My Father

As night became day, he started to understand the truth.  He knew who his father was.  What his father was.  But he could not reconcile himself with the outcome.  Henry was always told that his father was a hero, a saint, a man who was revered by all.  Now he knew better.  It all started the day his father came home and announced to the family that he had quit his job.  Quit his job because he was burned out and tired.  Burned out and tired, Henry understood.  Not being able to pay the bills, Henry didn’t understand.  His family had just recently caught up on overdue bills and consistently having just enough food for everyone to be almost satisfied.   

And now he is quitting his job, just as things are getting to be almost all right?  Within five minutes of announcing his ‘retirement,’ his father was sitting on the couch, drinking a beer and watching a baseball game.  This was when I knew something had happened.  My father does not like television, sitting on the couch or beer.  Had he really quit his job or had he been fired?  Did the company close?  Go bankrupt?  Was there a scandal?  When the doorbell rang that evening, I knew the answer had arrived.  I just hoped it was an answer that I could live with.  An answer that would not rip our family apart like I was imagining.  As I walked toward the door, I suddenly knew what had happened.