One Two Punch - Chapter Three: "Student-Teacher Conference"

Sorry it took so long, but this is the longest chapter in the story.

Chapter Three: “Student-Teacher Conference”

The Saturday after my phone calls to Tina and Jennifer, I decide to find if these people who have my son still live at that address Jennifer gave me. I find it relatively easy and park on their driveway. What if it’s the wrong house?
I ring their doorbell and wait. The door opens to reveal a man with graying hair, much shorter than myself, with glasses and a sweater vest on.
“May I help you?” he asks.
“Yes, I’m looking for…” I pause as I realize I don’t know the boys name. “…your son?” I guess.
“My son? Who are you?” he asks.
“I am a teacher at Lakeview High School.” Better that than “I’m the real father to your son!”
“Oh! Are you one of Danny’s teachers?”
“Yes, yes I am.” I’m probably following right into a lie-trap.
“Which one?”
Seeing as my last name’s unique, I go with my subject instead. “His history teacher,” I reply.
“Oh, so you’re Mr. Hollins?”
My jaw drops. How does this guy know my name? Wait, I’m actually this man’s son’s teacher? This can’t be right. “Yes, I am Mr. Hollins. I’m Mike Hollins.” I shake hands with him. “I need to talk with him about his grade.” On the weekend?
“Oh, well please, come in.” I step into their entry-way and look around at their very nice house. “I’m Lloyd Anderson, Danny’s father. Danny, come here, someone here to see you!” he shouts up the stairs.
Danny comes down the hall and appears at the top of the stairs. They must have moved in here. No way am I my own student’s father. “Mr. Hollins, what are you doing here?” he asks me.
“Well, Danny, I am just here to talk with you about your grade.”
“Why, is something wrong?” he asks with concern.
“No, not at all, we just need to clarify a few things.”
“Why don’t you have anything with you?” he asks. Why couldn’t I have at least brought a notebook?
“Because, er… everything is online! You know technology…” I am amazed at my brilliance to come up with this. “Can we go on your computer, Danny?” I ask him.
“Sure, I guess. It just seems weird for a teacher to go on my computer. I mean, couldn’t you have talked to me at school?”
“Well, with all your clubs and activities you have…” I reply.
“Oh, well, okay.”
We head up to his room, with Danny’s suddenly quiet father following. As we get in, he enters as well. I don’t want to do this in front of him.
“I’d actually rather talk to Danny alone, if I could,” I tell him.
“Oh, ok. You be good, son,” he says. He steps out and shuts the door behind him.
“So, what do you want me to do on my computer?” Danny asks me.
“Listen, this isn’t about your grade,” I tell him. Better not beat around the bush.
“Well then, what is it about?” he asks me.
“I need to ask you something. I need an honest answer.” He looks at me with a puzzled look on his face. “How long have you lived here?” I ask.
“My whole life. My parents moved in here right before I was born,” he says.
I guess I’m really his father! Now that I think about it, he does look a bit like me. He’s kind of tall like me, his hair’s the same, but he has his mother’s eyes. And as I think about it, his mother’s intelligence, too.
“Ok…” I say. How do I tell this kid I am his father? What if he doesn’t believe me? “I guess there’s no other way to say this but…. I’m your father.” I finish.
“What?” Danny asks. He has a very suspicious look on his face. “Who put you up to this? Was it my friend Tyler?” he asks.
“No, I am here on my own accord.”
“You must be joking. I already have a father. You met him!” he says as the panic starts to rise in his voice.
“He is your adoptive father. I’m your real or birth father,” I tell him.
“Wait, are you serious? I mean DEAD serious?” he asks me. I guess this kid wants his facts straight.
“Yes!” I exclaim, getting a little impatient.
“OK, you look me in the eye and without blinking, say the truth,” he dares me.
I move a little closer to Danny and trying really hard not to blink, say, “Danny, I am your father.”
“Oh my god. Wait, if you’re my father, then why haven’t you said anything to me all year? I mean, you are my history teacher,” Danny says.
“I just found out too. I knew I had a son, somewhere, but I didn’t know it was you,” I reply.
“Hang on, let me ask my dad,” he says as he gets up to leave.
I grab him to stop him from leaving and say, “No-no-no-no-no-no-no. I don’t want him to know I’m your father.”
“Why not?” Danny asks me.
“Because, we had a closed adoption and if your dad found out I, your real father, was here, I would be violating it. Which means he could press legal action against me. I mean… you don’t want your teacher to go to jail, do you?” I ask. Then I rethink it. “Don’t answer that,” I say as Danny opens his mouth.
“How about if I just ask him if I’m adopted?”
I ponder this for a while. Sure the dad will get mad at me, but not because I’m violating the closed adoption. “Okay, but you have to say your father is someone else, ok?”
“OK. I just want to make sure you’re telling the truth,” Danny says.
“I am!” I say.
“We’ll see.”
We go out into the living room where Danny’s father is watching television. He hears us coming and turns around and says, “Hey, sport, everything all right?”
“Yeah. Can I ask you a question, though?” Danny asks.
“Sure,” his dad replies.
“Am I adopted?”
Danny’s father, Lloyd, gets up from the couch and looks at his son, and then me. In a serious voice he then says “Now where would you get that idea?”
“I’ve just been wondering. I mean, I’ve looked at me, and I’ve looked at you and mom, and I just don’t see many similarities,” Danny replies.
“Excuse us, Mr. Hollins, I’d like a moment with my son, please,” Lloyd tells me.
“Sure, no problem. I have to go to the bathroom anyway. Where is it?” I ask.
“Down the hall, first door on the right,” he says.
“Gotcha. Thanks.” I tell him. I walk to their bathroom and shut the door. Truth be told, I made up the fact that I had to go the bathroom. I just press my ear up against the door and try to hear their conversation, but I can only hear bits and pieces.
“I haven’t? I thought I have,” I hear Danny say. He hasn’t what?
“…Does it have to do with Mr. Hollins?” I hear his father say.
I take my head away from the door and wonder what Danny is going to say. I realize I don’t want to hear his answer. Next thing I know, I hear the word “bastard!” from the living room. I hear Lloyd coming so I open the door and there he stands, as tall as he possibly can, right in front of me.
“How dare you tell my son he’s adopted!” he yells at me.
“With all due respect, sir, but who goes eighteen years without telling their kid he’s adopted?” I reply.
“I felt there was no reason to! Things were going along fine, and now you come along, and mess everything up! There was no reason for Danny to know!”
“I am very sorry, sir. I had no idea it would upset you this much. I thought Danny already knew,” I come up with.
“Yeah, he did think I already knew,” Danny adds.
Danny’s father calms down, and says, “Well, I guess I should’ve known it wouldn’t have lasted forever.”
“If you don’t mind me asking, sir, where’s your wife?”
“She doesn’t live here anymore. She and I divorced five years ago,” Lloyd replies.
“I am so sorry. Listen, I gotta go. Nice meeting you, Mr. Anderson,” I say.
“Yeah, sure,” he replies.
“Danny, I’ll see you in class on Monday.”
“Yeah.”