A Kiss for Dad

Good Old Dad's Been with Me All Along

There I was. Comfortable, and building a nice window cleaning business, with plenty of lady-friends, in Amarillo Texas, when I got the call from Dad.

At first I was shocked. The last I heard Dad was nigh unto dead already. It was told to me that "If you wanna see him alive don't waste any time in Texas."

So how was a dead man calling me?

But here he was, talking on the phone as if it was nothing, telling me he had asked his sixth wife for a divorce (on his death-bed?), and asking me what it'd take to get me to come to Arkansas.

"An act of Congress," I told him. Suffice it to say that he and I had issues.

But he asked me anyway. He offered a place to stay (I had one). He offered money (I had mine). He offered me a computer (I was online when he called).

Then he hit me with the one thing, it turns out, that I couldn't turn down: "Son...I need you."

That was a particular combination of words I don't ever remember that man saying. And in hind-sight, it did turn out, that I needed to be needed by him. I said I'd be there on the next bus.

So I gave my window-cleaning equipment, and customer list, to a neighbor (since she needed the work). I packed all the things that I could into four bags. I gave away or tossed what I couldn't pack. I was only careful to not damage my kids' pictures and letters.

I got up to the Greyhound terminal that evening. The ticket bought online was waiting. The attendants waived the luggage fees since I was going to my dying father. (Yes they charge you extra for luggage now) They're not all bad at Greyhound.

On the trip I spoke to noone but one old retired Schneider truck driver during the whole trip. I remember when I would make these bus trips into a party.

But the thoughts were my main companion. All I could drum up about the Old Man were memories of a man who I was convinced never really liked me. I occasionally thought that maybe this was just his last "big prank" at my expense.

I remembered all of the times he was just plain mean. I constantly questioned myself as to just what I was doing. I wondered why I gave a stupid rat's ass about the man who'd been so cold and rough to me for so long.