No rib-eyes for the aging Hamhorst siblings tonight, at the Yacht Club.
As if there were yachts, in these woods.
Ken bee-lined it to his boat. Val and Gregory trailed behind.
It rocked relentlessly as they boarded. Ken commanded the wheel and frowned.
Nightfall.
Inconvenient.
Val and Gregory parked by the cooler, nursing disappointment.
Paranoid brother!
Ken checked his watch. His daughter had been gone twelve hours now.
The boat slid back and onto the great lake. Lights on.
Boulders glowered from the shadowy shore like giants’ heads.
Getting colder.
Ken spat starboard. Never trust a boy with a boat.
When it comes to daughters, fathers are very protective. It’s the same with mothers and sons. I hope this father’s daughter is found safe and sound.
Yes, that’s been my experience too, as an observer of various fathers. I hope so too, for his sake as well as hers.
I’m thinking perhaps the daughter had enough of this trio and has run away with the boy who had a boat 🙂
Point taken. Only another teen/twenty-something knows, how irksome old folks can be, to the sensitive young soul!
Nice job leaving us dangling like that. But we all collectively agree that she is fine 🙂 Very well-written!
It is a challenge to fit character development, conflict and resolution in 100 words. I guess two out of three ain’t bad?
I’m a father and I can totally understand his rationale. Hope she returns safe.
Glad it resonated with you, Valid!
Hope she comes back to her father safe and sound. His paranoia is justified in this case. Nice story.
You can never be too careful. Glad you liked it, Piyali!
Nice tale, Andrea. I can relate to the worrying, but I was a young man myself once. In the company of a pretty girl you often lose track of time.
Nah, I don’t believe that, Russell
Not at all sure what this comment means, but I suppose it’s an inside joke between you two.:)
Russell says ‘I was a young man myself once’.
I say ‘Nah, I don’t believe that, Russell’.
That’s all.
That’s true, Russell. Thank you!
I guess a boy with a boat is like a boy with a car or a boy with a park bench!
The sad part of this story is that he does not trust his daughter.
Boys in general! Of course, now that I have teen boys,myself, I have a little more empathy for the poor boyfriend. My intention was to insinuate that not only the boyfriend, but also Ken, is not to be trusted. And perhaps his lack of trust in his daughter’s boyfriend stems from his own experience as a young man with a boat.
True, he does not seem to think she can fend for herself. Does that make him old-fashioned, sexist, domineering? Or just stuck in the “eternal child” paradigm, where the only iteration of his daughter, that he can conjure in his brain, is in need of protection? Thank you for your insight.
Intriguing start then the story unfolds really well. I want her to be safe for obvious reasons but also because I can imagine the homecoming and I hope you write it!
Thank you for your support, Jilly! I will do my best. I bet details of their joint childhood will unfold during this journey!
Not the evening Val and Gregory had been hoping for. I hope this ends well.
Yes, I picture them as rather selfish. I have a feeling that, at the end of their repast, Ken pays the bill, too.
Hopefully she’ll be okay.
Thoughts and prayers.
Never easy letting them go… sometimes harder than most!
Even when you have “let go”, I mean, allowed your children to live their own lives, independent and outside your home or hometown, I think you would jump at the chance to defend your kids (and maybe all your kinfolk.) There is something very tribal about being in a family.
Absolutely! Don’t even think of hurting one of my own!!
You’ve heard of Mama Bear? Well, come meet Papa…
I so much hope he’s not going looking with a shotgun…
To preside over the shotgun wedding, you mean? In this country, anything’s possible.
Dear Andrea,
Perhaps he’s not all that paranoid after all. Hope his daughter’s back soon.
Shalom,
Rochelle
Better safe than sorry, Rochelle. Me too. Nothing so gut-wrenching for parents as a missing child, no matter how old.I expect Val and Greg might be childless.
Let’s hope he finds her safe and sound.
That would be my preference, but I expect her future will be uncertain for a little while yet.
I think every father needs to be bit paranoid… but I think his daughter will be back safe and sound
I agree, they can’t help themselves. Not that mothers are much better. Hope so!