Chapter 23

“I would like to borrow money to pay for my college,” I began to say, pouring myself a jar of juice. I accidentally spilled a point of the liquid on the sleeve of my father's jacket, and hurried to clean it. He didn't even retreat his arm, he didn't even seem to notice that the orange juice soaked much of the white linen fabric. "I think it's time to get out of this house. So I need money for college. I want to pay her in full. Then I can get a job and a new place to live."

"So are you going to leave us too?" my father asked, now focusing his eyes on the back of the chair on the other side of the room. I also looked, afraid to find a haunting sitting there. The space was empty. There were no plates in front of the seat, and my father's gaze seemed to have moved far away, as if he were watching a scene unfold right before his eyes. He didn't need to add words for me to understand what he was thinking, assuming. "Isn't the pain you caused us for your brother enough?"

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