One day, a father came home with one thick book of stories to be given to his 4 years old daughter, which she accepted with grand excitement. She stared at him, plead him to read it to her that night, and he did.
Her mind wandered between the legends of the princesses inside, she was also surprised with a story about how a frog can turn to be a handsome prince and how no matter how long you sleep, what poison fruits you take, how mean and cruel people will treat those princesses, a knight in shining armor will always come along with his bright smile and a happy ending kiss.
Every night, she will ask her father to re-read the stories over and over again, and then one day the father asked:
“why do you love this book so much. I bought you lot of other books too, you know. Maybe you want me to read you this adventure story of 3 rabbits?” Offered her father.
But she shook her head and started crying. Asked the father to read the very book he reads to her every night. The father played along, because he didn’t want to make her little princess sad.
It concerned him the fact that his daughter was addicted to fairy tales, he himself had known it better about life. So, after reading his daughter’s favorite tale, he asked her to listen to him.
“Baby, one day you will grow up. And one day, you will get out of this house and face the life out there. It isn’t a save place, but I promise you it will be very exiting and fun. People will not always be nice to you, just like the fairy tales there are good guys and bad guys. Then again, you cannot rely on the hope of the knight in shining armor that will catch you and kiss away you sorrow. There will come a day when the only one that you can rely on is yourself. When that time comes, I need you to promise me to be strong.”
“But Daddy, what if I’m not strong? What if the Witch do something bad to me and I fall asleep for a hundred years? What if I accidentally eat the poisoned apple? What happen then? Can’t my prince charming come and kiss me awake?”
The father chuckle.
“When that happened, you can always rely on me, baby. I might not look as handsome as that prince charming in the book, but I love you. If your life doesn’t play like a fairy tale, I’ll be here to back you up. You know why? Because we’re family and we take care of each other. No matter what.”
“Promise Daddy?” she offered him her pinky.
“I promise, love.” He took her pinky with his and lock them.
15 years later..
A father can only stare in disbelieve when his daughter came home drunk with a boy he never knew. It broke his heart when his daughter told him that she’ll move in with the boy, leaving him alone. After all, she's all he has left.
He asked her to stay for the night, until she’s sober enough to think about her decision.
She was rebellious and blinded by the illusion of your love. She told her father to fuck off, she told him to stop interfering with her life for now she’s a grown up.
It shocked the father’s very core to witness his little princess had turned into this smelly-drunk-cold hearted-young lady. He tried to hide the disappointment in his face and make himself believe that his daughter said that only because she’s drunk. Then he asked her again, to stay and think about her decision.
Again, she refused. She mentioned something about finding her own fairy tale, how she finally met her prince charming and how her father was wrong all the time. In the end, she took of with one big luggage of her stuff and left her father in the most hurtful heartache.
Another 5 years later..
A man in his 50s was sitting on his porch. Enjoying his cigars while watching the neighbor’s children play around the lemonade stand. He remembers those days when he used to chase down the love of his life, his only daughter. He remembered how dirty she could get after playing on the yard all summer and how he showed her how to make the best lemonade for her stand.
That was a long time ago. He always misses those days when loves are given sincerely. So pure it breaks his heart over and over again whenever he remembers the last time he met his daughter.
He tried to call her, he sent her mails, he asked around about her. But no one knows where she is. In his prayer to the Lord each night only consist of a wish that God will give her mercy and that she’s alive.
He’s finally awake from his daydream that afternoon, when a car pull over in front of his yard.
His heart stopped for a split second. That’s a familiar face that he recognizes from the past. The face of a little girl that always calls him “Daddy” with her own cute way. Only this time she doesn’t come with a huge smile on her face. Tears had brought down all the happiness left in her.
They locked eyes.
More tears fall down from her eyes.
The father finally catches his breath.
“You’re right Daddy, life is no fairy tale.” She burst out.
“No? But I promised you, you can always rely on me when the prince charming failed you.”
She ran to him and cry out loud on his shoulder. He tried to ignore all of the back pain that’s been bugging him lately and stand tall to be the rock his daughter needs him to be.
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