jaylar
The next day at work the guys were talking and one shouted out,
“Hey Der! You ever heard the word Monogamy?” and they laughed.
He smiled, shrugged, moved away, leaving them laughing.
His father rang him shortly after, making apologies about forgetting his birthday. His father always mixed up his birthday, nothing strange. Derek didn’t need to listen. His father was always making excuses.
Married five times, Dad was still a player. Big man in his sixties, still going after the females.
Derek’s mother had been his second wife. He’d stayed with her for five years, but wasn’t faithful. His mother was busy, didn’t catch it until the last, then went for a divorce.
Dad got visitation rights every other weekend.
It was a pick up on Friday after school, a fun time at some fun place, a face stuffing, then to his aunt’s house where he’d bunk with his cousin.
On Saturday Dad would pop in, some more fun, often with his cousin, then back to Aunt’s house.
It went on like this for three years, then Aunt moved away and Dad’s visit were afternoons every other Saturday. He’d married again and Wife Three didn’t like Derek. The marriage lasted two years.
Then Dad went away for a time. Derek didn’t see or hear of him.
The next time he saw his father he was graduating High School. That was after Wife Four.
