“I’m sick of this!” The young man exclaimed. His bright blue eyes and dark blonde hair glistened under the bright white light over head. “You don’t get it! You never did and you never will”. The boy’s eyes glimmered as tears took shape within them. He stared at his father.
“Son, I know it’s hard. I know you have a lot going on right now”
“You don’t know! I have all these responsibilities in my life, all these things going on… and no one else has anything like I do -- no one. It isn’t fair Dad.” The young man dropped his eyes to the floor. He was supposed to be strong, no matter what. He couldn’t let his father see him like this, weak, vulnerable.
“Son, I love you. You know that? I know everything is just piled up on you, but son I’m here for you” The young man’s father stuck his arm out and slowly lowered his hand onto his son’s shoulder. The boy pulled away from his touch. The young man raised his eyes to meet his father’s, a hardened pain in them.
“I’m done. I don’t want to be here anymore.”
“Son…” his father interrupted
“No! I’m finished. I can’t do this anymore. I’m nineteen years old and living like a single parent trying to feed their kids. I want to move out.”
“Son please” his father pleaded.
“I’m sorry Dad. There’s too much pressure here. It’s not fair” His father looked into his son’s eyes blankly. A bird in the window caught the father’s attention. The man slowly drifted towards the paned glass, his hands clasped behind his back. His son stood frozen behind him as his father stared longingly at the beauty beyond the window.
“All right. Who am I to make you stay?” his father said. The young man nodded his head and began slowly up the stairs towards his room. “Everything you have done, everything you have gone through has only been to prepare you for this day.”
“For me leaving?” the young man asked.
“Yes son. You are so strong… so strong. You have to be for what is to come.”
“Dad? What are you talking about? What is to come?”
“Many things” the father replied. “I knew this day would come. I had just hoped it would not be so soon.” the man said sadly. There was a long pause before the man spoke again. “I shall be very lonely here without my son… You must go and make me more.” the father said without moving his eyes. The son turned and looked at his father.
“Make you more… sons?” the young man asked quizzically.
“Yes. And daughters.” The boy was confused.
“I do not understand” the young man interjected. His father turned and looked at him. The man pulled back his sleeve and looked down at his watch, a grin creeping slowly across his aged face.
“It’s your time. Go now Adam, you’ve got a world to create”