Just An Illusion
Claira Parks moved through the living room of an apartment and found something that she had played with many times before and sat down on the sofa.
Someone moved in behind her and tapped her on the shoulder.
"Oh, hi Tony." She said choosing not to turn round because she was far too interested in the game she had.
A loud and distinctive cough now filled the room that made her jump up and turn round.
"Dad, um erm."
"Would you mind telling me what your doing over here?" He said moving round to stand in front of her.
"Well, I thought that you wouldn't be home, so I." She looked around at the apartment.
"You thought you'd end up in Tony's home as per usual, yes?"
"It was the next best thing other than to end up in an empty apartment, of which I can see now it wouldn't have been. I'm sorry daddy."
He moved away and headed to the kitchen.
"Do you want dinner?"
"Yeah, but." She said following him. "Aren't we going home first, this is Tony's apartment?"
"I know it is, so, what do you want?"
Claira watched him attempting to make dinner. She now moved up to him and grabbed his hand.
"Dad, didn't you hear what I just said? This is Tony's apartment, if he catches you in here, touching his stuff, he'll."
They looked at each other. Tony looked away first and smirked.
"Fooled you, again."
Claira stepped back and then ran into the living room and started to play on the game again.
"That doesn't give you permission to destroy my props."
"Why not, you're destroying my fathers image!" She said starting up the game again.
Tony walked back in still in character.
"How do you work that one, daughter?" He said moving up to her.
She looked at him.
"Where did you get one of my dad's suits from? You didn't?"
"No, I didn't. I was walking past a charity shop the other day and there was this suit hanging up feeling sorry for itself."
"And you bought it thinking that my dad would wear something like that?"
"I seem to remember a certain child calling me dad back there."
"Yeah but, that's because you sound like him, you look like him."
"Thank you." He said stealing a kiss from her.
"Dad! I mean."
He chuckled and moved back to the kitchen.
Tony now changed back in to his clothes and they had dinner. Claira carried on playing the game while he was eating.
"Claira, if you break that and it's needed for one of my up and coming films are you going to explain to the director why I can't deliver?"
She looked up from the game then slowly put it on the table.
There was now a knock at the door.
"Great, just brilliant. I can't even have dinner in peace." He said getting up and going to the door.
Claira now grabbed the game again and started to play with it. She heard voices and one that she recognised and ran out.
"Dad!" She said running to her father, Michael Parks.
Tony now tapped her on the shoulder.
"Excuse me Claira, my prop please."
"Hurh, oh yeah, here you are Tony." She said handing him the game.
"Again with the props that just happen to be lying around here, ha? When are you going to clear away all this junk Tony and get yourself a proper profession?" Michael said looking around.
Tony watched him.
"When are you going to get a job that doesn't involve you staying out every day and night so that your kid doesn't end up here playing with my props and spending most of her life with me instead of her father?"
"Strange, I thought you were being me the other day. Too bad you haven't got the money to buy a suit like mine, you might be a little more convincing then."
Claira looked at Tony who now looked at her then quickly to Michael.
"Wouldn't you like to know?"
"Daddy, can we go now, please." She said tugging his jacket.
"Sure sweetheart." He said looking down to her.
Tony watched them move over the hallway to their apartment and go in. He now closed his door and looked at the game in his hand. He threw it to the sofa and went back to the kitchen.
Claira went back to relaxing in front of the tele as Michael started to get undressed.
"How do you stand a guy like that?"
"Hurh?"
"He barely takes home a hundred dollars a week and you hang round with him like a cold some days."
"That's only because you're not home for me every day."
"Hey, I work to support you and if that means working twenty four seven then that's what I'll do."
"But, I hardly see you anymore."
Michael moved up to her and took her hands.
"Darling, you know I do a lot of work. Once this work is clear I will sort something out that will make sure that we can spend more time together, but until that time."
"I can still go to Tony's for dinner, yes?"
He looked at her and moved away.
The next evening Tony returned home with some friends to discuss a theatre production that he was working on.
"This is all my own work. I'm actually working on something at the moment that involves," He now opened the door to his spare room to find Claira on the bed playing one of his games. "Claira!"
"You've invented a child, was that on your own or did you have a little help in that department?" His friend said giggling.
He quickly closed the door.
"Erm, she's helping me with some work at the moment."
"Well, if you want to be left alone, we'd understand."
"No, no, erm." He said trying to carry on showing his friends his work.
His friends soon left and Tony moved back to the spare room to find Claira sitting on the edge of the bed.
"Hi."
"Don't hi me, Claira! Where's your father, no don't tell me. I'm doing this for you, you know." He said changing his voice to sound like Michael.
Claira stood up and moved past him.
"I'll grab a TV dinner and leave you to it."
He stopped her and they looked at each other. He now held her.
"Oh Claira, what am I going to do with you?"
"Nothing. I'm not your responsibility." She said pushing him away and going out to his sofa and jumping on it and started to play his game again.
"No, of course you're not. Do you want dinner?"
"Well, only if you're cooking for yourself."
He looked back to her and smiled then headed to the kitchen and made dinner.
Claira fell asleep next to Tony that night. He stirred later that night and realised that it was nearly morning. He looked around and noticed Claira. He moved out and looked back at her sleeping as he looked at his watch and sighed. He now headed to the shower and then to his bedroom and noticed the suit he had bought. He went back to Claira and grabbed her house keys and picked her up and carried her out to her apartment. Tony quickly changed into Michael and started breakfast. The smell soon awoke Claira and she stumbled bleary eyed. She looked around and realised where she was.
"Dad?"
Tony turned round.
"Well, good morning sweetheart." He said moving out to kiss her.
She scratched her head.
"Are you alright?"
"I don't know. I remember. Wasn't I with Tony last night?"
"I believe so, yes, but as I have said before why I have no idea."
She moved away.
"Can you handle this?"
"When did you get back?" She said looking at him.
He put the plate down and looked at her.
"Late last night and I apologise for not getting home sooner, but."
"Save it, I've heard it all before, your job is very demanding and your doing this for me."
"Now that's Tony talking." He said looking at her.
"Well, what do you expect me to think dad?" She said finally sitting down and looking at her breakfast.
They had breakfast and Claira got ready for school.
As they headed for the door Michael now walked in and Claira stared at him. She moved back in to Tony who promptly stepped aside.
"Dad!" She said looking back.
"Yes?" Michael said looking at her.
Claira now looked at him as her mouth fell.
"But, but!?" She said pointing to Tony.
"I think that I should make a hasty retreat." Tony said trying to get past.
"Oh no Michael, you look so at home, with my daughter."
Claira now looked at Michael and pushed him away and ran out.
"Claira!" Michael shouted after he. He now looked at Tony dressed as him and decked him. "I've never really hit myself before. Let me know how it feels." He said then ran after Claira.
Tony looked at the blood coming from his lip then went back to his apartment.
The next day Tony was returning from the supermarket when he noticed Michael driving out to work. He went up to his apartment and expected Claira to be waiting for him, but he returned to an empty living room that was cluttered with all his film work. The next morning Tony had a photo shoot in town and was busy loading up his car when Claira walked past him.
"Has he barred you from speaking to me too?"
"Hurh?" She said moving around him.
He looked up from his boot.
"Don't tell me you've decided not to speak to me?"
"Well what do you expect? You were in my home, you." She stepped forward. "I thought that you were my dad."
He moved even closer.
"Who says I wasn't?" He said in Michael voice as he kissed her.
She stepped back nearly in to the path of a car.
"Claira!" He said grabbing her.
They looked at each other again.
"Sweetheart I would never hurt you and I'd never come between you and your father but he has to realise what he is doing to your relationship if he continues to." He looked away. "Well, yeah maybe it's not my business." He said touching his lip.
Claira brought his face back to look at his lip.
"Dad told me he decked you." She said smirking.
"I don't see what so funny in that."
"Don't you?"
He now looked at her and started to laugh and then held her.
"Come on. I'll give you a lift in to school.
"Are you sure you have enough space?"
"Hey, what are you implying, that I haven't got a big four by four like your old man? All that is is a fashion statement and a gas guzzler."
"Yeah, but I bet you'd like to drive it."
"If your father hadn't of walked in on us the other day I would have." He said allowing her in to the car.
He drove her out to her school and watched her run and then drove off to his photo shoot.
Tony returned home late that evening and found Claira waiting for him by the door of his apartment.
"Is it too late for dinner?"
He looked at her then her apartment and smiled
"It's never too late for you." He said then opened the door and allowed her in.
"How did the photo shoot go?"
"As well as can be expected. One of my props failed, but I got through it alright."
They were soon having dinner and then they retired to the comfort of the sofa to watch the tele.
Tony checked the time that made Claira look at him.
"What time is it?"
"Late. You should be in bed. I'll go set up the spare room."
"No, I've got my keys I'll go over to my bedroom."
He looked at her then his bedroom.
"Erm, sure whatever."
Claira stood up and looked at him.
"I'll see you tomorrow."
"Alright."
They now hugged and Tony watched her leave.
The next morning Tony again dressed up as Michael and used his passkey to get in to Michael's apartment and moved in to Claira's bedroom.
"Sweetheart, darling?" Tony said waking her.
"Hmm, daddy?"
"Hello darling." He said pulling her covers back.
She allowed him to pick her up and carry her out.
"Okay, you go take a shower and daddy will sort us out some breakfast." He said watching her go.
Within the hour Tony had his wish and he was driving the four by four to Claira's school and watched her get out.
He jumped out and went around to her side.
"Okay, you have a nice day in school today darling and I shall be here for you tonight." He said then kissed her.
Claira now hugged him.
"I love you daddy."
"I love you too baby. I always have, you know that don't you?"
They looked at one another as the bell went. Claira now dodged past him and ran in.
He laughed and watched her disappear.
"Yeah, I think she knows that."
He now got in to the four by four and drove back to his apartment. He stopped outside his door and looked back to Michael's apartment and then went in and moved through to his bedroom and looked at his wardrobe. He now checked the time and went back to his apartment.
Michael returned home that afternoon and everything calmed down for a while as Tony managed to get a job for a special effects group involved with a major film. Tony met up with Michael and Claira as he returned from one shoot.
"Well here is the man of the moment, special FX man Tony Howerd and lets not forget a great illusionist to boot."
"Well I could certainly take you off any day, Michael." He said in his voice.
Claira noticed the way they looked at each other then stepped in front of them.
"Dad's, please."
This snapped Michael out of it and he looked at Claira.
"Get in the car."
"Dad!"
"Now Claira!"
She looked at Tony then got in.
Tony carried on unpacking his car.
"Stay away from my kid. I've already warned you once."
"I stay away when she doesn't want her father anymore. Until then, think of it as doing you a favour. One day she might turn round and say daddy who? Then where would we be?"
Michael grabbed him again.
"You want to do it in front of her this time?"
He stepped back and then jumped in to his jeep and drove out.
Claira looked back as he sped out.
"He's one big loser." Michael said looking back.
Claira now looked at him but didn't feel comforted by his words.
A few days later the production company that hired Tony cancelled him and he returned home that evening empty handed. He started to unpack his car as Claira walked home from school. He turned round and noticed her.
"Did you walk home?"
"A-ha."
"Where's he gone this time? Somewhere of national security?"
"Possibly. He was talking about something big that was coming up. God knows when he will be back." She said then walked away.
"Claira?"
She stopped and turned round.
"Yeah?"
He took out his keys and threw them to her.
"Go and warm the place up. I'll just grab these and I'll be with you."
Claira looked at the keys then smiled and ran up the stairs.
Tony walked through to his apartment and found Claira playing with one of his props.
"You didn't require this one this time, ha?"
"Fortunately for you, no." He said moving through to the kitchen and starting dinner.
They soon had dinner and then watched the evening's entertainment. Claira was soon using Tony as her pillow and she slowly fell asleep.
The next day Tony got his final cheque through the post and looked at the numbers that he was not expecting.
"Oh great, this is going to see me through another few days, I don't think."
"Tony?" Claira said behind him.
He now placed the cheque in to his pocket and turned round.
"Hello sweetheart." He said moving up to her and kissed her.
"Is anything wrong?"
"Wrong? Why would anything be wrong when I've got a beautiful girl like you to look forward to in the morning." He said then walked away. "I'll give you a lift in to school while I look for another job."
"Another job, well what happened to?"
"Oh, the production failed, too much money or something like that." He said tossing the cheque stub in to the waste shoot.
Tony soon drove Claira to school and watched her go. He then drove in to town and looked around for another job but returned home that evening empty handed.
There was no sign of Michael returning so Tony decided to change in to him and head out to pick Claira up in his four by four.
She waded out to him and stopped at his feet to look straight up at him as he looked down.
"I was going to have a bet with Tony on when you would turn up."
"How many days we're you going to hold me to?" He said taking her schoolwork from her and watched her get in.
"Three."
"Three? I think I could have stayed away that long." He said putting on her seat belt for her and smiling.
"It was not meant to be a joke daddy, I was being serious."
"Oh, I'm sure that you were." He said then got in and drove back to their apartment.
He used his passkey and they went in to Michael's apartment.
Claira moved through to the kitchen and watched him making dinner.
"I think something is up with Tony?"
"There's always something up with Tony, he's broke, that's his trouble."
"Exactly, so I was thinking."
"Do you want to lay the table for me?"
Claira grabbed him.
"I think that you should pay Tony for looking after me while your honeymooning in Vegas or wherever it is you end up!"
"Now you just got yourself grounded." Tony said taking her plate away.
"Fine, I'll go eat at Tony's where I'm wanted." She said moving out past the kitchen door.
"You go outside that door then you and I are finished, my girl."
She stopped and looked back.
Claira eventually had dinner but played with her food, which did not help matters.
"Am I, am I still grounded?" She said deciding not to look at him.
Tony looked at her.
"For the rest of the evening, yes."
"But dad I've hardly seen you all week, Tony has."
They looked at one another. Claira now jumped up and went to her room.
"You haven't been excused."
"Who cares?"
"Claira!"
Tony stared at her closed door then sighed. He moved over to the drinks cabernet that overlooked the window to the main road and noticed a car parked across the road with a man looking at him through binoculars. He stared straight at him then stepped back.
"Daddy."
He turned round and saw her in the doorway to her bedroom. She now run over to him and they hugged.
"Don't leave me daddy." She said starting to cry.
"Hey,' He said wiping her tears. 'I will never leave you. I love you too much to do that to you. I am your father and I will always be with you." He said holding her then noticed that the car was now driving away.
The next day Tony drove Claira to school and noticed that the car that had been parked below the other night was now following him. He pulled in at Claira's school and watched the car pass by.
"Are you okay daddy?"
"Hurh, yeah, I must be slipping. I could have sworn that car was parked outside our apartment last night."
"That car is a popular make."
"Yeah, I know. Come on, let's get you in to school before they have my hide for holding you back." He said letting her out and watching her go in to school.
Tony now drove off in to the traffic and soon realised the car was following him again. He decided to drive down some back streets and head the car off and pull him over to the side of the road.
Tony now jumped out and grabbed the driver.
"Alright, what the hell do you want?"
"You, Mr Howerd."
Tony noticed the back window go down.
"How do you know my name, I?" He said adjusting his attire.
"We know all about your FX Company and your remarkable perseverance to hold down the illusion of Michael Parks for his daughter's sake."
"Claira, what?"
"We'd like to hire you, Mr Howerd, if you wouldn't mind following us back to our offices. I'm sure the money that we can come to some arrangement over a six figure fee." He said showing him a chequebook.
"I don't understand, you want to hire me to be?"
Tony now followed the car to an underground car park and was led to a small office. The man he was talking to now walked in holding a large make-up case.
"I hope that this will help you in the illusion department, Mr Howerd, oh and of course your cheque." He said handing it to him.
Tony stared at the zeros.
"I still don't understand. Where is Michael?"
"He has been detained out of the country for a while. We need to keep the, shall we say status quo with everything over here and of course this means keeping Claira safe and none the wiser. I'm sure that you can understand this Mr Howerd and help us to help Claira."
"How long are we talking about, I mean Claira could suss me out just like that if she really wanted to."
The man looked at him.
"Are you really sure Mr Howerd, it seemed to us that Claira is quite relieved to have her father with her at the moment."
"I need to know how long." He said looking at him.
"For as long as the make-up and the cheque's hold out." He said handing him another cheque.
Tony stared at it then the man.
"What have you done with Michael that you need me to?"
"Of course, you could just carry on like you are, you will soon run out of money with no-one willing to employ you." He said pulling the cheques back.
Tony laughed.
"Oh I get it. If I don't do this I eventually get squeezed so I can't say no."
"You love Claira Parks don't you Mr Howerd?"
"I don't believe this. You're going to lean on a five year old now?"
"If the people that Michael Parks is working against find out about Claira it wont be us who'd do the leaning."
Tony stood up.
"Now you listen to me, if you hurt that kid in any way."
Tony now noticed the cheques appear in his view again.
"I'm sure that Michael Parks would never let anything happen to his own kid, now would you?"
Tony drove home and looked at the cheques on the dashboard and the make-up bag next to him. He pulled in to the car park and moved in to Michael's apartment and took a shower. The cheques and the make-up bag stayed on the bed while he got dressed. He moved in to the living room and noticed all the pictures of Claira and Michael around the room and looked down.
"Damn you Michael. Where are you when your kid really needs you?" He said then turned back to look at the bedroom where the cheques and the make-up sat. He moved back in to the bedroom and closed the door.
Claira walked casually out of school that evening as she realised that her father was not by the jeep as usual. She walked around it. She now stopped and started to think to herself then moved further around the jeep.
"It's not like dad to keep me waiting. He's not here. I bet he's gone off again and Tony has hot wired the jeep and." She said pulling open the passenger door and jumping in to check under the dash. "Strange, no signs of damage to the barrel, but no keys either." She said looking around.
She now recognised the cough and looked up and out side.
"Are you trying to do damage to my jeep?" Tony said in the guise of Michael.
"Dad, um no I erm.' She allowed Tony to pull her out and on to the ground. 'I thought that Tony had hot wired your car and.'"
"Tony hurh? Do you see Tony around here?" He said looking at her.
"No."
"Whose car keys are these?" He said holding out his hand.
"My dad's, yours." She said correcting herself. "But dad, where have you been? You've always been here when I've come out from school."
"Your teacher called me over." He said now allowing her to get back in to the jeep.
"My teacher, well what for?"
"Do I have to tell my child everything?" He said getting in and driving away.
Claira allowed him to drive for a while but then started to look at him.
"What, what did my teacher want with you?"
He looked at her and started to laugh.
"What's so funny?"
"You, your funny."
"I don't see,"
"Sweetheart, your teacher called me in for an everyday standard chat. It was nothing really about you."
"Oh yeah like right, she just happen to pick Michael Poole out because he has the biggest jeep on the block and a alter ego living next door."
Tony pulled the jeep over and looked at her.
"You wanna say that again, slow."
She looked at him.
"Sometimes I wish."
"You wish, what?"
"I wish that Tony was my dad and you lived next door and." She looked away.
"I was the props man, yes?' He watched her look back to him. 'Oh great, your dad's away, let's just wheel out the spare, he's a better dad than me anyway!'"
"Sometimes, yes."
"What like now for instance?"
She went back to looking out of the window.
Tony looked at her then drove off to their apartment.
Claira jumped out of his car and looked around.
"Now what?"
"Tony's car is missing. That must mean he's on a shoot dad, earning money."
Tony looked around to add to the moment then back to Claira.
"You think?"
"He must be father, or he wouldn't."
"Come on. I would like my dinner tonight."
"He's got to be back soon, he's just got to." She said looking around.
She now realised that Tony was heading towards the elevator and quickly ran after him. She slid in to the elevator just as the doors closed.
"The speed you were going maybe the stairs would have been quicker, ha?"
She just stared at him then focused in on the numbers whizzing past.
They were soon in their apartment and Tony set to work on making dinner. Claira moved in and watched him.
"Do you want to set the table? This is going to be ready in a minute." He said looking back.
She moved forward then stopped and drew level with him.
"Are you?' She made him look at him. 'Are you going to stay tonight?'"
He smiled and leaned down to kiss her.
"All night long."
"Really, all night?"
"And day if you'll allow me."
"Sure." She said looking at him.
"Erm Claira."
"Yes?"
"The table, otherwise all this will be wasted."
"The table?' She said looking back. 'Oh, the table, sorry daddy I clean forgot, I mean.'" She said then stepped back to carry on.
Tony looked back to the dinner and smirked.
They were soon having dinner where the conversation soon turned to Tony and his FX work.
Tony made himself a drink and moved back to the table and sat down as Claira finished her meal.
"Tony was showing me some of his latest work, the other evening."
He swallowed his drink as he remembered the night and looked at her.
"Is that so? More failed projects, I bet." He said standing up and moving back to the drinks cabernet.
Claira now moved in to the kitchen and washed up. Tony walked in and put his glass down and moved in next to her to wipe up after her.
"He's going to make it big one day, with his work. He has the potential dad and it only takes one person to notice him."
"Well, he's certainly not going to get it living around here is he?"
"How do you know these things? You don't know anything about him dad, his talent."
"Oh, don't I? I seem to remember his talent at being me very convincing."