I miss my papa.
He used to take us to fairs, on short drives on his bike or in his car, or simply out for some fresh air. We never needed a reason to leave the house. Even the smallest drive felt like an adventure because he was there.
I miss those days. I miss laughing in the back seat, watching the roads pass by, and feeling like everything was okay as long as my papa was driving.
Where did my papa go?
He’s still here, but sometimes it feels like the man I grew up with slowly disappeared somewhere along the way. I don’t know if he changed, if life became too heavy for him, or if I just grew up and started seeing things differently.
I hate that growing up means watching the people you love become strangers. I hate that the little things stopped happening without anyone even noticing. I miss the version of my papa who always found time for us.
I don’t want expensive gifts or grand gestures. I just want one more drive. One more evening where he says, “Come on, let’s go out for a while. “I just want my papa back.
