1: My parents wouldn't let me walk home from school even though it was only a 5 minute walk. There were a ton of other kids, some teachers, and a crossing guard but 8 year old me just couldn't be trusted. School let our at 2:30 and my mom would come get me at 3-3:30 and my dad would come and get me at 4-4:30. My parents worked opposite shifts and couldn't afford an after school program so I would just sit and read a book. One day my dad was supposed to pick me up and 4 rolls around, then 4:30, then 5. It was raining out so I was sitting just inside a doorway that was facing the parking lot. The janitor came by and said he was leaving so he had to lock up. I was the only one left at that damn school and I had to hide under the overhang so I didn't get drenched. I sat down and ate a PB&J lunchable while crying because my parents had forgot about me.
2: My dad, unbeknownst to me at the time, had been diagnosed with multiple personality disorder. All that I knew was that his temperament would change and my brother and I would hide. One evening my dad and I are sitting together in his oversized chair waiting for our french fries to finish up in the oven. My mom is at work (she worked nights) and he and I are enjoying some rare father daughter time. I hug him and tell him that I love him and he jumps. Apparently he was asleep because he starts demanding why I woke him and I know I fucked up. I start apologizing and hugging him more fervently in an attempt to calm him down. This just agitated him more and he shoves me off of the chair and is screaming at the top of his lungs "WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?! WHY WOULD YOU WAKE ME UP? YOU KNOW I'M TIRED AFTER WORK!" he's saying other crap that I'm not listening to and then he turns and starts looking for something. I don't know what nor did I care; I fucking booked it. I was looking for my brother when I realized he was at our grandma's house so I grabbed my "go" bag and ran out the front door. It was twilight and I ran across the street to my neighbor's pine tree and scaled that thing faster than I ever had. After listening and waiting for awhile my tummy startled to grumble so I took a granola bar out and ate that while staring intently at my house.
The door eventually opened and I saw my dad step out. I remember him looking around and he called my name inquisitively, looked around again, then stepped back inside. I waited another minute so I wouldn't give my hiding spot away, then climbed down. I slowly stepped inside and set my bag down, tip toeing around just incase my dad want actually back. I stepped into the brightly lit kitchen and my dad was at the stove, standing over some relatively burnt french fries. "I'm sorry sweetie, I must have dozed off while these were cooking. They still look ok, right?" He looked confused and embarrassed. It was such a weird expression for a full grown man, for my dad. I smiled hesitantly and told him they looked good enough to eat. He laughed, his normal dad laugh, and I knew he was back. He helped me clean the sap off of my hands with lighter fluid and he made me promise not to tell my mom how messy I got while playing. He put some fries and a room temperature burger patty on my plate and he gave himself the same, plus one patty.
We sat at the table and he smiled adoringly at me while we ate. I kept glancing at him out of the corner of my eye, ready for him to turn again. He started to hand me all of his super spiraly curly fries, they were my favorite, and I must have jumped a mile in the air. He asked me if I was ok and looked concerned, not mad. I thought he would be mad because I jumped and I was supposed to be happy, not scared.
I looked in my dad's concerned eyes and realized that he had no idea what a monster he was. And my fear turned to anguish and I started to cry. I told him I was crying because I missed him but really I was crying because he actually thought he was a good dad.