Census.

Chapter 32 - Kin.

We all called a few family members while we sat up on the hilltop. Everyone called and left voicemails because nobody was picking up due to how late it was. My mother wasn't answering, which struck me at odd because he was always by the phone. Kimberly didn't have anyone to call because of the plane incident, and neither did the boys because all of their numbers have changed. Every number, except for Craig's. Jacob, Chresanto, and Rayan's parents died in the crash as well, but Craig's grandfather was the only one who died in the accident. He wasn't with his parents at the time of the crash.

But when Craig called his father, he got an answer. When his father said hello, Craig froze up and immediately began to cry extremely hard. He hadn't heard his fathers voice in over 8 years.

"Hello? Is someone there?" His father repeated in a calm tone.

"Dad...it's.....it's me......." Craig wept as we all sat around, and listened in silence.

"Is this some sort of prank?" His father snapped. "My son died in a crash almost a decade ago so whoever this is, don't use my line for some sick joke!"

"Dad it's me! It's Craig!" Craig said as tears streamed down his face. "It's me!"

Craig's father sat silent on the phone, but he still wasn't moved. After not seeing Craig since he was 10 years old, and now that Craig has blossomed from a boy into a man, his father didn't recognize his voice.

"I don't believe you.." His father said, denying him.

"Your name is Craig Crippen Sr, and you're married to my mother Wanda." Craig said as he listened to him. "Before I left, my room had toy story all over it. My blankets were polka dotted, and I had every single set of the toy story action figures. Mom always bought them for me."

"Oh my.....are you really my son?" His father said in a shaky tone as he started to cry.

"Yes. It's me, Dad. It's me." Craig nodded as he covered his mouth. "How are you?"

"You sound like a grown ass man!" His father wailed over the phone. "I've never stopped thinking about you. Never. Never out of the 9 years you've been gone."

"I never stopped thinking of you, neither."

"Where are you?" His father asked as Craig heard him rustle a few things around in the background. "I'll come get you right now!"

"We're on an island near Aruba!" Craig said as he looked around. "I don't know specifically where we are, but we have help on the way! One of the my peers have left on a boat, and she said that she'll be back in a few hours!"

"Craig if you don't come back soon then i'm gonna alert the police."

"That's not going to help, Dad. We've already tried.." Craig moped. "However, we're not giving up on hope."

"I'm gonna make a trip out there and look for you anyway." His father said. "I'm not going to let you stay out there longer."

"Okay." Craig nodded. "Hey, can I speak to mom?"

His father didn't respond. Craig sat there and waited for what he would say, but he didn't say anything.

"Hello?"

"I'm here."

"Can I speak to mom?" Craig repeated.

"Mom isn't.......she um..."

"Did something happen to her?" Craig said loudly as his eyes widened. He started shaking really bad as we all looked at him in shock.

"She.....she committed suicide when she found out you were possibly dead.." His father said in a lower tone.