鈥淒addy, let鈥檚 play hockey.鈥�

It was January in Cornwall, Ontario鈥攖oo far below freezing to play hockey outside.

鈥淥kay, let鈥檚 get moving,鈥� Daddy said.

鈥淲here鈥檙e we going to play?鈥� we two boys chimed.

鈥淗ere in the kitchen, with a tennis ball.鈥�

Nothing was too much work for my Father. He cleared the floor and we played hockey on the linoleum.

鈥淒addy, you play goal.鈥�

He played goal, we hit him everywhere with that ball鈥� no pads in those days. I鈥檒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鈥檛 have time to do it correctly then, he鈥檇 ask, 鈥淚f you don鈥檛 have time to do it correctly now, when will you have time to do it again?鈥�

I never thought much about that statement until I heard my son say, 鈥淏ut Daddy, I don鈥檛 have time to do it right.鈥�

鈥⑩赌⑩赌�

鈥淧op, can I have the car tonight?鈥�

鈥溾�橫ay鈥� I have the car鈥� not 鈥榗an鈥� I have the car? Remember others judge you by the way you speak, so speak correctly. Now, again.鈥�

鈥淥hhhh, alright. May I have the car tonight Father, dear?鈥�

鈥淵es, but remember鈥揾ome by midnight and put gas in the car on the way home.鈥�

鈥淵es, Pop.鈥�

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. 鈥淗ow was the dance last night, son?鈥�

鈥淕reat, Dad, thanks for the car鈥� yes, I was home by midnight.鈥�

鈥淚 know, son. Did you put gas in the tank?鈥�

鈥淯h, no that would have made me late. Thought I鈥檇 get it today.鈥�

After breakfast, I went for gas and ran out on the way to the station.

No, I didn鈥檛 get heck or a lecture, just, 鈥淢aybe next time you鈥檒l get it on the way home.鈥�

鈥⑩赌⑩赌�

鈥淔ather, you鈥檙e looking better today. How鈥檙e you feeling?鈥� 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.

鈥淩emember, dad, the kids鈥檒l be at our place for lunch tomorrow鈥搕hen home to London. I鈥檒l see you in the evening.鈥�

鈥淎濒谤颈驳丑迟.鈥�

He watched me head towards the door. I turned and looked back at him. His eyes were sad鈥� 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, 鈥淒ad, I love you.鈥�

This would be the last time I鈥檇 have an opportunity to say, 鈥淚 love you鈥� to my Father鈥� 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 琉璃神社 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:
newstips@kelownacapnews.com.

newstips@kelownacapnews.com
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