PRT 366- “Raye,
Reiko, and Mars”
“Raye,
are you ready?”
“Yes, yes. I’m coming.” I said as
I grabbed my purse and followed him out.
“You realize we’re going shopping,
not clubbing, right? You didn’t need to dress up.”
“I just put some make up on. Michelle
is being hounded by the press, that makes all of us
targets by association. I just wanted to look nice.”
“OK, point. And you always look
beautiful.”
“You’re sweet.”
We got to the mall and started
walking.
“OK, we need to find something to
wear to the
“You don’t think we have enough
clothes to choose from?”
“Nothing we haven’t been seen in.”
“I can wear a polo shirt and
pants. Do I really need a new outfit?”
“Yes, you do, but we have to find
me a dress first. You have to coordinate with me.”
We went to several stores and I tried on several dresses. I finally found a
spaghetti strapped red dress that I loved. It was fitted at the top but pretty
and flowy at the bottom and came to my knees.
“What do you think?” I asked as I
spun around, making the dress twirl.
“You look amazing.”
I smiled, “I love it.”
We paid for my dress and went to
find something for
“Hello?” I answered.
“Raye?”
“Yeah. Who is this?”
“Your father.”
I stopped in my tracks and nearly
dropped the phone, “What do you want?”
“To talk.”
“Who is it?”
“I have nothing to say to you.” I
said into the phone.
“Raye,
like it or not I’m still your father.” he said.
“Only by blood.”
“Please, just hear me out.”
“I’m not interested in anything
you have to say. I don’t know how you got this number, but don’t use it again.”
I said as I hung up. I felt like I’d been punched in the gut.
“Raye, who was that?”
“My father.”
“Your father?”
“Yeah, Takashi
Hino, my father.”
“I didn’t even know he talked to
you.”
“He normally doesn’t. In all the
years you’ve known me have you ever known him to contact me?”
“No actually.”
“There you go.”
“Are you ok?”
“I’m fine. Takashi is just the guy
to slept with my mom. He means nothing to me.”
“Then why do you look like you’ve
seen a ghost?”
“It just caught me off guard,
that’s all.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. Really. Let’s go eat.”
“OK, sure.”
We sat down to eat and as we ate
“You never really told me much
about your dad.”
“There isn’t much to tell. Takashi
runs Hino Inc and has deep political ties. That was always more important than
his family. When my mother died I became an inconvenience to his career so I
was sent to the temple to live with Grandpa. That’s it. There’s nothing else to
tell.” I explained.
“I’m sorry. It must have been hard
growing up without a father.”
“Not really. I miss my mom, but I
never missed Takashi. He made his choice and it wasn’t me.”
“So what do you think he wants
now?”
“I have no idea…nor do I really
care.”
After we ate we headed home. Much
to my shock and dismay, Takashi was standing our front door, waiting for me.
“Raye…”
he said when he saw me.
“Ah hell no. How did you find me?” I asked.
“I have ways. Please, hear me
out.”
I looked at him. I hadn’t seen him
in years…he looked exactly how I remembered him, just older. “I told you, I’m
not interested in anything you have to say.”
“Reiko, please.”
I cringed at my childhood
nickname. My father was ½ Japanese and never much liked that Mom named me
something so American so he called me his Reiko. “My name is Raye.”
“I’m sorry. 5 minutes. That’s all
I ask.”
I sighed, “Fine, come in.”
We went inside.
“Who is this?” Takashi asked,
looking at
“This is my boyfriend, Chad Holdenford.” I said.
“Oh right. The
singer. I’ve read about him. Nice to meet you.”
“Likewise.”
I nodded.
“What do you want?” I asked.
“I know I haven’t been much of a
father since your mother died and I’m sorry for that.” He said.
“You weren’t much of a father
before Mom died.”
“But I tried.”
“I’ll give you that. When we lost
Mom you just stopped trying.”
“Reik…Raye, I didn’t know how to raise a little girl. I was
terrified.”
“No, you wanted to work and I took
up time.”
“Perhaps, but I wouldn’t have
known what to do anyway.”
“And you think Grandpa did?”
“He raised your mother. I trusted
him to raise you as well…and clearly he did a great job.”
“You could have come around…at
least to check in.”
“I know, and I’m sorry. It was
hard to see you…it still is honestly.”
“Oh really?”
“Yes. You look so much like your
mother. I loved Marissa so much.”
“That’s why you never visited her
as she lay dying in the hospital. Guess you didn’t love her more than your
job.”
“I wanted to be there but someone
had to make money to pay for the medical care. It wasn’t free.”
“You still could have shown her you
cared. She needed you. We both did…but you just didn’t care.”
“You think I didn’t care? The
hardest thing in my life was losing her.”
“You think it was easy on anyone
else? She was my mom…Grandpa’s daughter…we were all hurting. I was just a
little girl and so confused. Not only did I lose my mother but I lost my father
too.”
“I know. I messed up. I’ve
recently realized how messed up my priorities were and I want to make amends.”
I looked at him, “Oh really? What
happened?”
“I realized business should never
outrank family.”
“Oh? And how is the business
doing?”
“The economy has been hard on
everyone.”
“Ah-ha!” I cried.
“What?”
“Your business is failing. That’s
why you’re here. What do you want? Money? Or are you
trying to help your public image and be the good father? Or do you just want
your relation to me known to boost sales?”
“None of the
above. Reiko, you’re my daughter. I
just want to know you.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“What can I do to prove myself?”
“Absolutely
nothing. I’m better off without you in my
life.”
“You don’t mean that.”
“The last time I saw you was when I was 12…that was 15 years ago. I’ve been doing
just fine without you.”
“I know, but…”
“No. I don’t want you in my life
Takashi.”
“Risa
would be so sad to hear you speak to me like that.”
“Don’t bring Mom into this. Mom
would be proud of the woman I’ve become.”
“She would…but she would want us
to be a family.”
“Yeah, probably…but you ruined
that when you dumped me so don’t blame me. You’re the only one at fault.”
“Reiko, I hope someday you change
your mind. I do love you and you really do look like your mother.”
“Goodbye Takashi.” I said as I
walked him out. I closed the door behind him and sat back on the sofa and
cried.
A few minutes later
“It’s ok Raye.”
He whispered as he held me.
“He doesn’t give a damn about me.
He just wanted to use me, again. It’s always about him.”
“You don’t need him. You have
people that love you and care about you. You have me. I love you so much Raye.”
“I love you too.” I whispered as I
hid my face against his neck.
“He’s gone. You don’t need to
worry about him anymore.”
“I have a bad feeling it isn’t
over
“Then we’ll face him together.”
“Thank you.”
“For what?”
“Putting up with
me. I know I can be mean and push you
away, but you still stay by my side and love me. I couldn’t ask for a better
man.”
“I love you Raye
and that will never change. I’ve always loved you.”
“I know.”
“Come on, we need to pack for
I nodded and followed
I pulled out my suitcase and
started packing.
“Do you think Michelle will go to
the premiere?”
“Not if she knows what’s good for
her. Besides, since those pictures leaked she’ll probably want to keep a low
profile.” I said.
“Any idea how those pictures got
out?”
“No. To be honest I’m kinda surprised. Michelle is normally more careful.”
“I wouldn’t want to be Jon right
now. His family can’t be happy.”
“Dot is probably used to it.”
“That’s sad.”
I nodded, “Yeah, it is.”
“You know I’d never cheat on you,
right?”
“I know. I trust you completely.
Cheating is so wrong. I’d never cheat on you either.”
“I know. I trust you too…but you
did just lie to me.”
I looked at him, “I did?”
“Yeah. You said you trust me completely. You don’t. I know you’re
hiding something from me. I don’t know what it is, but you have a secret.”
“What would make you say that?”
“You take off suddenly at odd times,
you always have a very thin excuse for where you’ve been, and when I ask you
about it you snap at me. If you’re not cheating then you’re hiding something
else.”
I sighed, “
“Why do you think I haven’t pushed
it? I do trust you.”
I nodded. I felt horrible. I did
want to tell