「故事·听力」My Father Got Out Of Prison And I Was Afraid Of Him

My Father Got Out Of Prison And I Was Afraid Of Him

Hey guys! I'm Dylan,  and I'm 13. For as long as I can remember, I've lived with my mother, and my father was taken away even before I went to school. I thought everything would change when my dad finally got out of prison. 

Mom and I went to the station to meet my dad. The train arrived and people started to get off. As I was trying to guess which of them was my father, a big, tall man came over, leaned toward me, and said: “Hey, Dylan, I already forgot what you look like, son,” and hugged me tightly. He kissed my mom and we went to the car. The whole way, I couldn't stop looking at him. He looked exactly like I'd imagined:  a big and strong dad - who would be an example for me and will be able to teach me everything.

Good days were finally here. We walked, talked, had fun, and made up for lost time. I showed him photos, told him about school and friends. He listened enthusiastically and asked me about everything. I was so happy that I now had my father back!

Dad started looking for a job, and went on interviews pretty often. But every time he'd come back home sad - he kept getting turned down because of his criminal record. I heard how angry he was after another rejection: “I redeemed myself, I have the right to live a normal life!” Mom was also upset because she had to earn money for all of us.

Soon, my Dad gave up his search and this upset my mother very much. I'd sometimes overhear them during a fight, but in front of me they pretended that everything was fine. The situation in the house was getting tense. To cheer me up, my dad often took me to a cafe or to the movies and gave me pocket money. Once I asked him: "Dad, if you're having problems with finding a job, then how can you afford these things?" He smiled at me and said, "Dylan, dear, I will always find a way to make you happy." When he said these words I felt so warm and comfortable. I instantly forgot about all our problems and believed that everything would be fine. But nothing changed no matter how hard I tried to believe that it would and my mom and dad continued to argue.

One night I wanted to go down to the kitchen to get some water, and I noticed that the light was already on. Downstairs, I saw my dad whispering with an unfamiliar man. This stranger had huge, strong hands. He inspired fear with just one look. He noticed me and smiled: "Wow! Is this your Dylan? Why don`t we take this fighter with us? He's just small enough, he could come in handy," and laughed terribly. Dad pulled him up: "Shhh!" He sent me to my room: "Go to bed, Dylan, you have to get up and go to school soon." I fell asleep trying to figure out who this stranger was, and what he was doing at our home at night.

In the morning we had breakfast as usual, and the curiosity was eating me up. So I asked my Dad: "Who were with you last night, he seemed scary to me." Both of my parents looked at me, and there was an awkward pause. “You must have dreamed that, son,” my father began to say. “Dylan, go to your room,” interrupted my mother. She said it very harshly. I immediately knew what would happen next, and silently left the kitchen. Yep, they began to fight again. But this time, mom was just mad. She screamed loudly, I even heard her say: “How dare you to bring them into our house?” “Do not involve us in your business!” I did not understand what kind of “business” my father had, or why my mother was so angry. But at that moment I felt sorry for my father. I even felt guilty for provoking another fight because of my curiosity.

I decided to help my father find a job. My friend's dad is involved in the construction business, and I thought he may be able to help us. After school, I went to my friend`s home to meet his father. He turned to be very friendly and said that he always needs good workers. He gave me a phone number and said to have my dad call him. I was so happy on my way home, because once my father finds work, my parents will finally stop fighting.

My father was at home when I got there. “Hi dad, I heard something from a friend of mine… His dad is looking for workers at his construction company, I thought maybe you might like to give him a call. The work is hard, but honest.” On the word “honest,” Dad gave me an irritated look and replied: “Great, son, thanks. I will definitely call him,” and put the piece of paper with the phone number in his pocket. It was then that I realized that he didn’t want to work, and this was the only reason he couldn’t find a job earlier. I began to suspect that he only wanted to deal with his “business” and I was so afraid it would end badly.

文本并非一一对应，且不完整，仅供参考阅读