“I’m no a bad guy.”
“I know.”
“But this. I need to do this?”
“What can I say?”
“And it’ll be you?”
“Yes.”
“…I suppose that makes it a bit easier…I think.”
“I’ll be as discreet as I can.”
“But what if they ask to come home with me?”
“I don’t know what to say, maybe if you are always doing things with them, they won’t think.”
“…Great! That fucking helps!”
“What did your ex tell them about you being away for three years?”
“Working. To be fair to her, she read them my letters and made sure that she answered the phone, that way they didn’t hear that automated ‘This call is from prison’ shite. They probably know, found out from their pals or something but she never said anything to me…Fuck, that breaks my heart, them knowing.”
“Cross that bridge when they ask you…And only when they ask! I have to say Sarah hasn’t given us any problems, she has sung your praises.”
“Don’t!”
“Is there no chance that you two will ever get together again?”
“No – I fucked that well up when I shagged her pal! Fucking drink again!”
“She still has a lot of feeling for you.”
“I know. But her hate is stronger. She would have done more time than me if Linda had her arrested. She broke her jaw and two of her ribs.”
“It’s a pity. If the two of you were together, then there might be an argument for me not being needed.”
“That’s not going to happen.”
“I do see this a lot.”
“What? A father not being allowed to be alone with his kids? Fuck me! I’ve never touched them! I feel like some sort of fucking paedo!”
“I know. I mean someone doing something stupid and paying with their family. I don’t really think it’s right but I hope that I can soften the blow.”
“I don’t get it. Even Alan spoke up for me and he was the one that I was supposed to be trying to kill.”
“Let’s not go into this. You know that you lost it. Two friends fighting is never going to end well.”
“…I know, if I had just left it when I knocked him down…”
“You know that. I know that but in the heat of the moment, that one last kick is inevitable and that is the fucker that gets you done.”
He wiped his eyes.
“…Too much drink. Too much pride. And he’d burst my nose and wouldn’t get out my fucking way. I’ve always had a problem with my nose getting hurt. I want to cry and then fucking kill someone.”
“I’ll know never to touch your nose!”
“Maybe I’ve learnt my lesson, but I don’t think so. That’s what pissed me off, it wasn’t planned, it wasn’t pre-meditated, it was just reaction.”
“That’s probably what the problem was. The court had to be seen to punish you for losing control.”
“There’s worse out there than me.”
“I know.”
“So Monday after school?”
“That’s a plan. I’ll pick them up with Sarah and meet you in the park. If it’s raining, you could take them into the burger bar.”
“They’ll ask who you are.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll tell them I’m their taxi driver.”
“Aye – Tell them their mum has been on the wine, they’ll accept that!”
“We’ll work it out between us.”
“Do you think they’ll think I’m a bad guy?”
“You’re their blood, hopefully that’s all they’ll see.”
“I can’t handle if they’re scared of me.”
“You may need to. Don’t give the court any excuse to escalate any restrictions.
Talk to them when you have to. Explain what you must. Once they’re older they’ll completely understand. For now, hopefully, they’ll accept that your not a bad guy, you’re just dad.”
literally stories 
There’s much to consider. First, the title. Wonderful double meaning–he sees himself and his possible actions as just, while the kids probably will blow them off as being the usual–just Dad being Dad.
Although a monumentally bad idea that will certainly lead to incarceration progresses, it feels as though the society he comes from requires that sort of action on his part. To do anything else would be out of character. Some might see the man as an idiot, but I believe he is JUST ignorant, and has lived his life without hearing good alternative suggestions.
Vivid and wonderfully dangerous as always!
Leila
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dialogue pieces are hard to pull off I think and this does it really well. Moving,
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think both the above comments hit the mark. The conversation conveys so much — backstory, plot, character development— and even foreshadows the future, which isn’t looking very bright for the MC, who also isn’t very bright though his heart seems to be in the right place.
LikeLike
“She still has a lot of feeling for you.” “I know, but her hate is stronger.” Good line. We see things from the point of view of the friend… or whoever he is. It’d be interesting to see another dialogue from the point of view of the woman, or of the kids when they’re on the visit. I am hoping the friend will be there at the visit, I get a feeling it’d be easy for things to go sideways with this guy.
LikeLike