My dad used to drive me to school at 5:00 a.m., hours before anyone else got there. He would always park far away, near a broken fence, saying that walking in the morning mist was “good for us” and a nice way to start the day. One foggy morning, I asked him why we parked so far. He just said it was for the fresh air.
Years later, I learned the painful truth, and it crushed me. My aunt told me that after my mom left, my dad had been struggling to make ends meet, working extra shifts just to keep our car running. As a kid, I had no idea what he was going through because he always smiled.
Looking back 20 years later, I now realize that he parked far away because he didn’t want anyone to see our old, falling-apart car. He was scared that other kids would make fun of me if they saw how poor we were. Those early mornings and long walks were his way of protecting me from being judged.
