*
After he finished talking to Uncle Henry, he came in from the fire escape and went straight to his bedroom. As soon as his head hit the pillow, his mind began to wonder. All of that talk about death and parents, it had brought up vivid memories in him.
In a way, he had lied to Uncle Henry. He hadn't really been fine all those times when the family thought he was. True, the smells and sights would trigger him to think about his father even stronger, but he never truly got over his death. He can still close his eyes and see his father coming through the door after a long day at work. He can hear him whistling and laughing as he looked over the evening paper and kidded Nathan across the dinner table. His laugh. That's what Nathan misses the most.
"Nathan?" a soft voice, interrupted his thoughts as he lie there staring at the ceiling.
"Baby Girl?" Nathan rolled over to the familiar whisper "What are you doing up?"
"Do you want to play Operation?" Angela pulled the game from behind her back "I can't sleep."
Most people would regret buying her that game, she's been playing it so much that the 'buzzing' noise has become common place in their house, but Nathan thinks it is one of the best presents he's ever bought her.
"One game," he insisted "Then its back to bed."
After an hour of Operation, he finally manages to convince her to go back to bed, after he tucks her in.
"Nathan," she whispered.
"Yeah?"
"I miss Mama."
He stood there for a minute, letting the words ride on the air, before he glanced back over his shoulder at her.
"I know you do Angela," he nodded at last "It's ok."
*
Back in his room, he pulls a handful of papers and pictures out of his dresser drawer. Some of them are the letters Angela wrote him last summer, some are articles about Malcom X and the very last one is a picture of his father.
He runs his finger over the fading image and he can almost smell his father's pipe tobacco again.
"It's ok," he whispers to himself.
After he finished talking to Uncle Henry, he came in from the fire escape and went straight to his bedroom. As soon as his head hit the pillow, his mind began to wonder. All of that talk about death and parents, it had brought up vivid memories in him.
In a way, he had lied to Uncle Henry. He hadn't really been fine all those times when the family thought he was. True, the smells and sights would trigger him to think about his father even stronger, but he never truly got over his death. He can still close his eyes and see his father coming through the door after a long day at work. He can hear him whistling and laughing as he looked over the evening paper and kidded Nathan across the dinner table. His laugh. That's what Nathan misses the most.
"Nathan?" a soft voice, interrupted his thoughts as he lie there staring at the ceiling.
"Baby Girl?" Nathan rolled over to the familiar whisper "What are you doing up?"
"Do you want to play Operation?" Angela pulled the game from behind her back "I can't sleep."
Most people would regret buying her that game, she's been playing it so much that the 'buzzing' noise has become common place in their house, but Nathan thinks it is one of the best presents he's ever bought her.
"One game," he insisted "Then its back to bed."
After an hour of Operation, he finally manages to convince her to go back to bed, after he tucks her in.
"Nathan," she whispered.
"Yeah?"
"I miss Mama."
He stood there for a minute, letting the words ride on the air, before he glanced back over his shoulder at her.
"I know you do Angela," he nodded at last "It's ok."
*
Back in his room, he pulls a handful of papers and pictures out of his dresser drawer. Some of them are the letters Angela wrote him last summer, some are articles about Malcom X and the very last one is a picture of his father.
He runs his finger over the fading image and he can almost smell his father's pipe tobacco again.
"It's ok," he whispers to himself.
