MY DAD, WHO LEFT OUR FAMILY 20 YEARS AGO, CALLED ME FROM HIS DEATHBED TO ASK FOR A FINAL WISH – WHAT HE ASKED FOR BROKE MY HEART.
I have not seen my dad for most of my life. He left my mom and me when I was a teenager and never came back home. I tried not to think about him often, and it almost worked, until one night I got a call from an unknown number. When I hung up, I got a text saying, “ALICE, THIS IS YOUR DAD. PLEASE CALL. I AM IN THE HOSPITAL.”
He never came around when I was in the hospital, he never came to my graduation either, and I knew I was supposed to be angry. But my heart almost stopped when I saw the text. “DON’T TELL YOUR MOM IF YOU WANT TO KNOW THE TRUTH. JUST CALL ME – DAD”
With shaky hands, I dialed the number, not giving myself time for doubts. On the other end, there were beeping sounds, and then there was the voice that I hadn’t heard for twenty years. “I don’t have much time left, listen carefully. There is one thing that I need you to know before I 
My Dad Who Left 20 Years Ago Called from His Deathbed for a Final Wish — What He Asked Broke My Heart
When my estranged father, who left 20 years ago, called from his deathbed, I was torn between anger and curiosity. His final wish revealed shocking truths.
I was getting ready for bed when an unfamiliar number called, followed by a text: “ALICE, THIS IS YOUR DAD. PLEASE CALL, I AM IN THE HOSPITAL.” My heart stopped. Dad? After twenty years? Curiosity won, and I called back.
“Dad?”
“Alice, it’s me. I… I don’t have much time.”
“Why are you calling now?”
“I need to explain… to ask something of you. But please, don’t tell your mother.” He revealed that my grandfather paid him to disappear because he thought Dad was a failure. “I took the money to secure your future.”
“Why didn’t you come back?”
“I couldn’t. But I watched from a distance, saw your graduation, your volleyball games.”
I felt my world tilt. “Why didn’t Mom tell me?”
“Maybe she thought she was protecting you.”
“What do you want now?”
“I need to see you, Alice. One last time before I go.”
I decided to go. At the hospital, he looked frail. “Alice,” he whispered.
“Why did you do it, Dad?”
“I thought it was the best way to secure a future for you. I wrote letters every year. They’re in a safety deposit box.”
After his death, I found the letters. They were filled with his regrets and love. I confronted Mom, who admitted she thought it was best for me too.
In the end, I used the money to start a scholarship fund in his name, honoring his memory and sacrifices.
