"You still didn't answer my question."
"Here you go sir; triple chocolate sprinkle cake with raspberries on top. Have a nice day."
"There's not much to talk about Croak."
"There has to be something,"Croak demanded from behind the counter.
Hopper turned the sign to closed and looked out. Lightning cracked the evening sky and a 'boom' rattled the restaurant. The rain was here coming upon heaps and heaps. Hopper locked the door and turned around.
"You really want to know? Okay, I'll tell you. It all went down on a night like this. Everybody believes when God made He intended everything to be happy-fun loving people with no harm or evil to come to them. That can't be further from the truth. Everything that happens is for a purpose and why would God let something like this happen to me? Why did God target me specifically? What did I do? But at the end of the day an earthquake is just an earthquake. A natural occurring phenomeon. You sadly were just at the wrong place at the wrong time when it happened.
They say singing helps lift peoples spirits! Well that night someones spirits were lifted physically and otherwise. It all happened so fast. One minute we were singing then the next a hawk was swooping in over our heads. We all hit the mucky sticky water in unison except for one. Dad was too slow to jump in and when I came up to resurface for a breath all I saw were the hawks talons encircling my dad and carrying him away like he was a fish."
"Sorry to hear about your dad. I didn't know that was what happened."
"It's okay. Last story he ever told. If only I would've known. If I hadn't snuck out, baked a cake and forgot the salt then none of this would've happened."
"Hopper, this is not your fault. No one could've known. All I know is that your dad did not die because of salt."
"Then why? Why him? What did he ever do to deserve this? Why did God have to take him especially at that time? I just don't understand."
Silence fell and Croak looked at Hopper's eyes as a tear fell to the earth. This was the first time Hop was opening up and Croak thought about what he would say next. After a deep breath in he continued.
"I can't answer you that but what I can say is remember him not for that night but the rest of his life. What's the best thing you remember about your dad?"
"Even though I would've hated to admit it at the time I would have to say his stories. Back then I was so clueless and didn't understand any of his stories but looking back those are the stories that I use to help shape who I am. Would you like to hear some of his stories?"
"Hopper," Croak said, standing beside Hopper and putting a hand on his shoulder.
"There would be nothing I would like more. To find out about the man who shaped you into the best, smartest, kindest, handsomest, cleanliness, messiness, and most stubborn of a man today. The best friend anybody could ever hope for."
A smile formed on Hopper's face and a small laugh trickled out. He wiped his tears and went to a booth to sit down.
"Sit over here and let me tell you the tale of the amazing dad.
To set the mood I must first take you back. Back to before I was a baker and knew what good was. See, we lived in a small pond that was just biug enough for my ever growing family and no one else. The neighborhood wasn't the best but it was quiet and there were a lot of flies to eat. For some, food security alone was enough to push over the mucky, dark, dirty water but not for me. I wanted to know what I was lying my body in when I went to sleep. I mean Daredevil makes sleeping in a bathtub look easy but I'm sure he pours the water out a few times a week and then pours new water in. You can't do that to a pond no matter how hard you try. I wanted to find water that was not only safe to sleep in but too drink as well."
"So you always were adventrous from a young age I see."
"It's not that I was adventerous or anything. I was just never content with anything and always strived for better. That night I strived for the one thing others wished but didn't have. Security! And that's where our story begins."
"Another successful raid," I thought as I slowly closed the door. The last click of the doorknob locked and I heard them. The footsteps.
"Hopper!!" My dad yelled, turning on the lights and walking downstairs.
"Piss."
"If God has to wake me up from my nap again and show me what you were doing then you, I, and God will have ourselves a tango."
I was at the age that I didn't...wait, wait, wait. You had houses on your lilypads?" Croak butted in.
Hopper's face dropped into anger a little and responded.
"Wait, you think all frogs just live on lilypads?"
"Well, I guess. The more I think about it I never see frogs sleep at night so they have to sleep somewhere. Where do fairies live? Do they live in fair houses!?"
"Croak, my dad is not a fairy and for your concern fairies are made from a baby's first tear and crying. They are then sent to a flower where the flower blooms and a fairy is born. Now are you going to interrupt all my stories like this. I was getting to a good part."
"Under one condition. If you make me a batch of muffins then I promise I'll stop."
"Do you promise?"
Croak shook his head as fast as he could.
"Will you help me?"
"Umm. nah. I'm good. Also I like watching you bake. You're so...detailed and peacefull."
"Fine.. Remind me where I found you again."
"Huu...you should incorporate me into your stories."
"We'll see. Can I finish my story now?"
" You can. Can't promise my stomach though. So what happened next."
Silence. My dad and I just locked eyes and a shiver went down my spine. I didn't know who God was but that night I feared Him and not in a healthy way either. Whoever this God was He just has two eyes so there was no way He could've seen what I did. He's just one person. Then my day proceeded to tell me what I was doing, who I was with, and where we were down to the specific details of our surroundings. I think that talk was meant to scare me from doing what I was doing but honestly it had the opposite effect. I won't tell you what I did that night but from then on the lessons started thanks to me being destined to become more stealthy then what I did last time and to test the eyesight of this powerful God. You will hear though that after every attempt to evade God my dad would give me a lesson starting off with where I was, what I was doing, then telling me that I had to stop because God can do what I couldn't and more for me so I had no need to worry anymore. Thus started the battle between me and God.