Tristan

   I dropped a rose at the gravestone in front of me as my aunt shooed her six children into her broke down van. She came back to where I stood and put her hand around my shoulders.

   "So you're in college now huh?" She asked jokingly and I gave her a small smile. "You know, your mum will been so proud to see her son looking manly right now." She added and I nodded.

   "She will." I said, my eyes not leaving the gravestone. My aunt stayed quiet for sometime before a loud shriek interrupted the silence.

   "Mum!!!" One of her children yelled and my aunt sighed and patted my back.

   "Don't worry too much about your father. He'll eventually get back to his senses." She said before running off to her car. My father... Do I still have one?

**Flashback**
Almost a year ago..

   "Tristan with these grades, you can secure a scholarship. Well done." My maths teacher said handing me my test sheet. I have him a small smile and walked out of the class.

  "Hey, let's go to the cafeteria. I'm starving." Cole whined. He was already adjusting to his new hairstyle and to be honest, he was pulling it off.

   As soon as we entered the cafeteria, a couple of cheerleaders flooded us batting their lashes at us and it was very unusual.

   "Hey Tris, you know we are close friends right?" Nadia, the head cheerleader, asked suddenly and I eyed her suspiciously.

  "What do you want?" I asked bluntly taking her by surprise. I wasn't a friendly person neither was I a people's man so it was quite shocking for me to be crowded by the top of the rank girls.

   "I was wondering if you need a plus one for the wedding. You know it's in Italy and all.." She said and I looked a her in confusion. Wedding?

   "What wedding?" I asked and she playfully rolled her eyes.

   "Come on, take me with you to your dad's wedding. I love Italy and.." My father? What is she on about?

   "Nadia, what are you talking about?"  I asked raising my voice and she looked at me in confusion.

   "Your dad's wedding.. It's in Italy." She tried explaining and I looked at her in confusion.. in fear.. "You didn't know? It's all over news. Your dad's remarrying a rich chick in Italy this weekend."

   I ran back home like my life depended on it.. Because it did. This can't be true right? Its just absurd. My father can't be remarrying. He physically abused me for almost six years of my life because he still loves my mum right? It's impossible.

  I didn't even wait for the gate to completely open before running into the house. What I met in front of me froze me to the core.. I saw movers carrying our property into a van and most importantly, my dad was laughing his heart out with a woman in his arms. As if he could feel my gaze, he locked eyes with me and his smile dropped.

   "Tristan." He said and I felt a million questions rush to my mouth yet i couldn't spit one. "This is Claire, my wife-to-be." He said like it was nothing. Like he didn't ruin my life while mourning his wife. Like he didn't consider me dead six years ago with his wife.

   "Is he still here?" The woman beside him asked giving me a look of disgust and I stepped back a little.

   "Not at all, he's leaving today." My own father said. Leaving? Did I pass out at some point in my life and ten years passed by? What is everyone talking about? "Tristan let's talk." He said walking into our house. I slowly followed behind him because I felt like my legs would give out.

   "Tristan." My father said calling back my attention. I looked up at him and he looked away. "As you must've heard, I'll be remarrying and this house will be of no use so I'll need you to leave. Claire doesn't want to take care of a growing boy to avoid any unwanted scandal." He said.

  "Dad, can you even hear yourself?!" I snapped and he looked taken aback for a second. "You want your son to be homeless just because you want to remarry? What about mum? I thought you claimed you'd never replace her?" I asked and slowly my eyes filled with tears. I hate the fact that I am weak. That I couldn't talk to him the way I wanted to.

  "Desperate times calls for desperate measures. Stay with your aunt, I'll send your allowance to you. Your school fees up until college will be covered." He simply said. I wondered what was going through his mind at that point, what hardened his heart to make such decision, what made him loose the last sense of humanity he had. He was about to walk away when he stopped and I still had a little hope that he'll take his words back but I was so wrong.

   "And I really don't want you ruin things for me. Your bad luck killed your father and I took you and your mother in. Even though I hated it, I still took you in. So be a good son even though not biological and grant this request." And he left. He left my life for good.

**present**
  
   I walked back to my car and looked at the gravestone one more time. It's been almost seven years since she died and this was the first year my father didn't come. Staying with my aunt wasn't bad at all but the woman already had a lot on her shoulders and a teenage boy wasn't what she needed.

   I had to let her go of the burden and move out. I told her that I was staying with a friend. Truly I was.. I stayed in my car. The only good thing my allowance funded. It's been fine for a few weeks now and I'm not complaining at all.

   I entered my car and drove to a drive through to get something to eat. Just as I was about to join the queue, something caught my eye. I parked my car by the roadside and crossed the road. A blue floral sundress stood behind a show glass and i couldn't help but recall my mother's favourite colour. Unlike other women, she was obsessed with the colour. The summer dress had a matching cream hat on top. I let my imagination take the best of me. I imagined coming home to see my mum dressed in the floral dress about to head out to a get together, it was all wishful thinking.

   I realized I stood there for long and noticed a figure beside me. I decided to leave, it was probably the store keeper there to ask me to quit blocking the show glass.

   After getting my dinner, I drove to the place that has been my thinking place for the past few weeks. I sat on the edge with my dinner and took a bite. I wonder what my father will be up to, if he ever thought about the son he rendered homeless, the son he killed inside.

~Korisa