Where We Collide

I

Honestly, I thought Dad would support me with my decision of taking a year off before going to med school. He used to tell me that he's all about wanting what's best for me and supporting my decisions all throughout the process but now he's just nagging me almost everyday because of it.

"When did I ever agree to that idea of yours?"

"A few months ago you we're like, Sweetie do whatever you want, I know you know what's best for you., And I think this is what's best for me dad."

"Adding another year to your education isn't what's best for you." He clearly doesn't understand the pressure I'm in. I would like to explain it to him but he's firm with his claim. It's always a losing battle when it comes to arguing with my dad.

"Dad, I know it may be hard to believe but please try to understand that I really do think I need to take break before moving forward with anything in my life right now."

He looked at me with worry, sighed and nodded with a faint smile. I'm actually surprised that he's letting me do my thing but something's not right, I just feel it.

"How about staying with your mom while you're on your break?"

I knew it. There's always a catch.

I laughed so hard because the idea was so absurd and highly impossible for me to agree on.

"Nice joke Dad. Why would I stay with her if I can stay here with you."

"I'm serious. You really should give her another cha--"

"And I'm being serious too dad. What you're telling me is stupid. I can't even stand being in the same room as her, let alone be living under one roof for a year with her. No thank you. I'll pass on this one and all the other ones involving her."

I stood up from the chair, took my cup of tea and went straight to my bedroom.

The truth is, I wanted to take a year off because I was having serious doubts about going to med school. I just wasn't sure if I was ready for it or better yet I wasn't sure if I was ready with the whole being a doctor thing. It takes years before I actually become one and those years could be spent by me working an actual job and making my own money instead of making my dad do all the hard work.

Its not that easy being just the two of us in the family. He's in charged of all of the expenses for the household and he's all alone working for it. That's one of the reasons why I'm having doubts with my career path. My father's getting older by the day and I have more years ahead of me. I wouldn't want him to be in debt but he insists that I pursue medicine because that's what he wants for me to achieve. It's not that I don't like medicine, I've learned to love it actually but it takes so long before one gets to the finish line. It's not exactly cheap either and costs a lot which adds burden to my father.

I proceeded with my usual daily routine until my bestfriend sent me a text telling me if I wanted to hang at a new cafe near the mall. Since I had nothing better to do, I agreed and immediately changed my clothes. Though I would love to wear sweats outside the house, I would like to give a good first impression to strangers I might meet that I have a good sense of style, which is ironic because I'm not good with strangers but still I wouldn't want to waste my talent when it comes to making myself look decent and presentable.

I told my dad I'll probably be back in a few hours and I'll text him anyway if we decide to go somewhere else after our coffee sesh. Leaving the house with the essentials like phone, wallet and my earphones in a small sling bag, I head out and taking my dad's car with me. It was only around 20-30 minutes away from the house depending on how heavy the traffic is. LA is a great place to live in to be honest but the traffic is just too much. Well, I'm used to it by now because we've been out here for half a decade now.