Coward of the County
Eight year old Phineas wasn't quite sure what was going on here. His Uncle John had showed up at lunch time and sent him to his room. While sitting there he had heard frustrated words exchanged between his mother and uncle until finally his mother had sighed and called him back into the main room.
"Phineas I want you to go with your Uncle John into town." Linda said quietly.
"Why?" Phineas asked in a small voice
"So you can go see your dad." Linda responded with the same quiet tone.
Phineas gasped he hadn't seen his father in a year. "Okay mom." Phineas said in a slightly happier yet nervous tone.
"Alright Phineas we better get going if you want to see your dad." His tall dark haired uncle told him before picking Phineas up and carrying him to his chestnut haired horse. "Linda, I'll see you when we get back." John said as he climbed aboard his horse. With that they headed into the nearby town of Danville.
(*)(*)
As soon as they reached their destination John stopped his horse, dismounted and tied it to a hitching post before helping young Phineas down. Phineas looked at the sign on the building and was instantly confused why they were here.
"Uncle John, why are we at the prison?" Phineas asked nervously.
John sighed before looking down to Phineas and saying gently "Well you see this is where your dad has been the past year, and today's the day he gets to leave his cell." Phineas looked at him quizzically before asking hopefully "You mean he's coming home?"
John sighed and looked away before answering "Not exactly boy, we should go in he can explain it better."
As the door's swung open the jailer looked up at the visitor before a flicker of recognition crossed his eyes. "Ah, John I assume you're here to see your brother." The jailer said.
"You know the answer to that. And be careful when you talk, the boy is here." John said coldly. At that moment the jailer apparently saw Phineas for the first time. "Aw fine come on; you got here just in time." The jailer said before swinging the door open to allow them access to the cells. The smell of mold rolled out to greet them as Phineas and John entered the dimly lit two cell room. The cell on the right remained empty while the one on the left held a dirty, pale and scraggly haired man.
When the man saw them he immediately called out. "John come here, did you bring him?"
John looked at the man calmly before replying. "Yes, Alex I brought your boy."
"Great where is he?" Alex asked hastily.
At that moment John noticed the small hands clutched at his knee from behind his leg. John turned and knelt down to Phineas' level before speaking. "Phineas why are you hiding?"
"Because that man is scary." Phineas whispered quietly.
"Phineas that's your dad." John answered him. With that Phineas stepped out from behind Alex and stepped up to the cell door.
"Dad?" Phineas asked in a small voice.
"Come here Phinny." Alex said to his son. At the sound of his father's old nickname for him Phineas ran up to the cell and hugged his father through the bars. As the two separated, Alex looked over at the prison guard who was tapping his foot impatiently.
"Alright Phineas looks like this is the last chance I'll have to tell this to you. I need you to promise me not to do what I did to end up here. Walk away from all the trouble you can, I hope you can understand you're not weak if you turn away from conflict. Just know that you don't have to fight to prove that you're a man."
As Alex uttered the last words the guard came to lead him away. Not wanting Phineas to watch what was going to happen to his father John picked up Phineas and took him to his horse and took the boy home.