The Search For Father Part Two

With his beard hair now wrapped tightly around my finger I gently drew him closer. Without taking my eyes off the queue of parents and children in front of us I spat the words,

'Get rid of them...'

He understood and gave the nod for the elves to disband the pares and childers waiting beyond the entrance to the grotto. I got off his knee and sat down opposite him in a fold-out wooden chair crossing my legs and lighting up a smoke.

'What do you want?', he stammered, whilst gingerly holding his beard

I told him this is what I had always wanted, to be here now with him, to have him look in my face, to see what I'd made of my life.

'But.. but.. I don't even know your name, who are you!?', he lied

I replied with a faint smile and bent down to unbuttoned my satchel, I could feel his eyes watching me, I handed him the papers and watched as he feigned bemusement

'There is the proof', I said pointing. 'These are the birth certificates that you hid from me all my life, you told me that I was responsible for my parents death after throwing a toaster into the bath whilst they shared a romantic evening on valentines day 1978, you told me it was me..'

And at this point I raised my voice, and started to tremble slightly as I rose up out of my seat

..you told me I was angry at their decision to let my grandmother look after me for one evening, because my grandmother didn't butter the toast the way I liked it, and that I then killed them both.... *I was sobbing now, heaving gasps of breath* ...with the toaster...in the bath

He looked at me and then down to the papers he had in his lap

'These are receipts, from a delicatessen in derby, for scotch eggs, you've even practiced your signature on a few of them..?!?'

He said this leafing through them, receipt after receipt... until he something caught his eye

A tiny breadcrumb on my shoe, as his gaze draw upwards he saw my jacket, sprinkled with crumbs, and then finally with a look of horror he saw my face. mashed up pieces of egg and breaded meat trailed from my mouth, down my face and into my collar, I lunged for him with my eyes shut tight, spittle and egg sprayed his body as I screamed

'Dad!'