Desk | Teen Ink

Desk

March 31, 2023
By WriterUtopia3906 PLATINUM, Jericho, New York
WriterUtopia3906 PLATINUM, Jericho, New York
30 articles 0 photos 0 comments

Favorite Quote:
You missed the bus.


Parent

Work has won him over.

He is no alcoholic—rather,

a workaholic.


I ask him what he would

like for Christmas: 


he declines.


I ask him the cake’s flavor

for his birthday:


he says any.


I tell him that I forgot

to say “Happy Father’s Day:”


he says it’s fine.


My dad, strongest in

the mind yet softest in

the heart.


Child

We went for a walk

in Juniper Park.


He drove us there, 

just us two, since

Mom had refused.


“You might as well

bring your bike,” he 

adds as we were leaving

the apartment.


“But, I don’t know how

to ride it,” I blurted,

never, in actuality, 

wanting to ride it since

I had found it sort of

scary. 


“We’ll learn it together.”


But, just the other day

you were mad at me for

getting my times table 

wrong. I didn’t want

to upset you again.


I still remember the slope

where you first taught me

how to ride my four-wheeler.


You, for once, had patience.


I thought the bike was scary.


You told me to just hold on.


I held on, and eventually I

got the hang of things.


Ten years later, I’m sitting

here, at my desk, with you

in the living room.


I still don’t know how to

communicate with you,

yet the smaller things in life

now make sense.


You told me not to

worry about Mom’s

reaction to a bad test

grade because you

would defend me.


You enticed me to

try seafood for the 

first time with Legos

because you cared 

about my health.


You were always there

to pick me up from school

whenever I felt sick or

uncomfortable.


You were there for me,

always stepping out of that

desk, whenever it came to 

me.


The author's comments:

“Desk” is written for a lifelong father, role model, and friend: it’s a token of appreciation for all the games, concerts, and competitions at which he stayed; a thank-you note for putting up with me on the days when I wouldn't wake up or had missed the bus; and, lastly, a continuation of our rapport—though still sorta stilted, he communicates well—well, well for a math professor.


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