A Room With A View. A Tale For Father's Day.

[Johnny Noshoes]

8. A quiet little man....

It was the summer of 2001 and my dad was staying with my sister and her husband for a few weeks. Mom had died the year before - they were married for 50 years. I spent some time with them - Dad, sis, brother-in-law later that summer. My dad was the kind of guy if you said it was black he'd say it was white. Not agressively but still he could be contrary. We were out one day and decided to get some ice cream. Now dad was diabetic and shouldn't really be eating it but being the stubborn old Sicilian he was you couldn't talk him out of it. So my sister just said well dad go ahead we know where the hospital is - nothin bad obviously happened but it must have done a number on his blood sugar levels. One other time my sister came home early from work and dad said "Gee they let you out early." My sister was the branch manager of a small local bank "the boss". She said "I'm the boss I can leave early." I don't think he could believe that a WOMAN would be the boss. I swear he never read directions on how to do something and used it as an excuse to get out of doing things he didn't want to do - I can still hear my mom - " Jesus Christ Frank get out of the way and let me do it!" The old man was just old school - sometimes a pain in the ass but he was dad a quiet little man with a good heart and I miss him.