. The criticism ramped up, arguments were now out in the open.
Honestly, my bond with my dads partner only got stronger through this. I even suggested they get married in secret, and they actually did. His children were angrier than ever with both him and me. I told them, He deserves a bit of happiness. Their marriage had its ups and downs, but one day, now that they were husband and wife, I invited them both on a trip. Usually, it was just me and dad. On this particular trip, his wife asked how much Id put towards the costs. I told her, nothing I always pay for everything when Im with him.
And then she told me something that absolutely floored me: things were not at all what I thought. My dad was actually very comfortable financially, and thats why his kids kept such tight control. They never let him spend on himself no treats, new trousers, nothing fun. Id always thought he was a bit skint he lived in a half-finished house and always looked like he was struggling. But apparently, the others managed all the money.
After hearing that, I started encouraging him to enjoy the life hed earned. But hed just tell me his kids wouldnt let him. Once they were married, his wife started insisting he chip in for food, household stuff, the usual things. Each time she asked for something, hed lose his temper. Eventually, hed cough up but only after a row. Shed tell me everything, and honestly, it seemed more than fair to me.
One afternoon, when I was with them, she asked if he could buy lunch for her father. He went off told her to pay for it herself, complained it was the same every day, started an argument. I actually stood up for her. I asked him if hed want my husband to refuse a meal to his dad. Told him, quite bluntly, it wasnt on to treat the woman who cooked and cared for him like that. His answer? He was tired of people always asking him for money for the house.
Thats when something painful clicked for me: my dad was stingy with the woman who looked after him, but incredibly generous with his kids, the very ones who never even cared for him unless they wanted something.
In the end, his relationship with his wife just couldnt survive. Now hes living alone. Supposedly one daughter sees to him, but we all know hes actually supporting her, her husband, and their children. The other kids just ring when they want something, and he sends off money without hesitation. Yet, with the one person who stood by him, he always said no.
Im not the same with him anymore. I love him, but not like I used to. I dont take him on trips, we hardly speak. If I dont ring, he never calls. Its changed and I cant go back to how it was. Its a bit heart-breaking really, because finding him was such a dream come true at first, and now, honestly, it feels like he doesnt really exist at all.
