by Joe Woods
“If I receive any more pay, over last night’s payment, I would have to consider myself indebted to you,” Connor laughed. “Now, I don’t want that accounting mistake to take place. I’ve got to keep you indebted to me.”
“I think you’re safe for a while, at least.”
After finishing his eggs, grits, and toast, Connor said he wanted to take a shower. “You just sit here and take it easy for a while.”
“Oh, I intend to move slowly, but I’ll eventually get there.”
Ten minutes after the shower turned off, Connor hurriedly walked down the steps, and kissed Willow on top of her head.
“I’m off to the office. I’ll see you there later. Okay?”
“Yes. But I’m not going to make breakfast with Daddy. I’m just not up to it.”
“That’s okay. There’ll be plenty of time later. Just bring him by the office if you can.”
“Will do.”
Willow moved from the bar stool to a big recliner in front of the TV. Finding the remote, she clicked on Fox News. A female radio talk show hostess railed against President Obama for getting us involved in the Afghan war. Talking out loud, Willow said: “I’m so tired of hearing nothing positive every time that TV comes on. Whatever happened to reporting on County and State Fairs, tractor pulls and craft shows?”
Looking around the large room, she thought, Connor hasn’t changed anything in this house. It is still nothing but a man’s cave. It really needs a woman’s touch.
Although the walls were very clean, she could see painting them brighter colors and placing some of the artist’s work hanging on her walls in New York, on both sides of the large windows. I’m going to put improving this place on my to-do list. But now I’ve got to concentrate on Daddy and getting my own house plans in order.
Rising slowly she thought, I could stay here all day but that wouldn’t accomplish anything. She turned toward the stairs and saw a large official-looking envelope on Connor’s desk addressed to McKenzie Towing. Picking it up, she wondered if she should open it or not. Realizing that the envelope wasn’t sealed and was addressed to McKenzie Towing, she rationalized, why not open it?
Maybe this will help me understand what’s going on in the company. Daddy always wanted me to take part so maybe this is the place to start.
Still, she hesitated, wondering if it would be an invasion of privacy. Practicality won out. It is addressed to McKenzie Towing so that means it is addressed to me.
“So, here goes,” she said softly.
Carefully she pealed the tab back and pulled out several legal-looking documents. The subject, “Transferring Mineral Rights on 640 Acres of land owned by McKenzie Towing to Connor Peppler” appeared at the top of the first page. Then she started reading.
Why would McKenzie Towing transfer these rights to ‘exclusive’ control of Connor Peppler? This seems odd. Does Daddy know? This looks like Daddy’s signature but does he realize what he has signed? I’m probably getting excited about nothing so I need to take my shower and go visit Daddy. But I want to find out more about this. What does a transfer really mean and how will it impact McKenzie Towing and me?
* * *
After finishing her shower and blowing her hair dry, Willow headed for Rupert’s assisted living complex. It was now 10:45 in the morning, quite a bit later than she had planned on arriving. But, maybe now she could talk to Mr. Bruce Taylor, the administrator. Knocking on his office door, Willow entered asking, “Mr. Taylor, may I visit with you for a few minutes?”
“Yes ma’am. Would you give me about five minutes to complete this phone call? Please have a seat.”
“Thank you.”
After finishing the phone call, Mr. Taylor said, “I don’t think we have met.”
Willow extended her hand across Mr. Taylor’s desk. “That’s right. I’m Willow Kingston McKenzie, Rupert’s daughter.”
“Oh, I’m delighted to make your acquaintance. Let me tell you at the outset, Mr. Rupert is a very interesting and entertaining member of our family.”
“Thank you Mr. Taylor. I’ve always thought of my daddy as being interesting. It is good to hear that from someone else.”
“Ms. McKenzie, I’m fairly new to the community and wasn’t aware your father had such an impact on the towing industry. Don’t know if you know or not, but several of our family members have shared quite a bit of your daddy’s history with us. They all love and admire him very much. When we get everybody together in the fellowship hall, he invariably winds up being the center of attention. If he doesn’t start telling stories, others goad him into doing just that.”
“Mr. Taylor, this is great to hear. Growing up under his thumb was a new adventure practically every day. The older I get the more I appreciate his hard love and all that I learned from him, particularly about dealing with people of diverse backgrounds, and what it takes to get along and succeed. But, Mr. Taylor, I want to ask, what are your rules about letting me take him out for a day or a few days at a time?”
“Ms. McKenzie, I’m delighted you want to take your daddy out. I suggested that to Connor on occasion, but he never took the initiative to do it. The only requirement we have is that you must be very careful and ensure he takes his prescribed medicine. Also, he has established a routine of eating, napping and watching TV. If at all possible, I would request you adhere to his schedule as closely as possible.”
“That shouldn’t be a problem. As you may know, we have the family home over on Warrington Road and a housekeeper.”
“Are you speaking of Mamie?”
“Yes sir. Mamie has been with our family since I was a little girl.”
“Your daddy speaks so fondly of Mamie. If I didn’t know better, I would think she is a blood relative. She is very consistent in bringing him his favorite foods a couple of times a week. As you might know, the food prepared here is just not seasoned like the dishes Mamie brings.”
“Then it is okay for me to take Daddy out whenever?”
“Yes ma’am. Just be sure to let us know where he is, just in case an emergency should arise. And by all means, come visit him here as often as you can.”
“Do you think he’ll ever be able to move home full-time?”
“That is certainly a possibility. For his age, he is in remarkably good health. Our doctors attribute that to the many years of hard work during his towing days.”
“That’s good to know. After being gone for many years, I’m moving back to Vicksburg. With Mamie’s help, we can take care of him very well.”
“Ms. McKenzie, that will probably extend his life several years. One other thing to remember is to get him involved in some type of exercise daily. I suggest walks in the neighborhood for at least thirty minutes a day. You could start by pushing him in his wheelchair and I’m sure he would sooner, rather than later, want to walk on his own. I feel he is perfectly capable of becoming ambulatory again. Don’t push it, but let him take the lead.”
“Mr. Taylor, you just don’t know how much you’ve helped me today. Now, I would like to go see Daddy and see if he wants to go for a drive. “
“That’s good, Ms. McKenzie, but it is nearly lunch time now. I suggest you have lunch with us here, let him take his nap, watch TV, and then afterwards, go for a drive. Why don’t you bring him to our dining hall?”
“I can do that. Does he have a wheel chair assigned to him in his room?’
“Not as such. If there’s not one in his room, there are several along the hall. All are available for patient use.”
“Good. Will you join us for lunch?”
“Thank you. I look forward to visiting with you and your daddy.”
Willow gently knocked on Rupert’s door and received an invitation to “come in.” Entering, she said. “Hello, Daddy. How are you today?”
“Willow, is that you?”
“Yes, Daddy. I’m going to wheel you down to the dining hall and have lunch with you.”
“That’s wonderful. I’ve got five partners I
eat with, but I’m sure we can make room for you.”
As Willow rolled Rupert into the dining hall and up to his table, Greg, a longtime friend, spoke up. “Rupert, where did this nurse come from? I want her to take care of me.”
Rupert laughed. “Back off. This is my daughter. Cut out the shenanigan.”
“Your daughter? You mean little Willow, the soccer star?”
“Yes. This is my little girl, all grown up. She’s come home to take care of me.”
Grabbing Willow by the hand, Greg looked up and winked. “I remember watching you on the soccer field. You were a wonderful goalie.”
“Thank you,” said Willow, slightly embarrassed. “It is good to see you again, also.”
Willow remembered the face, but not the name. She played along. “Aren’t you the man who ran along the sidelines keeping up with the ball?”
“Yeah, I’m the one. And I can still run.”
When lunch was over, Willow wheeled her Daddy back to his room.
“I understand you have a special program you watch every day.”
“Yes, I like the old westerns. I’ve tried some of the crime scene shows, but they move too fast for me. I especially like the old John Wayne movies. He was such a great guy.”
“Daddy, while you’re watching the movie, I’ve got some running around to do. I’m coming back to take you on a ride across the river and to your old office.”
“Really? That would be great. I would love to go to the office. I imagine Connor has changed it a lot but that’s okay. “
Willow kissed Rupert on the head. “I’ll be back in a couple of hours. Enjoy your movie.”
“I’m looking forward to getting out of here for a while. I can’t wait.”
* * *
Willow parked in an area marked for McKenzie Employees only. Talking to herself, she said, “This is new. I like it.”
Entering the front door, Willow was greeted by Caitlyn, “Good morning, Willow. It is good to see you. I trust your first night back home was enjoyable.”
"It was quite enjoyable and now I’m paying for it.”
“Is there something I can do for you?”
“Yes. Do you have a fresh cup of coffee?”
“I can certainly make one. It will only take a minute. Why don’t you have a seat in your daddy’s office?”
“Where is Connor?”
“He had an appointment with a customer in Port Gibson. He should be back around six this afternoon.”
“Good. I’m going to bring Daddy by here later.”
“Willow, that would be wonderful; I go see Mr. Rupert on occasion when his signature is needed. I know I should go by more, but I just don’t seem to have time. You may not know, but my husband is confined to a wheelchair and he takes up every spare minute of my time.”
“Caitlyn, I’m sorry, I didn’t know that. But, I know Daddy would love to see you more often. After all, you’ve been with him since the beginning.”
“Yes, it has been a long time.”
“I’m going to move him back to our old house. That way, I can spend more time with him and bring him to the office as often as he wants.”
“Do you think he wants to become involved in the day-to-day operations again?”
“Oh, I seriously doubt that. But, I do. Where would be a good place to start learning the business?”
“I believe the coffee is ready. Let me get you a cup. What do you want in it?”
“One sweetener and two creams.”
Caitlyn was shaken a bit by Willow’s comment. She wondered if Connor knew of her intentions. She sensed it could be a problem.”
Willow looked around Rupert’s office and wondered if she should repaint it or leave it as it is. It was evident it hadn’t received a coat of paint in several years. But she knew he would probably feel comfortable in the office the way it was. She decided to set up her office in one of the offices across the hall.
Caitlyn returned with Willow’s cup of coffee. “When Mr. Rupert left, the door was closed and everything is just as he left it.”
“It looks like it, too,” Willow said, laughing. “Why don’t you get the janitorial service to clean and disinfect this room, and the one across the hall?”
“That would be later today. They come by on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at five in the afternoon.”
“Good. Now back to my question. What is the best way for me to catch up on the day-to-day operations?”
“Willow, probably a review of the files in this row of cabinets.”
“Okay. I want to start that process soon. But, I don’t want to get in your way. After the room across from Daddy’s office is cleaned, I’m going to buy some furniture and set up in there.”
“That will be no problem. We’ve used that room as a repository of old files, but they can be moved down the hall to another room. We just have to be sure to keep them in a climate-controlled room. We must keep them in good shape for future reference should an occasion arise with one of our customers or the IRS.”
“Caitlyn, I wish you would put that on your front burner. I’m going to spend some quality time with my daddy for the next couple of weeks. But, afterwards, I’ll come by here on a regular basis.”
“I’m sure I can do it.”
“Thank you, Caitlyn. I know I’m going to enjoy working with you.”
“Yes ma’am.”
Willow looked at her watch. “It’s four o’clock. I’m going to pick up Daddy. I don’t think we have time to come back today. When Connor shows up, tell him I’m with Daddy and will call him later.”
“Yes ma’am.”
Turning off Wisconsin Avenue to the Assisted Living Complex, Willow’s attention was called to a truck coming toward her blinking its headlights. It was Woody. He let her turn in front of him and followed her to the parking lot.
Slipping out of her car, she asked, “What are you doing Cuz?”
“I’ve been involved all day in a meeting out here and just happened by as you were turning. What’s up with you?”
“I’m getting re-acclimated to Vicksburg.”
Woody looked at the car. “Is this Uncle Rupert’s?”
“Yeah. It is quite a ride compared to my Jag. Say I have an idea. Why don’t you go in and visit with Daddy and me?”
Woody hesitated. “It’s been quite a while since I’ve talked to Uncle Rupert. Do you think that’s a good idea?”
“Like I told you yesterday, we need to mend some family fences. I’m going to take Daddy across the river bridge and back to our house. I think he would enjoy having you come along, I know I would.”
“I don’t know. Maybe you and Uncle Rupert need privacy.”
“Privacy, my foot. We’ll have plenty of time for that when I move him home.”
“Are you seriously considering that?”
“Yes. Very seriously. I feel guilty for being an ‘absent child’ for so long. I’m going to devote some quality time to him.”
She grabbed Woody by the arm. “C’mon. Go with me.”
“Okay. Hold on a minute. I need to call Olga and let her know I’ll be a little bit late coming home.”
Woody punched a single icon on his phone.
“Olga answered. “Hello, Woody.”
“Hi, Babe. I’m with Willow and we’re taking her Daddy on a ride across the river. So I’ll be about an hour later coming home.”
“Woody, this is timely. I was just about to call you. Anne and I want some barbecue for supper. I wanted you to pick some up on your way home.”
“Hold on a second.”
Turning to Willow, Woody asked, “Do you have plans for supper?”
“No, I haven’t thought about it.”
“How about this? Why don’t we pick up some barbecue and go to my house? Uncle Rupert hasn’t been there in several years.”
“Woody, I’ve got a better idea. Why don’t we take the short drive across the river, pick up the barbecue and go to my old home? I’ll call and alert Mami
e. She would be thrilled to see you.”
“That’s a good idea. Is it okay if Olga and Anne join us?”
“Absolutely.”
Woody picked up his phone. “Olga, are you still there?”
“Yes, Woody. I’m hanging on. I heard most of that conversation. What time do you want us to meet you?”
“Since you don’t know where Willow’s old house is, why don’t you and Anne pick up some pulled pork and some ribs, and meet me at the Assisted Living Complex in an hour?”
“We can do that. See you then.”
“This will be a good opportunity to introduce Olga to your daddy. Should there be any tension between Uncle Rupert and me, Olga is a good conversationalist and could help ease the tension.”
“Okay. I’m calling Mamie. I just love it when a plan comes together.” They walked toward Rupert’s apartment. “This is absolutely wonderful.”
Willow gently tapped on the door and turned the knob, pushing it open slightly. “Daddy, it’s Willow.”
“Come in, Darling. I’m waiting on you and ready to go.”
Rupert, seated in his wheelchair, turned toward Willow when she spoke. “Daddy, look who’s with me.”
Woody stepped forward, extending his hand. “Uncle Rupert. It is good to see you.”
“By golly. It is good to see you, too,” Rupert said, a surprised look on his face. “It has been a long time.”
“That’s right; Uncle Rupert, but Willow and I are going to keep in close contact with you from now on.”
“Woody, I look forward to that.”
“Daddy, do you want to walk out or does Woody need to push your wheelchair?”
“As much as I would like to walk out, I had better let Woody push me out. My legs aren’t very strong.”
“I spoke to the administrator and he said you should start a walking program. We’ll do that later.”
After getting Rupert seated in the car, Willow pitched the keys to Woody. “Why don’t you drive? I’m going to sit in the back seat behind Daddy so we can talk.”
“Willow, are you taking good care of my car?” asked Rupert. “Do we need to stop for gas?”
“Yes Daddy. I’m handling your car with kid gloves. And I filled the tank yesterday. I ran into one of your old employees at the gas station.”