ᴡʜʏ ᴅɪᴅɴ'ᴛ ʜᴇ ᴜɴᴅᴇʀsᴛᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɪ ᴡᴀs ᴛʜᴇ sᴀᴍᴇ? ᴅɪᴅ ɪ ᴅᴏ sᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴡʀᴏɴɢ? ɪ sɪɢʜᴇᴅ ᴀɴᴅ ᴡᴀʟᴋᴇᴅ ʜᴏᴍᴇ sʟᴏᴡʟʏ.  ɪ ᴅɪᴅɴ'ᴛ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ғᴀᴄᴇ ᴛʜᴇᴍ ʙᴜᴛ ɪ ʜᴀᴅ ᴛᴏ. ᴡʜᴇɴ ɪ ғɪɴᴀʟʟʏ ᴏᴘᴇɴᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴏᴏʀ,  ғᴀᴛʜᴇʀ ᴡᴀs sᴛᴀɴᴅɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ᴡɪᴛʜ ʜɪs ᴀʀᴍs ᴄʀᴏssᴇᴅ. "ʏᴏᴜ ᴀʀᴇ ɪɴ ᴀ ʟᴏᴛ ᴏғ ᴛʀᴏᴜʙʟᴇ,  ʏᴏᴜɴɢ ʟᴀᴅʏ. " ʜᴇ sᴀɪᴅ.  "ғᴜᴄᴋ ᴏғғ. " ɪ sɴᴇᴇʀᴇᴅ.  ɪ ᴡᴀʟᴋᴇᴅ ᴀᴡᴀʏ ʙᴜᴛ ʜᴇ ɢʀᴀʙʙᴇᴅ ᴍʏ ᴀʀᴍ.  "ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ʏᴏᴜ ᴅᴀʀᴇ sᴘᴇᴀᴋ ᴛᴏ ʏᴏᴜʀ ғᴀᴛʜᴇʀ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴡᴀʏ!" ʜᴇ sᴄᴏʟᴅᴇᴅ. "ʙᴜᴛ ɪ ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ʜᴏᴡ ᴛᴏ ᴀᴄᴛ ɪɴ ғʀᴏɴᴛ ᴏғ ᴍʏ ғᴀᴛʜᴇʀ sɪɴᴄᴇ ʜᴇ's ʙᴇᴇɴ ɢᴏɴᴇ ғᴏʀ 8 ɢᴏᴅғᴏʀsᴀᴋᴇɴ ʏᴇᴀʀs,  ʟᴇᴀᴠɪɴɢ ᴍᴇ ᴀʟʟ ᴀʟᴏɴᴇ ɪɴ ᴀ ʜᴏᴜsᴇ, ᴛʀʏɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ᴍᴀᴋᴇ ᴀ ʟɪᴠɪɴɢ ᴏғғ ᴏғ ᴍʏ ᴡʀɪᴛɪɴɢ. " ʜᴇ ʟᴇᴛ ɢᴏ ᴏғ ᴍʏ ᴀʀᴍ ᴀɴᴅ ɪ ᴡᴇɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ᴍʏ ʀᴏᴏᴍ. ᴜɴғᴏʀᴛᴜɴᴀᴛᴇʟʏ,  ɪ sᴀᴡ ᴍᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ғᴜᴍɪᴏ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ.  "ᴍᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ᴡʜʏ ɪs ᴛʜɪs ᴏɴᴇ ʜᴇʀᴇ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ɢᴜᴇsᴛ ʀᴏᴏᴍ?" ɪ ᴀsᴋᴇᴅ ᴘᴏʟɪᴛᴇʟʏ. "ʏᴏᴜ ʙᴏᴛʜ ᴡɪʟʟ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴛᴀʟᴋ ᴛᴏ ᴇᴀᴄʜ ᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ sᴇᴛ ᴀsɪᴅᴇ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴅɪғғᴇʀᴇɴᴄᴇs. ᴡʜᴀᴛ ʏᴏᴜ ᴅɪᴅ ᴛᴏᴅᴀʏ ᴡᴀs ɴᴏᴛ ᴀᴄᴄᴇᴘᴛᴀʙʟᴇ. " sʜᴇ ᴄʟᴏsᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴏᴏʀ ᴀɴᴅ ʟᴇғᴛ.  ɪ sᴛᴀʀᴇᴅ ᴀᴛ ʜɪᴍ ᴡʜɪʟᴇ ɪ ᴡᴀs sɪᴛᴛɪɴɢ ᴏɴ ᴛʜᴇ ғʟᴏᴏʀ.  "ᴡᴇʟʟ?" ʜᴇ sᴀɪᴅ. ɪ ᴅɪᴅɴ'ᴛ ᴀɴsᴡᴇʀ ʙᴜᴛ ɪɴsᴛᴇᴀᴅ ᴡᴇɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ᴍʏ ᴅᴇsᴋ ᴀɴᴅ sᴛᴀʀᴛᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴡʀɪᴛᴇ. ɪ ᴀʟsᴏ ᴜsᴇᴅ sᴏᴍᴇ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ sᴜᴘᴘʟɪᴇs ɪ ʙᴏᴜɢʜᴛ. "ʟᴇᴀᴠᴇ. ɴᴏᴡ. " ɪ sᴀɪᴅ. "ɴᴏ. ᴍᴏᴛʜᴇʀ sᴀɪᴅ ᴡᴇ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴛᴀʟᴋ ᴛᴏ ᴇᴀᴄʜ ᴏᴛʜᴇʀ. " ɪ ʀᴏʟʟᴇᴅ ᴍʏ ᴇʏᴇs.  "ᴡᴇʟʟ,  ᴡᴇ ᴀʀᴇ ᴛᴀʟᴋɪɴɢ ɴᴏᴡ sᴏ ᴡᴇ ᴀᴄᴄᴏᴍᴘʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏᴜʀ ɢᴏᴀʟ. "ɪ sᴀɪᴅ ᴄᴏʟᴅʟʏ. "ᴛʜɪs ɪs ᴇxᴀᴄᴛʟʏ ᴡʜʏ ʏᴏᴜ ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ʙᴇʟᴏɴɢ ʜᴇʀᴇ.  ɴᴏ ᴏɴᴇ ɴᴇᴇᴅs ᴀ ɢɪʀʟ ʟɪᴋᴇ ʏᴏᴜ.  ᴅɪsᴏʙᴇʏɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴜʟᴇs. " ʜᴇ sʜᴏᴏᴋ ʜɪs ʜᴇᴀᴅ.  ᴛʜᴏsᴇ ᴡᴏʀᴅs ᴀɢᴀɪɴ.  ɪ ᴘᴜᴛ ᴅᴏᴡɴ ᴍʏ ᴘᴇɴ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛᴜʀɴᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ʜɪᴍ.  "ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛʜɪɴᴋ ɪ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ᴛʜᴀᴛ?" ɪ ᴀsᴋᴇᴅ.  "ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛʜɪɴᴋ ɪ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ᴡʜᴇɴ ɪ ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ʙᴇʟᴏɴɢ? ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛʜɪɴᴋ ɪ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ᴡʜᴇʀᴇ ɪ'ᴍ ɴᴏᴛ ʟᴏᴠᴇᴅ? ʙᴇʜɪɴᴅ ʏᴏᴜʀ sᴍɪʟᴇs ᴀʀᴇ ʟɪᴇs,  ғᴜᴍɪᴏ. ɪ'ᴠᴇ ʟᴇᴀʀɴᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴀᴛ sɪɴᴄᴇ ɪ ᴡᴀs ᴇɪɢʜᴛ.  ᴡʜᴇɴ ɪ ᴡᴀs ᴅɪsᴏᴡɴᴇᴅ ʙʏ ᴍʏ ᴘᴀʀᴇɴᴛs. " ɪ ᴇxᴘʟᴀɪɴᴇᴅ.  "ɢᴏᴏᴅ ғᴏʀ ʏᴏᴜ.  ʏᴏᴜ ɢᴏᴛ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ʏᴏᴜ ᴅᴇsᴇʀᴠᴇᴅ. " ɪ ᴡᴀʟᴋᴇᴅ ᴜᴘ ᴛᴏ ʜɪᴍ ᴀɴᴅ sʟᴀᴘᴘᴇᴅ ʜɪᴍ ɪɴ ʜɪs ғᴀᴄᴇ.  "ɴᴏ ᴄʜɪʟᴅ ᴅᴇsᴇʀᴠᴇs ᴛʜᴀᴛ. ɴᴏᴛ ᴇᴠᴇɴ ʏᴏᴜ, ғᴜᴍɪᴏ. " ɪ ᴡᴇɴᴛ ʙᴀᴄᴋ ᴛᴏ ᴡʀɪᴛɪɴɢ. "ʙᴇғᴏʀᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ʟᴇᴀᴠᴇ,  ɪ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴏɴᴇ ǫᴜᴇsᴛɪᴏɴ. " ɪ sᴀɪᴅ. "ᴡʜᴀᴛ ɪs ɪᴛ?" ʜᴇ sɪɢʜᴇᴅ.  "ʏᴏᴜ ʜᴀᴛᴇ ᴍᴇ ᴇᴠᴇʀ sɪɴᴄᴇ ɪ ᴡᴀʟᴋᴇᴅ ᴛʜʀᴏᴜɢʜ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴅᴏᴏʀ. ᴡʜʏ ɪs ᴛʜᴀᴛ?" ɪ ᴀsᴋᴇᴅ.  "ғᴀᴛʜᴇʀ ʟᴏᴏᴋᴇᴅ ʟɪᴋᴇ ʜᴇ ᴡᴀɴᴛᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴄʀʏ. ʜᴇ ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ ʟᴏᴏᴋs ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴛʜᴀᴛ.  ʜᴇ's ᴀʟᴡᴀʏs ᴀ ᴄʜᴇᴇʀғᴜʟ ᴍᴀɴ.  ʏᴏᴜ sᴇᴇᴍᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ʀᴜɪɴɪɴɢ ʜɪᴍ. ʜᴇ ʟᴏᴏᴋᴇᴅ sᴏ ᴜᴘsᴇᴛ. ɪ ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ᴄᴀʀᴇ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ʏᴏᴜ sᴀɪᴅ. ɪ ᴅᴇsᴘɪsᴇ ᴀɴʏᴏɴᴇ ᴡʜᴏ ᴍᴀᴋᴇs ᴍʏ ᴘᴀʀᴇɴᴛs ғᴇᴇʟ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴡᴀʏ. " ɪ sʜʀᴜɢɢᴇᴅ.  "ɢᴏᴏᴅ ғᴏʀ ʏᴏᴜ.  ᴍᴀʏʙᴇ,  ʏᴏᴜ ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅ sᴀʏ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴛᴏ ᴍʏ ᴍᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ᴛᴏᴏ? sʜᴇ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ᴅɪᴇ ғᴏʀ sᴏᴍᴇᴏɴᴇ ʟɪᴋᴇ ʏᴏᴜ. " ʜᴇ sᴄᴏғғᴇᴅ ᴀɴᴅ ʟᴇғᴛ ᴍᴇ ᴀʟᴏɴᴇ. ɴᴏᴡ,  ɪ ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅ ғɪɴᴀʟʟʏ ᴄʀʏ.