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Daddy, Don’t Go! Please Don’t Leave Us! No More Toys, No More Sweets – Just Stay With Us! Six-Year-Old Oliver Clings to His Father’s Leg, Begging Him to Stay
“Daddy, don’t go! Please, dont leave us! Dad, dont buy me anything else, or Alfie either. Just stay with us! We dont need toy cars or sweets. No presents! Just be here!” screamed six-year-old Oliver, clinging to his fathers leg.
Their mother was sobbing in the bedroom, too weak to stand or come out.
Meanwhile, fourteen-year-old Alfie stood with clenched fists, love for his father wrestling with hatred inside him.
Oliver was just a little boyhe didnt understand. But Alfie had seen how badly Mum had suffered. Earlier, shed been on her knees, begging Dad to stay, just long enough for Oliver to grow up a little. But her pleas had done nothing.
“Stop it! Get up! Dont humiliate yourself, you hear? He doesnt care about you. He doesnt care about any of us, so let him go!” Alfie rushed forward and started pulling his little brother away from their father.
“Son, why are you doing this? Ill visit, Ill help. Ill just be living somewhere else. But I wont love you any less. Weve just decided its for the best,” Dad began.
“Who decided? You decided! Think I didnt hear anything? Mum begged you not to leave. Shes here, were here! Were family. But youre leaving! For some woman! Is she really worth more than us?” Alfie fought hard not to cry.
Family Games
If Dad had hugged him, put down his bags, and said it was all a stupid mistake Alfie wouldve thrown himself into his arms. Forgotten everything. Forgiven him, of course.
Because he was Dad.
The one whod taught him to fix cars, taken him fishing for trout, played football with him, read bedtime stories. How could he just walk away and erase all of that? Them? Why?
Oliver wailed. Mum cried. Dad looked at them all and left, shoulders hunched.
And for a long time, the echoes chased him: “Daddy! Dont go!”
Life changed after that.
Alfie grew to hate his father. He refused to see him, threw back the gifts he brought.
Oliver waited. Sat by the door. Stood on the balcony, staring into the distance.
Dad asked to take the boys out. Mum wouldnt allow it.
Not that Alfie wanted to. Oliver longed for Dad, but they told him, “He doesnt want to see you.”
Mum wouldve proudly refused child support, but they needed something to live on.
“Your dad fell in love. Thats how it goes! The grass is always greener. He doesnt need you now. Therell be new children soon,” shed say bitterly.
Alfie listened in silence. Oliver cried.
A year later, Dad came back. Or tried to. Oliver wasnt homejust Alfie and Mum. Dad begged for forgiveness, said hed made a mistake. He couldnt live without them.
Mum wouldnt take him back. Those were her moments of revenge. And Alfie wouldnt forgive him either. The hurt was still raw.
No one asked Oliver. He was too young.
Time passed. Alfie went into trade. Oliver became a doctor. The older brother had his own family now. The younger one cared for Mum until she passed.
Not long after, Oliver decided to marry his childhood sweetheart, Katie.
Before the wedding, Alfie had business in another town. He suggested they go togethertake a break. They chose the train instead of driving. Drank tea, talked over the sound of the tracks.
They didnt argue much, got on well, though they rarely saw each other. But they were very different. Alfie was tough, impatient, only listened to himself.
He jokingly called Oliver “Mr. Mercy” and told him kindness was out of fashion.
After finishing business, they wandered the unfamiliar, beautiful city before heading back to the station.
Near the entrance, Alfie nearly tripped over a man. He glared, muttering that people shouldnt sprawl where they didnt belong. The man sat on cardboardfilthy, bearded, legless. Then he looked up.
Oliver had already walked ahead when he heard Alfie laughing. He stopped.
Alfie was pointing at the homeless man, roaring. Oliver rushed back, grabbed his brothers sleeve, yanked him away.
“Stop it! Thats disgusting. You dont know what hes been through. Who are we to judge?” he hissed.
“What? Not us? Oh, but it is us. Dont you recognise him? You were too small. But I did. Straight away. Dads eyesgreen, just like ours. Mum always said she fell for his eyes. Wasted love, turns out. Whats the matter, you bastard? Surprised? Were your sons, Dad. Didnt expect that, did you? Didnt think Id ever see you again. But I guess theres justice. Look at you now. This is for Mums tears. For ours. For everything!” Alfie shouted furiously.
Oliver stood frozen. The man on the ground wept silently, only murmuring, “Youre so handsome.”
“Nothing like you! Shame youre our father. Disgusting. Rot here in the streets. Thats your punishment. Cry all you want. You threw away a good lifea family. Ran off for love. Wheres that love now, Dad? Found some tramp to shack up with? Worthless,” Alfie spat.
“Enough! Stop it now, or I swear” Oliver snapped.
Alfie started to retort but gasped. Oliver crouched. Reached out. Touched the dirty cheek, stroked it.
“Hello, Dad.”
The man grabbed his hand, pressed it to his face. Sobbed into it.
Who did he see then? Maybe a little boy with wide eyes, clutching his leg years ago, screaming, “Daddy, dont go!”
Theyd grown up. Both of them. Become men. And he owed them everything.
Alfie kept raging. Dad stayed silent. He deserved it. But what broke him wasnt Alfies angerit was Olivers gentle hand, his quiet forgiveness. Not a single word of blame.
That unspoken love shattered him.
“Come on, Oliver, our trains leaving,” Alfie tugged his brother up.
“Im not going. You go. Ill catch up. I cant leave Dad.”
“What? This scum who ruined Mums life? Are you mad? Look at him! Spit on him and lets go! Ive never been happierhe deserves this!”
Then Oliver lifted his father into his arms. The man was thin, light. Only his arms were stronghow he moved.
People watching gasped. Alfie stood speechless. Dad clung to Olivers neck.
Everything froze. Alfie cursed and stormed off.
“Son my boy. Forgive me. The legs nearly froze back then. I was so lost without you. Wanted to come back, but it didnt work. Just drifted. Leave me, Oliver. I dont deserve this.”
“I forgave you long ago, Dad. But I wont leave you here. Lets get you cleaned up. Im a doctor nowremember when we used to fix my toys? My hippo? Id check his temperature with a spoon! You drove us around in your toy car. You were the driver, I was the doctor. Remember? Well figure something out so you can get around easier. Youll live with meIve got a three-bed. Weekends at the cottage, I built it myself. Youll like the fresh air, the garden. Well have tea in the evenings.”
He walked slowly toward the exit. A young, strong, handsome man, carrying his broken fatherthe man whod abandoned him.
Some shook their heads. Why bother? Let him crawl, like Alfie said.
An eye for an eye.
Others admired it. Said it was blood.
But really, the boy whod healed toy animals had just grown into a good man. One who loved his father, despite everything.
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