July 2012

Murdoch’s Story

Why did Maria leave?  Why did she take his son?  What lies did she tell Johnny?  Will his younger son ever believe him? 

What stories did Harlan tell his older son?  Does Scott still believe his father didn’t want him?

So many lies gone unchecked for all those years that he was separated from his sons.  His fervent wish was he could muster the courage to ask them, to tell them that what they thought they knew, were lies.  Tell them that he loved them and had always wanted them here with him, where they belonged. 

Murdoch took another sip of his single malt scotch as he stared out the window in the great room.  All this had been for his sons, the sacrifice, the hard work, and the dreams.  Would those dreams ever come true or would he lose them again because he was afraid to tell Scott and Johnny his true feelings?  He remembered how he told them ‘the past is in the past’ because he didn’t know how to say, ‘welcome home sons.’

Now he sat, alone and frightened, and why?  Because he had let his fear of loss keep him from reaching out and letting those strangers into his life.  His sons were strangers to him and unless he was willing to accept them as they are, grown men, they would remain strangers.

Murdoch swallowed the remainder of his drink and slammed the glass down on the desk.  He knew what he had to do, face the lies and ask his sons to listen to him.  Listen to his side of the story, to explain what happened, and to ask them to forgive his past mistakes.

At the sound of horses he looked toward the open French doors.  His sons had returned from clearing a clogged creek in the North pasture.  He smiled as he listened to the brotherly banter and chuckled when he saw Scott holding his nose as he pointed to his brother’s dirty shirt.  Scott and Johnny had bonded, it was like they had always been together.  That fact made the father in him very happy.

Murdoch took a deep breath, rose from his chair and headed for the door.  It was time his sons knew they had a father and to hear the truth, that he loved them.


The End