The Father

R-2 was not here today. There was a message from his mother saying her tran had gone out. She said he will be every day from now on. She makes excuses. She makes promises. I have heard this before. RL calls his PO. He says he will visit the home.

It is a little after noon. R-2's father is in my office. He is sweating. He is covered in oil and grime. He works in a steel factory. I reach to shake his hand. He says he is dirty. I shake his hand anyway. He says he's here to check on R-2. I say he is not here. He is worried about his son. He is just out of prison. He has an ankle bracelet. He is trying to do right. He is worried about the son living with the mother. There are drugs. There is no money. He had to move out. It was too crazy. He does not want to go back to prison. Now he is living with another son. He wants to get R-2 out of the house. The house with no electricity and a mother on meth. He is saving his money to save his son. He does not want his past to be his future.