The only thing I connect with my father are arguments, shouting matches, and rows. We grew up struggling, with hardly enough to get by. Mum worked late into the evenings just to put food on the table, while Dad only seemed interested in picking fights. One day, we went to the local market to buy some vegetables. The greengrocer bantered with Mum and we all laughed. Dad glared at Mum with a stony look and kept silent.
When we got home, everything exploded into chaos. He yelled so loudly that the whole neighbourhood could hear. Later, he hit my mum. Then another incident happened. One of Dads mates at work joked that I looked nothing like him, that I actually took after Mum, and hadnt inherited anything from my father. I was twelve then. Dad left our family after that, claiming Mum had spoiled me.
Afterwards, there was barely any money left, not even for food. Dad never paid child support. Mum didnt want to fight him in court, so she had to manage everything on her own. She found a new job to scrape by. While I went to school, I did everything I could to get into university. Eventually, I managed to find a job for myself.
In the end, I got married and was finally able to help Mum. And just recently, I received a message from my father. He wrote saying he wants to reconnect. I honestly dont know what to do. Some people have advised me to meet him and talk. To be truthful, Im not particularly keen. I still remember the moment he walked out on us. Hes just a stranger now. He doesnt bring up happy memories. For now, I havent told Mum about his message. Im not sure what the right decision is.
