Dad was never around much when I was a kid. Mum says he only ever changed one of my nappies as a baby, never did one on my sister. He used to go out on his own and me, sis and mum used to do stuff alone. Parents divorced when I was 16/17. Dad has never hardly bothered and I have never been close to him. He has no idea what's going on in my life with my kids. His grandchildren hardly know him. He has never looked after them or been interested in anything they do. I have always respected the fact that he was my father but that's as far as it went. He met a lady, after many others, and got engaged to her on my 18th birthday. Not very thoughtful eh? He does drink a lot of alcohol and whenever I have been to visit he is usually tanked up and I can't have a proper conversation with him. Most of the time I have spent talking with my step-mother. I always come away in tears. I have reached a point now where I can't take him not caring anymore. Last year I never sent a father's day card as I rarely see him. Every year I hate looking on the card shelves trying to find a father's day card that doesn't have a verse saying soppy things as none of them would be true. I never sent one a again this year and for the first time this year I didn't send him a birthday card or present.
Yesterday I get a phone call from him saying
"hello this is your father, remember me?"
me: "oh, hello"
"thanks for your father's day card and birthday card and present"
me: oh
Then he put the phone down on me
I phoned back and his wife answered and told me that he had gone out - he obviously hadn't. I told her that I couldn't understand why he called me when he had the intention of just putting the phone down on me anyway. I told her that if he wanted to know why I had a problem he should contact me and I will talk to him.
And that's that - no phone call since. Makes me realise that I have done the right thing all alone. He really doesn't care does he?