The dreaded Wednesdays

 I used to dread Wednesdays every week. I said to my mother I didn't want to go and she said 'don't go' but for some reason I knew I would be in trouble if I didn't attend.

Every Tuesday my dad would text me these exact words 'pick you up at 6'. My heart trembled every time I got that message and I knew I would be in trouble if I didn't go and see him so I would reply ‘yes'. That's the only time my father ever contacted me was when I wanted picking up from the house.

6pm arrived and usually his partner would collect me. If I was one minute late she would go crazy and yell at me. I had to be outside by 5.55pm sharp.

We would arrive after the 10 min journey and I would be greeted by my father sometimes nicely or sometimes aggressively. I remember one time he greeted me and said 'you were never wanted in my life'. I ignored it and then asked him if he really meant it and he said he did he never wanted more kids.

My father and his partner shared my parents previous house. It was a large modern property with an indoor pool. When my parents were married I used to use the pool all the time but when they divorced I wasn't allowed in there.

I usually spent 3 hours with my dad a week and it went by very slowly. Just after I arrived we had

dinner which was the only time we really talked apart from the fact I wasn't allowed to talk about my problems at home. My dads partner was always on his side no matter what he said or did which always meant I would lose the battle. After dinner we would go to the lounge. If I sat in my dads seat

I would be told off so I used to try and remember every time not to sit there. We would watch a bit of television usually whatever he was watching. I wasn't allowed to touch anything in their house. I was so bored, I really wanted to go home as soon as I entered the door.

8.45pm came and I was told to put my shoes back on and get ready to go back home. My dad usually drove me home and then sped past the house.

On some occasions we went out for dinner which was a nightmare. As soon as we sat down he would start to complain. He rarely took me to nice places to eat. We drove half an hour one evening just to get fish and chips and I was back home by 8pm. My mother was shocked I was home early.

For some reason my father always rushed everything, it was like he didn't want me there or didn't want to be there himself.

There was a lovely Indian restaurant near us and I went there with my dad and his partner a few times. He had this rule that he was the boss when it came to restaurants. I wanted some poppadoms and I wasn't allowed any so I just stuck with my vegan meal and tried to smile.