Well, this was something that I did in one of my classes this semester, Creative Writing. We were working on telling the difference between a Personal Narrative and a Memoir and we had to read a story about "Why Dad's Don't Talk" by Deborah Tannen. We were then supposed to write a response to that and this is what I wrote:
While reading this essay, my father came into my mind and I started to think of what he was like when I was a child. I then remembered that he also doesn't answer the phone much. The only time he would call when he's away or at work was to check if me and my brother were okay or if we wanted a certain food for dinner. Unlike the author and her father, my dad spent a lot of time with me and my brother. He would take us out to go (window) shopping with him, take us out to the movies, and take us out to eat...he spend a lot of time with us. Even though he bought things for us that we really wanted, he never spoiled us. I think he keeps himself in check, reminding me and my brother to be good people, be smart in the real world, and think about what other people are like. My dad was the main root in our family. He taught us many things and he even took the time to tell us about his life in his home country, Cambodia. I was happy spending time with my dad. Every time my brother and I said "Happy Father's Day", he would always smile, look at us with gentle eyes, say thank you and hug us tightly. We were a happy family, but now, that happiness is gone.
After writing that response, I started to think about my family when I was a child. It was then I realized something: When I was a small child…back when my father still lived with us, I had a perfect life. My dad scolded me whenever I did something bad. He yelled at me whenever I accidentally knocked over those small cup things that they put in front of that Buddha statue. Whenever I cried at night from having nightmares, my dad would always come into my room and sleep with me until I fell asleep.
My brother and I used to get along so well that we didn’t have arguments and fights with each other.
I had the life that every girl would wish they would have. I’m not too spoiled and I’m not too conceited. My parents, mainly my dad, raised the both of us just right. Every single day, he would have talks with me and Aniki about being a good person, to don’t end up like those people on the streets begging for money.
But then, all of that changed. My brother, my mom, and me get into at least an argument every single day. Every single day, I always end up getting angry at them.
That year, I had two choices:
1: Don’t tell anyone and continue to have a perfect family and a perfect life while I suffer
2: Tell, perfect life falls apart, family goes downward, I suffer even more because of my brother’s and mom’s wish to live as a whole family, and I feel a little relaxed since he would be gone.
-sigh- Either way, I would’ve suffered. The 2nd choice is easy to tell that I would suffer more than the first choice.
Well guess what? I chose the 2nd choice. I couldn’t bear it anymore. I couldn’t continue to live as if nothing had ever happened. I couldn’t continue to live of going to school and having fun and then coming back home to the place where I was scared to be. Now that is sad…being scared to go back to your own home.
I had a perfect and happy life….
But now it’s gone.
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