Believe it or not, we were already used to his way of speaking. We'd stopped taking it to heart a long time ago. Ever since the first day we stepped into this house two years ago, he had never once called himself "Dad" or spoken to us gently the way other fathers did. Fourteen years of not knowing we even existed probably left him unprepared. Or maybe there was something in his heart we would never truly understand.
Still, at the very least, this man gave us a roof over our heads, food, and a comfortable life. He gave us a good education—even if it wasn't an elite private school with sky-high tuition. It was nothing like the days we spent with our mom, living hand-to-mouth. Some days we went hungry simply because there was nothing to eat.
A month after our mom passed away, I decided to bring my brother to find him. After the DNA test, he brought us in. And yet, he continued to keep us at arm's length—unchanging, from the beginning until now.
"She said she'd tutor us. I just came to collect on that promise." My voice was just as cool as his. "You manage on your own every day anyway."
"Every day we end up copying our classmates because we don't understand the work. We want her to teach us one-on-one. For the sake of education, wouldn't you support that? Or are you just being possessive?" Jao Pat reasoned.
Dad let out a single sigh. I had no idea what he was thinking. "In five minutes, I'll let your teacher go. I have something to settle with her first." "A real man keeps his word," I challenged. Dad nodded, and the door closed.
Exactly five minutes later, she opened the door, carrying a pillow and a blanket, fury written all over her face. She headed straight for the couch, dropped down, and threw an arm over her forehead. "No questions. Do whatever you want. I won't bother you."
She raised a hand to stop us. If you're not going to bother us, then why bring bedding in here? "Do…" Jao Pat started.
"I said don't ask, damn it! Please don't push me right now. I'm not ready to answer anything or deal with anyone. Okay? Ughhh—damn it! I've never seen anything like this in my life. Does he think the world revolves around him? Why is my life this unlucky? Is this the quarter-life curse? I'm going insane! Aah!"
Out of nowhere, she pulled the blanket over her head and started ranting to herself. Jao Pat and I looked at each other. He shrugged, clearly wanting no part of this. She must have just felt the full force of our dad's coldness. I'd never understood it—and never tried to. No one could enter his private world… not a single person.