The Stubborn Father Read online

  “I’ll explain later. Right now, I need your help. I’m stuck on something.” Eustace pointed toward his back. “Do you think you can climb up and help me? As I recall, you used to love climbing trees when you were little, and I made it up here pretty easily myself.”

  “You’re talkin’ years ago, Dad, but I’ll give it a try.”

  Eustace watched his daughter start climbing, as if she were a little girl again. Soon, she made her way up, smiling when she stood next to him. The spot had enough room for them to stand side-by-side.

  “See here.” Eustace leaned forward. “It seems my suspenders are caught on something. I couldn’t reach around to get them unhooked.”

  “Somehow you got one suspender strap caught on a notch in the tree where a branch snapped off, possibly years ago.”

  “Thought I felt something digging into my back, but the view up here was so wonderful, I ignored it.”

  Eustace was glad Elsie had no trouble undoing his suspender. “Danki, Daughter. You came in the nick of time.”

  “You can tell me why you are up here later. What I want to know now is why didn’t you simply unhook your suspenders from the front of your trousers?” Elise looked at him quizzically. “You would have been freed immediately.”

  “I didn’t think of it.” Eustace snickered. “Now that you mention it, I feel kinda silly.”

  “Let’s get you out of this tree and back to the house.”

  As they walked arm-in-arm toward the farm, Eustace looked at his daughter. “Danki again for coming to my aid.” He gave Elsie’s hand a squeeze. “Now how about some lunch? I have potato soup to reheat.”

  “Soup sounds good, but I brought us some sandwiches.” They paused by her buggy, and while Eustace petted her horse, Elsie drew out a wicker basket.

  “We can have both.” Eustace smiled as they approached the house. Now he wouldn’t have to eat alone. All three of his daughters were good to him and, for some reason, usually sensed when it was time to drop by. He was sure whatever kind of sandwiches she’d made would be good, because, like her mom, Elsie was an excellent cook.

  “I brought a jug of tea along, too.” Elsie went to the kitchen sink to wash her hands.

  “Is it sweetened?”

  She shook her head. “But feel free to add sugar if you like.”

  “Think I will.” Eustace opened the cupboard and took out the sugar, while Elsie got the glasses and went to the freezer for some ice. Gasping, she jumped backward. “Dad, what is this huge thing wrapped in a clear bag? Is—is it a dead bird?”

  “Now don’t start fussing. It’s a pheasant I found dead this morning. I’ll be taking it to my friend who does taxidermy later, but wanted to make sure it stayed fresh.”

  Elsie groaned. “Do you really need a stuffed pheasant? I mean, where are you planning to put it?”

  “Don’t rightly know, but I’m sure I’ll find a place for the bird.”

  Elsie opened her mouth as if to say something more, but then she grabbed the ice cube tray, shut the freezer door, and came back to the table. Eustace sensed she thought his decision to keep the pheasant was weird. Well, she could keep her opinion to herself. This was his house, and he could do whatever he wanted.

  Elsie frowned as she sat across the table from her father. The wrinkles across his forehead seemed more pronounced than usual, and his shoulders were slumped.

  “Guess you’re wondering what I was doing up in the tree.” Dad looked tired as she smiled at him. “I found the perfect place to build your mamm’s tree house.”

  “Do you think it’s still a good idea, since Mama isn’t here to enjoy it?”

  “You probably see it as pointless, but it’s something I feel the need to do. Besides, it’ll keep me busy during the lonely times.”

  “But Dad, the cold seasons are coming soon, and what about snow?”

  “I’ll take advantage of the nice days we’re having now.” He heaved a sigh. “It’ll keep my mind off other things.”

  Elsie saw no point in arguing with her father. He had his mind made up.

  “Is anything else wrong, Dad?” She took a bite of her soup. “You look kind of umgerennt this afternoon—like something might be bothering you.”

  He nodded. “You’re right; there is. I’m upset with Joel.”

  “Didn’t things go well when he spent the night?”

  “No, they did not, and he didn’t stay.” Dad grabbed the bottle of ketchup and squeezed some into his soup, which was nothing unusual for him. With the exception of desserts and fruit, he liked ketchup on nearly everything he ate.

  “What happened? Why didn’t Joel stay overnight like he’d planned?”

  “He left because I wouldn’t give him what he wanted.” Dad’s eyes narrowed and his nostrils flared like a charging bull. “I should have realized he only came here to ask for money. Joel’s exasperating and selfish. He doesn’t give a hoot about his family.”

  “Exasperating? Is that another word you found in your dictionary?”

  Dad’s eyes widened; then he lowered his voice. “How did you know about my dictionary?”

  “I’ve walked past you a couple of times while you were reading it. I’m surprised you never noticed.”

  “Oh, I see. Well as I was saying, Joel had no intention of trying to amend things with us. I can’t remember the last time he didn’t come over to ask me for money.”

  Elsie fidgeted with her hands underneath the table. “If you don’t mind me asking, what does Joel need money for?”

  “He didn’t go into detail, but it was something about owing his subcontractors.” Dad’s thick brows furrowed. “Guess he must not be runnin’ a good business if he’s gettin’ himself in over his head.”

  Elsie felt concern for her brother. “Maybe we should all chip in and help him out.”

  Dad’s hand came down hard on the table, causing some soup to spill out of his bowl. “Absolutely not! I’ve bailed your brother out before, and look where it got me. It didn’t teach Joel a thing about responsibility, and he never even bothered to pay back the loan.” Dad rolled his chair across the floor and grabbed a roll of paper towels; then he rolled back to the table and wiped up his mess.

  After they finished eating their lunch, Dad sat looking out the window. Elsie wondered if he was still thinking about Joel. When she slid out of her chair and rose to start clearing their plates, Dad reached over and grabbed both of their bowls. Then he rolled across the room and placed them in the kitchen sink. Without a word, he rolled back to the table and grabbed his drink.

  Elsie poured liquid dish soap into the sink and turned on the water, trying to hide her smile. Watching Dad roll his chair across the floor always made her giggle. It was something he’d done since she was a child.

  A few seconds later, she heard the back screen door open and close. When she heard a familiar squeak, she knew Dad had made himself comfortable on the porch swing. While the sink filled with sudsy water, Elsie unwrapped the new sponge she’d brought along today. She wasn’t surprised to discover Dad’s old sponge lying near the back of the sink. For some reason, he couldn’t part with the old thing. Of course, it was one of many things Dad couldn’t let go of.

  When the dishes were washed, dried, and put away, Elsie poured herself more tea and went outside to join Dad. Taking a seat beside him on the swing, she sat quietly, mulling things over. She felt bad Joel had gotten himself in a bind, but was also concerned for her father. She was sure Dad loved his son as much as he did his daughters. Saying no to Joel’s request must have been hard, even if Dad felt he was doing the right thing. It wasn’t likely Joel would ever return to the Amish faith, but if he’d come by once in a while to be with his family, things would go better between him and Dad. Joel also needed to be true to his word and pay back any money he’d previously borrowed.

  Dover

  “I’m not hungry,” Joel grunted, pushing aside the lunch tray a young woman had brought into his hospital room.

  She smile
d. “It’s okay; I’ll leave it here in case you change your mind.”

  “I won’t, so you may as well take it away.”

  With a slight shrug, she picked up the tray and started out of the room.

  “Say, wait. Would you see if you can find me a phone book for Summit County? I need to make a call, and I don’t know the number.”

  “I’ll see what I can do.” She smiled and hurried from the room.

  Trying not to let his agitation get the best of him, Joel glanced out the window to his left. The sun shone brightly in a blue sky accented by a couple of puffy white clouds. It was too nice a day to be cooped up in a stuffy hospital room. When the doctor had come in that morning to check on Joel, he said that Joel could probably go home before the day was out, but they were still waiting for a few more of his test results.

  Don’t think my accident would have happened if I’d spent the night at Dad’s. Joel gripped the rails on his bed with such force that the veins on his hands stuck out. I should have stayed there and tried to play on his sympathy instead of losing my temper and storming off. If I’d pled my case long and hard enough, Dad may have relented and loaned me the money I so desperately need. Now what am I supposed to do?

  Joel reached for the remote and turned on the TV. Even though he was now living the English way and owned his own TV, he’d never enjoyed watching most of the shows. Many of them made no sense and seemed like a waste of time. Still, maybe listening to something was better than nothing.

  Joel scanned all the stations. Earlier, the aid had explained the hospital rooms were hooked up to cable, and he had many more channels to choose from, along with the local ones. Joel finally found a station, but the show was in black and white instead of color. It looked like an old movie, depicting a time back in the ’50s. Joel didn’t know about growing up in the ’50s, but he’d heard plenty about it from his parents.

  Even these days his family lived in their simple ways. The Amish had always lived plain, but the English world had changed. Back then, people didn’t have cell phones, computers, video games, or tablets, and they talked rather than texted with each other. In today’s world, it seemed Englishers always had some sort of gizmo or gadget in their hands. They were either texting someone or had a cell phone to their ear, even when they were driving. Times were simpler for the English back then, Joel thought as he watched the TV family sitting at the dinner table, talking. Although not easier by today’s standards, he was sure they had to feel a sense of accomplishment when they worked hard like the Amish folks still did today.

  Joel was getting more into the show when the aid bounded into the room. “Here you go, Mr. Byler—the phone book you requested.”

  Joel thanked her for responding to his request. He waited until she left the room, then proceeded to look up the number for Kristi’s parents.

  “Ah, here it is.” He held one finger on the listing for Paul Palmer in Akron. “Sure hope someone’s home so I don’t have to leave a message.”

  Joel scooted the phone closer to his bed and punched in the number. He felt relief when Kristi’s dad picked up.

  “Palmer residence. This is Paul.”

  “Oh, hey, this is Joel. I’m in the hospital in Dover, and I need to talk to Kristi. Could you give me her cell number?”

  “Sorry to hear you’re in the hospital. Are you ill? Have you been hurt?”

  “I was in a car accident last night, but my injuries aren’t serious. Now about Kristi’s number…”

  “Kristi is here right now, Joel. She and JoAnn are in the kitchen fixing lunch. I’ll go get her.”

  Joel compressed his lips while he waited several minutes, until he heard Kristi’s voice on the phone. “Joel, are you all right? Dad said you were in an accident.”

  “Yeah, I was, and for the most part, I’m okay.” Joel paused and drew in a quick breath. “I have no idea where my truck is, and my cell phone is missing. Kristi, I need you here with me. Can you come?”

  “Of course, Joel. I’ll leave right now, and if traffic isn’t heavy, I should be there in less than an hour.”

  Joel breathed a sigh of relief. Once Kristi got here, everything would be okay. He wouldn’t tell her where he’d gone last evening, though, or why he’d been heading home in the middle of the night.

  CHAPTER 3

  Akron

  Joel tossed his classic car magazine aside. He had been home from the hospital a week, recuperating. Most of his time was spent lying on the couch, either staring at the TV or reading. While none of Joel’s injuries had been serious, his muscles were stiff and sore, making him feel like he’d been trampled by a herd of horses. The headache brought on by the concussion still lingered, and Joel’s ribs hurt whenever he took a deep breath or moved the wrong way.

  Despite the pain, he couldn’t stay around here indefinitely. He needed to round up more jobs and get some money coming in. Since Dad refused to give him a loan, Joel needed cash more than ever. Besides owing some of his men, Joel had a hospital bill and the repair of his truck to worry about. Even though the man who’d hit him had insurance, it could be awhile before Joel received a settlement, and he wasn’t sure how much of his medical expenses would be covered. His own insurance would pay 80 percent of the hospital bill, but hopefully neither that nor his deductible would be needed when the other driver’s insurance paid up.

  Then there was the matter of his truck, which was in the shop getting repaired. Joel was relieved the truck hadn’t been totaled. He needed it in order to keep working. Once he got it back from the shop, he hoped he’d be healed enough to begin working again. He had been told when he left the hospital to take it easy for a few weeks, which he wasn’t thrilled about. No money coming in meant he’d be further in debt.

  Joel tossed the magazine aside. If only my dad weren’t so stubborn and selfish. It’s his fault I’m under so much stress. He could make my life easy if he’d give me the money, instead of being so stingy. I wonder if he’d treat my sisters the same way if they were in need. I thought Christians were supposed to be kind and giving.

  It did no good to get himself all worked up, so Joel closed his eyes and thought about the beautiful Corvette out in his shop. He imagined himself gripping the steering wheel at 70 mph on the freeway and hearing the engine roar as it accelerated. Joel would give almost anything to take his new beauty for a drive right now to forget all his troubles. At least nobody could steal his joy when he was behind the wheel.

  Kristi would be coming by soon to fix his supper, as she’d been doing since he was released from the hospital. Joel glanced at his cell phone, thankful it had been found on the floor of his truck. Maybe I should call and tell her not to come by. I’ll say I have leftovers and don’t need her to cook me anything this evening. It would give me the opportunity to take the Vette out. Joel really wasn’t up to it and shouldn’t be thinking about the new car right now. What he needed was something to take his mind off things. He continued to worry about the money he’d taken from his and Kristi’s joint savings account. If Kristi knew what he’d done, she’d never trust him again.

  The unmistakable sound of Kristi’s car interrupted his thoughts. Groaning from the pain in his ribs, Joel pulled himself off the couch and walked stiffly across the room toward the front door, reaching it just as Kristi entered carrying a white sack.

  “I hope you’re in the mood for supreme burritos tonight, because I stopped at the Mexican restaurant near my condo and got take-out.” She smiled up at him and lifted the bag. “I told you I’d cook something special, but since this is Saturday and I didn’t have to work, the major part of my day was spent cleaning the house. By the time the chores were done, I was too tired to even think about cooking.”

  “Burritos are fine, Kristi.” Joel motioned to the kitchen. “We can either eat them in there or sit out here in the living room.” Joel didn’t have a formal dining room in his small single-wide, so when he was alone, he often ate his meals in front of the TV.

  Kristi shook
her head. “I don’t want to compete with the television. It makes it too hard for us to visit.”

  Joel shrugged his shoulders. “Okay, whatever. If you prefer, we can eat in the kitchen.”

  “You sound grumpy, Joel. If you’d rather eat out here, it’s fine with me. I don’t want to cause you more irritation. Let’s not turn on the TV, though, okay?”

  “It doesn’t matter where we eat. I’m irritable because I’m tired of sittin’ around here when I should be working. I need money, and none will come in unless I get out there and beat the bushes.” He stepped into the kitchen and got out some napkins and paper plates.

  Kristi placed the burritos on the table and poured them both a glass of lemonade, which she’d taken from the refrigerator. “Why don’t you take some money out of our joint account? After all, you’ve put money in there, too.”

  “Umm… I’d rather not.” Joel felt like a bug trapped in a spider’s web. No way could he admit he’d already taken money from their account to pay some of his debts. Truth was, only a small amount of money remained.

  “It’s okay,” she insisted. “If you’re not feeling up to going out on Monday, I can stop by the bank on my way home from work and make a withdrawal. How much do you think you’ll need?”

  Joel’s heart hammered in his chest. “No, Kristi, I am not touching our joint account. I’ll be going back to work on Monday. I should have some money coming in soon.” Joel’s conscience pricked him. He should have been honest with Kristi in the beginning, but it seemed too late to explain. He had no choice now but to get back to work and try to put a little in the bank whenever he could. Since the monthly bank statements came to his house, hopefully, Kristi would never be aware of what had transpired.

  Charm

  Arlene clucked to her horse to get him moving faster. At the rate the gelding had been plodding along it would be way past suppertime before she got to Dad’s with the casserole she’d made. She hoped to find him in a good mood. Her sister Elsie had mentioned that when she’d dropped by to see Dad last week he’d been irritated with Joel. She’d said she needed to talk to her about something else, but wanted their sister, Doris, in on the conversation. Of course, their father’s irritation with Joel was nothing new. Every time Joel’s name was mentioned, Dad became uptight. If Joel came around asking for money, Dad’s mood would sometimes be affected for weeks.