annoyed]:
Dad, I can’t go.
Me: Yes, you can. It’ll be great. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime thing. Pack your bags and come with me. Don’t miss out.
Florida: I’ve got so much acting to do. So many commitments. I can’t go. You must know that.
Me: But this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
It’s the very first day the theme park is open. You’re going to be the first person on the rides! REALLY.
Florida: No.
Me: You’ll like it when you get there.
Florida: No, I won’t.
Me: Yes, you will. Just you and me together, father and daughter, like old times.
Florida: Together?
Me: Yeah. Me and you, father and daughter. What d’you think? We never spend any time together now because you’re always acting and I’m always directing films.
Florida: Well, you should have said so earlier. I can’t go now.
Me: Why not?
Another long pause. Lisa said, “Go on, Florida, tell us why not.”
Florida: Because I don’t want to. I already said that. Can’t you get it into your thick head?
Me: I was only trying to give you something nice. I thought you’d like to go on a holiday with your dad.
Florida: Well, I wouldn’t. Because I’m too busy doing other things.
Lisa said the drama was very real and also very moving. “I felt very sorry for the dad, who obviously wanted to spend more time with his daughter but she was too busyto make time for him. And Liam, you were so…dadlike. You really were like a real dad. Like my own dad, in fact. He was always saying I’d like it when I got there and…I’m sorry.” She had to stop talking because she was crying. In the end she did this huge sniff, looked at Florida and said, “And, Florida, you were very good too. You were…oh!” And then she ran out of the room.
While she was out, I tried quickly to tempt Florida with the trip. “First in. First go of all the rides. Exclusive entry. No queues. Free food.”
“Why? Why did they invite you?”
“It was a prize. I was specially selected.”
“And why would you want me to come?”
“Well, the prize was for a father and child.”
“So?” For a second she didn’t seem to get it. Then it hit her. “Oh! Oh. No, no, no, no, no…”
“Why not? We used to do it all the time.”
“Exactly. We used to do it all the time; then we nearly had a car crash.”
“We did not nearly have a car crash. We sat in a car and then my dad turned up.”
“And what if your dad hadn’t turned up? No, no, no, no, no. No.”
She was still saying no when the lesson was over and we were hurrying through the Strand. I said, “Hey, d’you want to go to Newz and Booze and look at the magazines like we used to?”
“No. I’ve got to pick my little brother up from the childminder’s.”
“I didn’t know you had a little brother.”
“You don’t know a lot of things.”
Florida’s brother is three, he’s got loads of curly hair and when we picked him up from the childminder’s he was wearing an anorak with the hood pulled up really tight around his head and carrying a stick.
“He’s a knight at the moment,” said Florida. “The hood is his helmet. The stick is his sword. If I tell him you’re a dragon, he will kill you.” The little boy held my hand.
“What’s your name?” I said to him.
“Orlando.”
“My mom and dad went there on their honeymoon. Orlando in America. That’s where Disney World is. And Sea World. And the Magic Kingdom.”
“This place I won tickets for—it’s better than all those places.”
“How do you know?”
“Because it’s got this ride called the Rocket. It’s thegreatest ride in the history of the world.”
“Why don’t you get your own dad to go?”
“He doesn’t want to. Anyway, I’m the dad—that’s the whole point.”
“Liam, look, you look a bit old for your age, but no one’s really going to think you’re my dad. I’m only three months younger than you! And you don’t act like a dad. Dads don’t steal fast cars.”
“I
Dad, I can’t go.
Me: Yes, you can. It’ll be great. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime thing. Pack your bags and come with me. Don’t miss out.
Florida: I’ve got so much acting to do. So many commitments. I can’t go. You must know that.
Me: But this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
It’s the very first day the theme park is open. You’re going to be the first person on the rides! REALLY.
Florida: No.
Me: You’ll like it when you get there.
Florida: No, I won’t.
Me: Yes, you will. Just you and me together, father and daughter, like old times.
Florida: Together?
Me: Yeah. Me and you, father and daughter. What d’you think? We never spend any time together now because you’re always acting and I’m always directing films.
Florida: Well, you should have said so earlier. I can’t go now.
Me: Why not?
Another long pause. Lisa said, “Go on, Florida, tell us why not.”
Florida: Because I don’t want to. I already said that. Can’t you get it into your thick head?
Me: I was only trying to give you something nice. I thought you’d like to go on a holiday with your dad.
Florida: Well, I wouldn’t. Because I’m too busy doing other things.
Lisa said the drama was very real and also very moving. “I felt very sorry for the dad, who obviously wanted to spend more time with his daughter but she was too busyto make time for him. And Liam, you were so…dadlike. You really were like a real dad. Like my own dad, in fact. He was always saying I’d like it when I got there and…I’m sorry.” She had to stop talking because she was crying. In the end she did this huge sniff, looked at Florida and said, “And, Florida, you were very good too. You were…oh!” And then she ran out of the room.
While she was out, I tried quickly to tempt Florida with the trip. “First in. First go of all the rides. Exclusive entry. No queues. Free food.”
“Why? Why did they invite you?”
“It was a prize. I was specially selected.”
“And why would you want me to come?”
“Well, the prize was for a father and child.”
“So?” For a second she didn’t seem to get it. Then it hit her. “Oh! Oh. No, no, no, no, no…”
“Why not? We used to do it all the time.”
“Exactly. We used to do it all the time; then we nearly had a car crash.”
“We did not nearly have a car crash. We sat in a car and then my dad turned up.”
“And what if your dad hadn’t turned up? No, no, no, no, no. No.”
She was still saying no when the lesson was over and we were hurrying through the Strand. I said, “Hey, d’you want to go to Newz and Booze and look at the magazines like we used to?”
“No. I’ve got to pick my little brother up from the childminder’s.”
“I didn’t know you had a little brother.”
“You don’t know a lot of things.”
Florida’s brother is three, he’s got loads of curly hair and when we picked him up from the childminder’s he was wearing an anorak with the hood pulled up really tight around his head and carrying a stick.
“He’s a knight at the moment,” said Florida. “The hood is his helmet. The stick is his sword. If I tell him you’re a dragon, he will kill you.” The little boy held my hand.
“What’s your name?” I said to him.
“Orlando.”
“My mom and dad went there on their honeymoon. Orlando in America. That’s where Disney World is. And Sea World. And the Magic Kingdom.”
“This place I won tickets for—it’s better than all those places.”
“How do you know?”
“Because it’s got this ride called the Rocket. It’s thegreatest ride in the history of the world.”
“Why don’t you get your own dad to go?”
“He doesn’t want to. Anyway, I’m the dad—that’s the whole point.”
“Liam, look, you look a bit old for your age, but no one’s really going to think you’re my dad. I’m only three months younger than you! And you don’t act like a dad. Dads don’t steal fast cars.”
“I
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