Where's Daddy

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Dear Right Advice,
-BlahBlahBlah- son is 6 years old going on 4. -BlahBlahBlah- mild form of autism so mentaly he is -BlahBlahBlah- his dad walked away -BlahBlahBlah- no other male role model but my own dad -BlahBlahBlah- Recently he asked about where his dad was -BlahBlahBlah- I wasn't sure how to respond. -BlahBlahBlah- He asked if his daddy had died in the war -BlahBlahBlah- lying isn't something i do. -BlahBlahBlah- I started to explain that his daddy had left -BlahBlahBlah- he did'nt want to hear the answer to the question.-BlahBlahBlah- As much as i hate his biological father i don't want to -BlahBlahBlah- bash the dead beat -BlahBlahBlah- I know my son will ask again -BlahBlahBlah- I need help on deciding how to word -BlahBlahBlah- without -BlahBlahBlah-

Sincerely,
--BlahBlahBlah--
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Mild Autism aside, you can tell the kid that his Dad lives at the north pole and your kid will be likely to believe that, all the way down to the chimney part.

We live in an era where having a dad in the house is as statistically trivial as having an indoor pet. If you're the type of parent who thinks that reasoning with a child on these matters (because you can't lie) is the best course of action, then you should know that telling a kid you don't have the financial means to take care of a dog, is excess data that only makes the kid doubt the security of the home he depends on.

My advice to you: Tell the kid that every family is different, just like every person is different, and spare him the insecurity, which childish reasoning will manifest, over not having a father; the same way, I hope, you're sparing the kid the insecurities that manifest over long winded explanations about how he might be limited because of his autism.