Sam

Sam had a complicated life. Her dad was constantly going off and getting drunk, leaving her and her brother at the baby sitters when they were little.  He’d say he was going to work, then he would go off to his friends or have his friends come to his house to get drunk and high. He was living like he was still in high school. Her mom was working two jobs to support the family as her dad was spending the money on alcohol, drugs, cigarettes, four-wheelers, snowmobiles, boats, and new cars they didn’t need.  He would constantly blow off his kids for his friends. Finally her mom couldn’t handle it anymore and divorced him. 1

Her mom moved out. Right after her dog died from being hit by a car, those were the only two times she had seen her dad cry. He had woken her up early one morning to tell her that her mom had moved out. Her mom brought her dad to court and got full custody.  Her dad was told to pay child support and he would get them every other weekend from Thursday night to Monday morning, and he would see them every Wednesday for a couple hours. Her mom lived in a trailer until she could afford a house. Her dad kept the house they had lived in before they got divorced but her dad wasn’t good with money, so he went from owning the house, to renting the house, his parents had to move in to help pay for it but by then it was too late, and he lost the house and had to move. He went through girlfriends like crazy for the first year, and he saw his children when he was supposed and he paid his child support. Then he met a girl he really liked and she was moving so he blew off his kids to help her move, that whole weekend Sam cried. He slowly stopped paying child support and seeing his children he wanted little to do with them.  2

Sam’s dad had many girlfriends there was this one named Tonya and she was really nice and she had a kid, but Sam’s dad dumped her because she wasn’t all the way divorced yet.  Then there was Teresa she was nice and sam's dad liked her a lot, but he dumped her too because she didn’t want anything to do with Sam and her brother.  Then there was a bunch of others they didn’t get to meet. Then there was Sara both Sam and her brother liked her, Sam’s dad dumped her too, because she chased him with a knife. Then later on her dad wanted to get back with her, Sam let her dad know this was a bad idea. In fact Sam let her dad know whenever she didn’t like what he was doing he just didn’t seem to care and he didn’t try to change it. Then there was Kelly, Sam’s dad married this one, Sam and her brother liked her until they found out how she really was. Then her dad divorsed her. Then there’s Jenna Sam and her brother really like her and her kids Keith and Eric. Sam’s dad and Jenna started fighting often, they will end soon. Sam decided not to get close to any of her dads girlfriends anymore she cant handle it and she doesn’t want to deal with it.3

Sam’s dad only wanted anything to do with them when he had a girlfriend and he wouldn’t spend time with them then he would always be off with his girlfriend. Sam’s dad moved a lot too, which was hard because his phone numbers were always changing and she had little contact with her dad. He got more into the alcohol and he would drink and drive a lot too. He rolled two cars over and was close to death. He had another surgery on his leg it’s was his 15th, from a snowmobile accident when he was seven he would always tell Sam he drank so much because it helped ease the pain in his leg, Sam knew it was a lie. He lied a lot. He had an excuse for everything. Every time he was late “I couldn’t drive I have my license taken away, and i have to rely on other people”, or the “I had to work late” really he was off with his friends and too busy to care. Sam had her first and last father daughter dance and her dad was an hour late and his excuse was he had to get her a corsage. He was always doing stuff like that. When Sam had karate tournaments he dad would say “I’ll be there” then he wouldn’t show and Sam would be upset and he would say “I had to work late.” Sam would have a swim meet or basketball game the same thing would happen.4

One day Sam had a swim meet and talked to her dad the night before.5

“Hello” said Jenna.6

“Hi is dad there?” said Sam.7

“Yes hold on.” Said Jenna.8

“Hello” Her dad.9

“Hi dad I have a swim meet tomorrow are you going to go?” 10

“Where is it and what time?”11

“It’s in Waterville at boys and girls club at 5:00.”12

“Yes I’ll be there.” 13

“Are you sure? You’ve never had time before, because you had to work late.” Sam said sarcastically.14

“Yes I'm sure. What’s the attitude for?”15

“Because you always say you’re going to go and then you don’t.”16

“I always go.17

What’s sad about this is her dad actually thinks he went because he believes his lies.18

“Dad no you don’t!”19

“Yes I do!”20

“No you really don’t!”21

“I’ve always been there for you, when you mom was in college someone had to take care of you, who do you think did it?”22

“Not you, you always brought us to the baby setter so you could be with your friends.”23

“No I had to work.”24

“Ya dad at the time you were getting out of work at 3:00”25

“Ya!”26

“And mom didn’t pick us up until 5:00.”27

“I picked you guys up”28

“Whatever dad no you didn’t. But I’m done talking about this, are you going?”29

“Yes!”30

“Can you bring me home after?”31

“Why?”32

“Because mom wont be home from work yet and it’s supposed to rain.”33

“Sure.”34

“Ok, don’t forge.t”35

“I wont forget.”36

“Ok have a good night dad I’ll see you tomorrow.”37

“You too, bye.”38

“Bye.”39

The next day Sam had her swim meet; it was her first of the season. Her dad didn’t show up just as she thought, she had figured that he would show up after and still bring her home though. She was wrong it was pouring out that day and she had to walk home it was about a three or four-mile walk. When she had gotten home she called her dad.40

“Hello.”41

“Hi Jenna is dad there.”42

“No.”43

“Where is he? Do you know?”44

“He’s golfing with your brother.” 45

“Ok, does he know he missed my swim meet and I had to walk home in the rain? He was supposed to bring me home.”46

“I don’t know he didn’t say anything about either of them only that he was going golfing with your brother today.”47

“Oh, well, thank-you.”48

“Anytime.”49

“Bye”50

“Bye”51

When Sam got off the phone she called her dads cell phone.52

“Hello”53

“Hi dad did you forget something?”54

“No I don’t think so, let me check.”55

“DAD YOU FORGOT ABOUT ME!!!”56

“What? No, I didn’t”57

“Yes, you did what were you supposed to do today?”58

“Play golf with your brother and bring him home after.”59

“I’m sure you were supposed to play golf with my brother, but what else did you have to do today?”60

“Ummm… nothing”61

“Nothing, nothing? What do you mean nothing? Am I nothing to you?”62

“No! What are you talking about”?63

“Nothing dad”64

“Oh, ya, I was supposed to go to Bert’s, oh no wait I already did that”65

“Dad have you been drinking?”66

“I only had a few”67

Sam could always tell when her dad had more than a few, and oh boy did he.68

“Well have you figured out what you forgot yet?’69

“No.”70

“Dad you forgot me, you were supposed to go to my swim meet and then bring me home because it was raining, remember you said you would and I asked if you were sure and you said yes, and then you didn’t show up.”71

“I didn’t say yes I said maybe I’ll have to see what I’m doing if I go I go and if I don’t all well.”72

“All well?”73

“Yes, I had plans with your brother today”74

“When did you make these plans?”75

Sam knew it was after she had talked to her dad because she had heard her brother on the phone.76

“A couple weeks ago.”77

“How come you didn’t say anything about it to me last night?”78

“I forgot.”79

“Oh, dad I know your lying.”80

“I’m not lying.”81

“Dad I herd you and my brother on the phone.”82

“He was verifying it.”83

“Whatever dad, have a good night, Bye”84

Sam hung up the phone just like that, she had nothing left to say to her dad nor did she want to.85