"Come on Jake we don't have all day!" my dad shouted from downstairs.
"Yeah, yeah, hold on," I shouted back and grabbed my mobile off my desk. I raced back downstairs.
"About
time too," my dad sighed, dramatically. "All that time for a
mobile?"
"It was less than a minute," I said,
underestimating the time slightly. "Are we going or what?"
"Yeah, come on," he kissed my mum goodbye and slapped my brother Tom on the back before exiting the house. I said goodbye and followed him into the car.
My dad and I were spending the weekend out in the country together. He said something about bonding, go figure. But I reckon I'll never get another chance with my dad, so I didn't argue, but if it was my choice, we would be at the arcade. Spending time with my family these days were rare. With all that was going on. School, homework, trying out for basketball, the Yeerks. I know that if I wasn't trying to save the world, I'd sleep better at night. Tom was invited, but as he was a Yeerk, he was too busy trying to infest more people and we wouldn't want to stop that, now would we?
We were well into the country when we started to have a real conversation.
"So how's school going Jake?" he asked awkwardly.
I shrugged, not my area of expertise. "Alright," I said. "Can't say too much on it."
"How's Marco?" he asked, absently.
"He's okay," I said.
"You only seem to hang around him, don't you?" he asked, now getting into the conversation. "Why don't you join the Sharing with Tom? Make some new friends."
"I have friends," I said indignantly. "Besides the Sharing is Tom's thing, not mine."
"Fair enough," he grunted. He paused thinking slowly. "Has Tom been talking to you much?" he asked.
I stared at him, wondering where this was headed.
"Yeah," I said slowly. "But he's more into the Sharing, I suppose."
"Yeah, that's true," he turned to look at me from the drivers seat. "Maybe I should force him to leave the Sharing to spend more time with the family."
"No," I said instantly. I would have given anything for that Yeerk to get out of my brother's head, but I remembered the last time my dad forced Tom to give up the Sharing for three days. It nearly killed them both.
"No," I repeated more calmly. "That's not going to want to spend more time with us."
My dad sighed. "You're right; he'd just hate us more."
I drew a relieved breath. At that moment my mobile started ringing from inside my pocket. I retrieved it and looked at the number displayed on the screen. Rachel.
"Hello," I answered it.
"Hey Jake," Rachel's smooth voice spoke clearly. "Remember me?"
"Hey Rach," I sighed. "What's up?"
"Well, remember we were all supposed to go to the zoo today," she said slyly. "You know animals and all. You wanted to see the tiger and the bear."
"Crap," I said. I completely forgot that we had a meeting in Cassie's barn today. I hadn't shown up.
"Is he coming or what?" I heard Marco's complaining voice in the background.
"So are you coming?" Rachel asked, impatiently.
"I can't," I said, aware that my dad's eyes were on me. "I'm in the country."
"Oh," Rachel's voice sounded disappointed to learn that the mission we had planned was to be cancelled.
"Sorry," I said.
"Hey, look at that car," my dad said, turning his head off the road to look at the Volkswagen that raced past. "What a beauty."
"Dad, look out," I said quickly as we swerved onto the opposite lane.
He started to turn his head back towards the road, but it was too late. The on coming truck was too fast. I saw the shock on the truck driver's face and the pure terror on my dad's before we crashed.
"Jake? Jake, answer me!"
The voice seemed from far away. Very far away. Searing pain crossed my head, my legs, my arms, my whole body. I opened my aching eyes and slowly the picture came into view. I was in a wreckage. A car wreckage. My mobile phone was on the broken dash board. The phone itself was broken, but it still transmitted fuzzy sounds, calling my name.
I groaned and realised I couldn't move my body. I started to panic. I was paralysed, then instantly I knew why I couldn't move, I was stuck, not paralysed. I looked beside me and saw my dad, all bloody and bruised. His eyes were barely open and he struggled to breathe.
"Jake," the voices called frantically. "Jake…" but at that moment the phone went dead.
"Dad?" I coughed, spluttering.
His eyes half closed he answered, sounding like the living dead. "Jake," he sighed. "I am sorry…"
"It's alright, dad," I said, wondering where that truck driver got to.
"Jake," he wheezed. "I'm not going to make it…"
I looked at him and with all my strength, I shook my head. "Yeah you are, dad," I said, watching his strength ebb away.
"Jake, you've made me so proud, you know that?" he said, choking.
"Dad…"
"Let me speak quickly," he coughed. "You and Tom…you've both made my life. Tell your mum…tell her I love her…"
I didn't know what to do. I couldn't move, I couldn't help him. I felt tears start.
Dad started to take huge gaping breaths, struggling to say something more.
"Promise you'll take care of yourself, Jake," he said, starting to close his eyes.
"I promise," I gasped. "Please dad, don't go. Please."
"I love you Jake," he said softly, his eyes fully closed. "I'm so proud of you…"
He didn't say anything more after that.
"Dad?" I sobbed. "Dad, please wake up! Please don't go."
But he didn't wake up, and he never will.