September 7

Well, after spending the last three days watching TV and reading short stories about kids who had lost their way home, I was really excited that I would finally be doing something I have always had in mind for a while — going to the park.

The problem with making yourself believe in someone is that you never give yourself the opportunity to consider the other options available in the table. What if they let me down? What if they don't show up when I need them? What if I don't get the chance to make my dream come into reality and have some fun? 

You don't consider all the questions I mentioned above because your mind has been programmed to accept the fact that your desires will come to pass and nothing else. I think there is a term for that condition, but I don't know what it is anyway and I am not in the mood to think about it.

Today, I just sat on the couch, in our not too large sitting room. My Dad's phone was close by — a few centimeters away from me. I was not ready to make any mistakes that afternoon that would result in me missing the opportunity my big sister had created for me.

Christle had promised me earlier on Wednesday that she was going to visit during the weekend and take me to an amusement park where we would watch kids play games while we grab some popcorns and discuss how she would pay me the money she borrowed from me.

I tried easing the pressure that I felt in my chest even though I knew that being tense would not make the phone ring, but it didn't work out for me.

After some minutes of almost doing completely nothing except for waiting for her to call my Dad's phone, I turned on the TV. I switched the channel when I could not stand the amount of hugs a male character in a movie was giving his son. It looked absurd. Way too much for a boy of his age to bear.

After flipping through the channels, I stopped as I saw SpongeBob SquarePants on the screen. It was about starting when the phone rang. Quickly, I picked it up.

"Hello!" I said.

"Hi! Who is this?" The caller asked.

From the sound of the caller's voice, I noticed she was a female. 

"My name is Perer. Are you my sister?" I asked.

Asking the caller if she was my sister made me sound desperate and, even if I don't admit it openly, I am desperate sometimes. Honestly, I am desperate most times. What do you expect a bored teen who has been sitting all day to do? I knew my big sister was capable of disguising her voice and I wasn't planning on taking any chances when my money and plans for today were at stake.

"Are you my big sister?" I asked the caller again.

"No! I am not your sister. My name is Sarah. I am your childhood friend."

"That sounds great," I replied.

"Am I speaking to Mr. Ford," Sarah said with an angelic voice.

"Yes!" I declared. "I am Mr. Ford."

It was obvious I was not the one she wanted to talk with. As long as she or whoever my sister was pretending to be was mentioning my surname, I have every right to assume the position of my Dad. Don't people say that whatever belongs to a father also belongs to his son?

"That is awesome!" Sarah declared. "I have been looking almost everywhere for you. Where do you live at the moment?"

I laughed in my mind, considering how far my sister was planning on getting with this joke. I texted my address to Sarah or my sister's fake character, and told her to call when she arrives.

"I definitely will, Mr. Ford," Sarah said, then asked. "Are you sure your wife is not at home?"

I smiled and told her that I was all alone and feeling lonely.

"Just wait for me. I will be with you in a matter of time."

Sarah hung up.

I was watching SpongeBob convince Squidward Tentacles to enter the restaurant they worked in when I heard a knock in the door. At first, I thought it was the woman I saw yesterday who was patrolling the streets and asking for people to donate money for her daughter's surgery, but it wasn't her. I just wished Dad didn't hear the knock on the door. He told me to put my lazy legs into good use and try to find out who was behind the door. I told Dad it was the woman who was asking for some form of help for her daughter and she would soon go away.

But I should have come up with something more reasonable and unsympathetic, because it was pretty obvious from the look on his face that he cared about people who were suffering. 

"Go and let her inside before I close my eyes and open it," Dad said, then added. "Don't you have compassion for fellow human beings like you? You should be grateful that God gave you good parents like me and your Mum."

Dad was wrong to assume I wasn't grateful. Indeed, I was. I have seen a lot of poor children down the streets with barely a plate of food to eat and I have felt pity for them. But he needed to understand I was in a situation that was making me seem selfish.

"Who is behind the door?" I asked when I reached the door.

"It is your cute pie from back in the days. Don't you remember me?"

I tried to think of life back in the days and all I could remember where kids chasing an ice cream van wearing only pants with sands parading round their bodies. Back in the days meant waking up early in the morning everyday to assist Dad in dropping flyers about his fundraiser in people's doorsteps. Quick fact, nobody ever supported his fundraiser. If you ever think of telling Dad what I told you, I would totally deny it.

"What happened back in the days?" I asked.

"You know it is not appropriate for us to be discussing our bed experiences in the open. You always said I was the best."

I shook my head as it dawned on me that whoever was behind the door was referring to my Dad and not me. For all I know, I was still a proud virgin without feathers like the peacock. I was just proud in a cocky way.

"What is your name again?" I asked, rather impatient to get to know who was making a fool out of herself.

"You used to call me chocolate cream pie. You never liked calling me by my first name, Sarah."

"Sarah!" I yelled in shock and Dad heard it.

"Who is the visitor?" Dad shouted.

I froze.

"It is your cutie pie," Sarah replied.

If I had magical powers, I would have made sure I teleported to Sarah's back and gave a hard knock on her head. What did she think she was trying to do? Get me in trouble? 

Dad asked me to go inside his room, and I obeyed. It took about twenty minutes for him to settle things with Sarah and drive his crazy ex-girlfriend back to her car and out of his compound. When he entered his room, I knew something strange had happened. He sat down and looked at my eyes.

"What did she tell you?" He asked.

"Nothing," I lied.

"Did she tell you that we were close friends before I met your Mum?"

"Nope," I lied again.

Dad rubbed his fingers and pointed at the door. 

"You may leave. I will deal with you later," Dad said.

I spent a few seconds wondering what Dad had in mind before I left his room. I couldn't really think about anything except Sarah's voice when she talked about her and Dad's bed experience.

I watched a little bit of SpongeBob SquarePants, but, when it started to rain and we lost power in our house, I gave up the idea of waiting for my big sister to come. I guess I will have to call her tomorrow when I come back from the market.