乌鸦传媒淒addy, let乌鸦传媒檚 play hockey.乌鸦传媒�
It was January in Cornwall, Ontario乌鸦传媒攖oo far below freezing to play hockey outside.
乌鸦传媒淥kay, let乌鸦传媒檚 get moving,乌鸦传媒� Daddy said.
乌鸦传媒淲here乌鸦传媒檙e we going to play?乌鸦传媒� we two boys chimed.
乌鸦传媒淗ere in the kitchen, with a tennis ball.乌鸦传媒�
Nothing was too much work for my Father. He cleared the floor and we played hockey on the linoleum.
乌鸦传媒淒addy, you play goal.乌鸦传媒�
He played goal, we hit him everywhere with that ball乌鸦传媒� no pads in those days. I乌鸦传媒檒l bet he was sore that night and black and blue everywhere.
In summer he played horsey, we rode him until he dropped. In fall the crimson leaves of the maple trees were piled high then, all three of us, jumped into them from the porch. He was one of us, until we stepped out of line, then he was a taskmaster. It had to be done correctly or we had to do it again. When we said, we didn乌鸦传媒檛 have time to do it correctly then, he乌鸦传媒檇 ask, 乌鸦传媒淚f you don乌鸦传媒檛 have time to do it correctly now, when will you have time to do it again?乌鸦传媒�
I never thought much about that statement until I heard my son say, 乌鸦传媒淏ut Daddy, I don乌鸦传媒檛 have time to do it right.乌鸦传媒�
乌鸦传媒⑩赌⑩赌�
乌鸦传媒淧op, can I have the car tonight?乌鸦传媒�
乌鸦传媒溛谘淮綑May乌鸦传媒� I have the car乌鸦传媒� not 乌鸦传媒榗an乌鸦传媒� I have the car? Remember others judge you by the way you speak, so speak correctly. Now, again.乌鸦传媒�
乌鸦传媒淥hhhh, alright. May I have the car tonight Father, dear?乌鸦传媒�
乌鸦传媒淵es, but remember乌鸦传媒揾ome by midnight and put gas in the car on the way home.乌鸦传媒�
乌鸦传媒淵es, Pop.乌鸦传媒�
He always let me have the car whenever I asked and I received the same reminder each time. When I came down for breakfast in the morning he asked. 乌鸦传媒淗ow was the dance last night, son?乌鸦传媒�
乌鸦传媒淕reat, Dad, thanks for the car乌鸦传媒� yes, I was home by midnight.乌鸦传媒�
乌鸦传媒淚 know, son. Did you put gas in the tank?乌鸦传媒�
乌鸦传媒淯h, no that would have made me late. Thought I乌鸦传媒檇 get it today.乌鸦传媒�
After breakfast, I went for gas and ran out on the way to the station.
No, I didn乌鸦传媒檛 get heck or a lecture, just, 乌鸦传媒淢aybe next time you乌鸦传媒檒l get it on the way home.乌鸦传媒�
乌鸦传媒⑩赌⑩赌�
乌鸦传媒淔ather, you乌鸦传媒檙e looking better today. How乌鸦传媒檙e you feeling?乌鸦传媒� I asked.
Mother and I had taken Father into the hospital on Tuesday. He had a low-grade infection and was admitted for observation. During the week he had some spells. It was now Saturday and he was deteriorating.
乌鸦传媒淩emember, dad, the kids乌鸦传媒檒l be at our place for lunch tomorrow乌鸦传媒搕hen home to London. I乌鸦传媒檒l see you in the evening.乌鸦传媒�
乌鸦传媒淎濒谤颈驳丑迟.乌鸦传媒�
He watched me head towards the door. I turned and looked back at him. His eyes were sad乌鸦传媒� a tear slid down his cheek.
I returned to his bedside, put my arms around him and said, for the first time in my life, 乌鸦传媒淒ad, I love you.乌鸦传媒�
This would be the last time I乌鸦传媒檇 have an opportunity to say, 乌鸦传媒淚 love you乌鸦传媒� to my Father乌鸦传媒� he had a heart attack at two the next afternoon, went into a comma and was gone at four.
Never be afraid to say I love you.
William S. Peckham is a Kelowna author and freelance columnist. If you have a comment or question about his stories or his novels you are invited to contact Bill at peck102mch@yahoo.ca
To report a typo, email:
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