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Emily Jolley
Mr. Maslonka
English 101-1N
10 September, 2014
A Father that Vanished
Walking home from school on this beautiful sunny day, I could not be more
excited to get home to my parents; my mother, Vilma and dad, Jeo. Also my three sisters named
Priscilla (which was the oldest), Steph and Brianna. I just received an A on my spelling test. My
mother would be so proud of me and maybe I could have a sleepover with my friends, I thought
to myself. As I was getting closer to home, all I heard was screaming and yelling: it sounded like
two dogs fighting back and forth. I was nervous and scared and did not know what to do. Was
there someone in my house? Is there something that I did? All I could think to myself if I should
go inside the house. I quickly sit on the porch and set my book bag down and listen to the
conversation that is going on in my house. OMG! Its my mom and dad yelling. My heart
dropped into my stomach. Why is this happening? What did I do wrong? I walk inside and see
my mom packing.
My mother: We are moving and daddy is not coming with us.
Me: Mom whats happening, is it me. Am I the reason this is happening?
Mother: No honey, your father and I are just not working out and we are fighting way
too much. Go get a box from upstairs and start packing your things.

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As my mom was telling me this and all I could do was cry, tears dropping down my face.
The whole world was ending. It felt like my heart was breaking into pieces. This was all my
fault. Why couldnt I be the perfect daughter? But, I do so well in school and maybe sometimes I
do not do my chores when asked, I thought to myself. All I hear is someone stomping up the
stairs coming into my room. It was my father and told me, your mom and I are getting a divorce
but you will still see me every other week. I look up at him and just burst out in tears; I yell and
scream, GET OUT OF MY ROOM! My dad did as I pleased. I stood in my room thinking to
myself I am not going to wake up to my dad anymore. Im not going to come home to both my
mom and dad. Then, my sisters come home. They run upstairs and tell me everything is going to
be okay.
Me: I scream to my sister Steph, This was my entire fault! Why did this happen.
Steph: mom was not happy with dad and we are moving with grandma till mom can get
us somewhere to stay. trust me we will see dad every other week
Me: I thought to myself, Okay this was something new that I am going have to live
with.
I slowly walk down the stairs, step by step. My little sister Brianna was in her room.
Brianna was 9 at the time. My parents did not tell her what was going on. They say she was too
young to understand. All I could think about was how all this was going to impact her life. My
mom just tells her that we are moving to grandmas and that daddy will not be coming with us.
Brianna just thinks that daddy was leaving somewhere. Brianna just smiled and started packing.
We packed everything up and moved into my grandmothers house. We lived in a small
and creepy basement of her house. My sisters and I went to school every day but things werent

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the same. Weeks and weeks went by; we did not see our dad. My heart was still in pieces.
Brianna was doing badly in school and my mom knew why she was doing so badly. When you
looked into Briannas eyes all you see is hurt and pain. But, she continued to smile and play.
Every time Brianna was doing badly in school, my mom knew she needed to see her father. Also,
Steph never wanted anyone around her. Steph always wanted to be alone. My mom always
talked to her more than me because she was older and could understand. For myself, I always
blamed myself for the divorce. Steph always talked to me and told me hopefully dad would call
to see us. But, my mom would make him call us because he would never call us. I always
overheard the conversations with my mom and dad. It seemed like my dad did not want us
anymore. It was heart breaking. Years went by and we have seen my father possibly twice a
month if we were lucky.
My mom was never home either because she was working three jobs just trying to get us
out of my grandmas basement. My mother will only be home to take us to school but she would
work all day and overnight shifts. Vilma, my mother always did everything on her own since my
dad was not there. Vilma went ahead and worked as much as she could to make a down payment
for a house for rent. Finally, we found a place in Emmaus. My sisters and I were nervous about a
new school, new house, and leaving our old friends. My mom told us it was for the better and we
would love it. We sure did. My 2 sisters and I loved the house and the new school. We all made
great friends. But, we still missed our father.
Years passed by, my father was never around. He would always be broke but always
have new shoes. My father was in a new relationship. My father had a girlfriend that has kids.
Jeo called us asking to meet his new girlfriend and her kids. My sister and I were skeptical; we
did not want to meet her. She was not our mom or our blood. We did not want to see her and our

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dad together. But, we grew up respecting our elders. We approached her and smiled. She wasnt
too bad but yet again was not my mom. Her kids were pretty cool, we all played with them. My
sisters and I went home, and my mother told us that he has been taking care of those kids. But,
we were his kids and he was taking care of kids that were not his. It broke my sisters and my
heart.
My sisters and I hated that he took care of children that werent his. We were all broken. I
thought to myself maybe if I was a drug attic or an alcoholic maybe Ill be good enough.
Brianna, Steph and me all thought we were not good enough. All of us did everything we could
to make my dad take care of us. We called him to hang out and he always let us down. We
needed my dad more than ever and he was never there. My mom was my mom and dad. My
mom did everything. It made me realize that I did not need my father. My father was just a
person that said he loved me but never cared for me. He was just a person that looked like me
and we shared the same blood. At times I thought to just call him Jeo. Why call him dad, if he
isnt doing his daddy duties. I hated the fact I looked just like him. I hated the fact my mom
would look at me and say I look just like my father.
My father showed me the person he really was when he broke up with my mom. My
father showed me how much he really does care for us. He showed us we were just kids and
knew that my mom would give us anything we needed. My father always knew my mother never
needed him. But, now that I and my sister are both in college he doesnt have to pay for child
support anymore. It almost feels like he does not want to see us since he does not have to pay for
child support. It feels like half of your life is gone. But I will always thank and praise my mother
for all that she has done. My mother has been my father since day one and she will always play
that role. I thank my mother every day for the person she is. She made my sisters and I be

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independent and never need anyone. She always refers back to the situation she had with my
father. My father will be a person that was never there but for a person to call a father but never
did the father duties. But, I do thank him for making my sisters and I be the people we are today.
We are all strong and independent women and never depend on anyone. Dad we were great
daughters and I wish you would of realized that but now its too late to realize that.