Father's Day Special!

Dedicated to my father, who pushes me to be the best student, friend, sister, and writer every day...

It’s Father’s Day, so having a special bonus is a must! Usually, my family might spend extra time with my dad by going out for lunch or something. It’s just a day where we say thank you, nothing more and nothing less. But this year, I wanted to do something different. My dad would tell me and my brother a story every night before bed, stories that other people told him when he was younger. It feels right to share one story today.

...

Not too long ago, there was a small village. At first sight, there was nothing special about this petite town. Most of the villagers worked at self-owned plantations or had a job at the local rice mill. But unlike most, a young, ten-year-old boy named Bram refused to go along with the norm. Instead, he started to write poetry. 

At first, people were skeptical and judgmental, especially his father. No one from the town had ever tried to become anything other than a farmer. However, once Bram began to read his poems and songs to the people, everyone started to think differently. Soon, they began to love and appreciate Bram's poetry; Everyone except his father.

No matter how unique or expressive Bram’s writing was it never impressed his father. In every piece of Bram's poetry, his father always pointed out a flaw that no one else caught.  

Although he got frustrated every time, Bram didn’t give up. He let those emotions drive him and made it his mission to write a poem that his father would love.  

Soon, Bram's poetry began to take over the town. Everyone would huddle around him to ask for updates on new poems. He became a young celebrity in the town! But Bram never cared much about what the rest of the town felt. The only judgment that mattered to him was his father’s. 

One day, Bram wrote a poem about his father. He based the poem on every moment and memory he and his father shared. Bram put everything he had in this poem. But, when his father read it, everything went downhill. 

“You’re missing your spark, Bram,” his father said. 

“What do you mean by spark? I did everything you told me to!” Bram couldn’t believe it. He spent months trying to ensure that this poem was perfect and praiseworthy. Now his “spark” was missing?

“Your spark is what makes you unique. In every poem that you wrote, you never lost sight of it. But now you did.” Bram’s father’s face was emotionless, as if what he said was normal and not devastating at all. 

Bram was furious. He tried so hard to impress his father with his work and talents. But he was never even remotely happy to see Bram's works. “You never liked that I did this in the first place. Your farm and your job. That’s all you care about. That’s all you love. You’ve never even thought to say something positive about my poetry once. Once! How can I call you my father when you don’t act like it?” 

Bram stormed out of the room and locked himself behind his bedroom door. Bram’s father remained right where he was for the rest of the day, without letting a single emotion show on his face.  

Meanwhile, Bram collected all his rough drafts and newspaper clippings and piled them on his bedroom floor. He ripped a matchbox from his drawer, but before he could demolish everything he worked on, he heard his mother’s voice outside the door. 

“How could you do this to him? He spent months trying to write this for you. Not to mention the many other poems he’s written. You never give him a good review. Why can’t you just make him happy for once?" Bram's mother's voice rang around their tiny house, rattling the wooden walls. What surprised Bram, though, was how soft and small his father's voice was in return.

“Do you think I want to do this? It breaks my heart to see that he’s hurting. But, if I give him good reviews, who’s going to make him grow? The whole town loves his writing. If I acted like them, would he have written the beautiful poems he published?” Bram’s father was barely audible.  

This caught Bram off guard. All this time, he saw his father as a cruel, unforgiving man who made it his mission to bring Bram down. But now, he saw a new person. A man who was ridiculously selfless and brave enough to put his son's well-being in front of his respect.

Bram made a huge mistake. Instead of understanding or moving on, he insulted the one man who motivated him to grow into the poet he was that day. In a way, all of the respect and praise that the town showed Bram was his father's too. Bram put out the match, straightened his room, and went to find his father. When he did, he ran into his arms, sobbing.

"I'm sorry, Father. I didn't mean anything I said. You are the best father I could ever ask for."

At first, Bram's father was stiff and shocked, but as every word sank into him, he relaxed and pulled Bram close.

"You have nothing to be sorry for. I'm your father, and I'll do whatever it takes to make sure you're happy. Always."

...

Happy Father's Day to all the selfless and loving fathers who make endless sacrifices that often go unrecognized...