Rated G.
This is a tribute to Father's Day, to my own father, Walter, and is a missing scene for my story 'The Time Tunnel'.
Kindly take a moment to review...
My desk, bare except for a phone, a picture, and a nameplate. 'A. Collins'. That's me. Like my office, like my desk. Bare and empty, nothing but silence and darkness, today.
I look at the picture, picking it up and holding it closer. Wes, smiling into the camera, in his cap and gown. College graduation. Harvard Business School. I thought I had his future all planned out then. A business degree, a trainee job at Bio-Lab, years of working his way up, learning the ins and outs of my company, learning how to be a leader. Then more years of being my right-hand man, gradually taking over more and more. At the right time, I would retire, and Bio-Lab would be his. Perhaps every father wants a son to follow in his footsteps. I couldn't think of anything better for him. But he had his own ideas.
I put the picture back on my desk, still staring at it. Soon, I hope to replace it, with a wedding picture. I close my eyes, imagining it, Wes and Jen, him in a black formal suit, her in a beautiful white gown. Eric as best man. Me, watching proudly, father of the groom.
And I am proud, even though things haven't quite worked out the way I planned. I should have known Wes was unhappy, but I blinded myself. Bio-Lab had become my entire life. My own power, my wealth, my position had gone to my head. Why would my son want anything different from what I had planned for him?
Father's Day, 1996
"Want a drink, son?" I was sitting at the wet bar in our living room, watching Wes. He smiled at me and shook his head. "Come on, to celebrate Father's Day," I said. "And don't tell me you don't drink."
"Well, okay. To celebrate." He accepted a beer and turned away slightly, shoving his hand in his pocket, something he did when he was uneasy.
"Something on your mind?" I asked.
"Well, yeah." He hunched his shoulders, still not looking at me. "I'm supposed to start at Bio-Lab tomorrow."
"Yes?" I prompted.
"I only graduated a week ago. I was thinking, I'd like to take some time off. Before I settle down. Have some fun."
"But -- Wesley, it's all arranged. All the paperwork is done. There are people scheduled to train you..."
Wesley was usually the nicest, most cooperative boy you could wish for. But once in a while he got stubborn, the humor and good temper vanishing to reveal a will of iron underneath. I saw that mulish look on his face now. "Sorry. But I just don't think I'm ready yet."
"Not ready?" I took a breath, tried to calm my temper, took another sip of my drink. "Why didn't you say something earlier? It's Sunday, the day before you're supposed to start, for Christsake."
"I've just -- been thinking about it. For a while. Didn't want to say anything." He looked guilty, and I instinctively took advantage.
"So you wait until the last minute?" I sighed. "Wesley, think about how it would look. You'd look like an -- irresponsible kid. And frankly, that's exactly what you'd be. And I'd look like a fool. How could I ever bring you into the company, in a position of responsibility, after that?"
"Dad..."
"No. You made a commitment. And my son lives up to his commitments."
I could see he was resentful. I could see he didn't want to do it. But I didn't care, as long as he did what I wanted. I was the father, wasn't I? I was older, and more experienced, I knew what was best for him.
"Okay, Dad," he finally said, his tone defeated. "Whatever you say."
Father's Day, 2001
It was a Sunday, but to me it was just another working day. It had been months since Wes and I had had our fight, since he had 'borrowed' money from Bio-Lab to pay a kidnap ransom for some kids we didn't even know, interfering in police business, endangering himself, disobeying my orders, betraying the trust I had put in him. I thought, and to tell the truth, still think, it was a dishonest and foolish thing to do. But his motives had been good, something I refused to see at the time.
Wesley had left that day, moved out, quit Bio-Lab and rejected me. I had reacted by shutting him out of my life and my thoughts, putting even more of myself into my work. And here I was, riding to the office in my limo on Father's Day, shutting out the pain of seeing this day go by without a word between us.
I was talking on my cell phone when I saw him. Although I had someone keeping track of Wesley, I had given orders that I didn't want to hear anything about him, unless he was in trouble. Consequently, I had no idea of where he was, how he was living, and didn't care to know. But when I saw him...
"Pull over," I ordered the driver. We stopped in a wide building entranceway, where five young people were collecting garbage, tossing it into a dumpster.
Wes, in dirty coveralls, looked up. I could see the expression of dismay and annoyance that crossed his face, no trace of happiness at seeing me. Maybe that's why I acted the way I did. He walked up to the car as I rolled the window down.
"Hi, Dad," he said, his voice cool and laced with hostility.
I could have asked him how he was doing, whether he had enough money to live on, a decent place to stay, whether he was happy. But I didn't. What I said was, "This is what you left home for? To clean up other people's trash?"
One of the kids with him -- younger than the others, with bright green, annoyingly punky-looking hair -- said something I ignored. Wes shushed him and turned back to me, not responding to my remark. Behind him, a tall Asian man, a tall brown-skinned woman, and a pretty woman with freckles and brown hair watched.
"I couldn't be more disappointed," I said, as the window rolled back up, cutting him off, shutting me away from him. I saw his face as he straightened back up, the flicker of pain that ran over it. I'll always regret that I didn't roll that window back down.
That was the day I discovered the truth, that Wes had become a Ranger, had joined the team of Rangers that had appeared so mysteriously in Silver Hills. That he was risking his life on a regular basis, and had not told me, had not trusted me.
It's hard to explain what I felt, as he ran away from me in his Ranger suit, going to rejoin his teammates, the people who had become more important to him than his own father. Anger, certainly; hurt, frustration. Fear, that he'd be injured, or worse; that I'd lose him permanently. But -- there was also pride. I didn't know it then, but that pretty, brown-haired young woman I had seen him with had already done more than I would have believed possible to inspire Wesley to grow up, find his own strength, and take responsibility.
Father's Day, 2002
What a difference a year made. An eventful year, to be sure. Wesley -- Wes, now -- had fought at his teammates' sides to defeat a powerful enemy. I had seen him really become a man. Not only in terms of fighting, of courage, although he certainly had that, but in character, in adding strength and determination to the generosity and compassion he had always had.
Another young man had entered both our lives, too. Eric Myers had come to my attention at first only as a member of my new security force, the Silver Guardians, who happened to have known Wes in school. Then he got the Quantum morpher, and became a Ranger himself, and an important asset. In him, I had seen someone with the ambition, the drive, the realism and hard-headed sense that Wes lacked. In a way, the kind of son I had always wanted. If Wes wouldn't come back to me, wouldn't work for me, I'd still have my own Ranger, still have a Ranger leading the Guardians. I'd show Wes I didn't need him, as an employee or as a son.
But Wes surprised me, and Eric too. He persisted in befriending Eric, ignoring his hostility, treating him as an ally instead of a rival, finally winning his respect. He had also been able to find the courage to come to me when he needed help, despite our continuing differences. With a little time, our relationship had improved.
And then -- Bio-Lab was attacked, and I was injured. I almost died, was expected to die. And when I woke up -- when I returned to my hospital room after a few tests to make sure I wasn't about to keel over again, Wes was there, on his knees beside my bed, clutching the blanket that had covered me, and crying. When I called his name, and he turned around to see me -- all the pain of my injuries, the time it took to recover; it was all worth it just to see the joy on his face, just to see the way he smiled when I told him I understood what he was doing, and that I was proud of him.
Now it was months later. With their mission completed, the Ranger team had disbanded. Wes's partners were gone, including Jen, the woman he had fallen in love with. She would eventually return, although we didn't know that at the time. Wes had moved back into the house, and accepted my offer to join the Silver Guardians and eventually become a commander.
They surprised me on Father's Day. Eric had come over, Wes had invited him to share our traditional drink to mark the occasion. As usual, Eric looked a little uncomfortable. It always amused me to see how the display of wealth affected him, how out of place he obviously felt, although I felt a good deal of sympathy, too.
"To Father's Day." Wes raised his glass.
"Yeah." Eric raised his. I smiled as we clinked them together.
"Dad, we have a little surprise for you." Wes gave Eric a look, clearly prompting him.
Eric still looked uncomfortable, but he smiled. "Yeah. Well," he said. "We wanted to save this for Father's Day. Wes has finished his training. I've promoted him to commander, equal with me, starting today."
"Wes, that's wonderful. Congratulations," I said, beaming proudly. "Didn't take long, did it? Less than six months."
"Didn't think Wes had it in him. But he did okay, for a rich kid," Eric murmured, grinning, an example of his rather prickly sense of humor.
Wes gave him a lopsided smile. "I still consider myself to be a sort of second-in-command. Eric's been doing this longer than I have."
"That's crap," Eric said. "I've been commander less than a year longer than you. And you've been a Ranger longer than me."
"Being a Ranger is different from being in charge of a whole security force."
"It taught you teamwork and battle strategy, didn't it?"
"Well, yeah..."
I put my drink down and draped my arms over both their shoulders. "I'm sure you're both great leaders. And you make a great team. I'm proud of both of you." They smiled, those two very different faces warm and happy, even Eric's. With a final squeeze, I let them go. "Now -- let's see if dinner's ready."
It's Father's Day again today, and I stare at the picture, wondering where he is, where they all are, what's happening to them. If I'll ever see them again, ever see my son smile at me again, ever get to take that wedding picture and put it on my desk, if I'll ever get the chance to pat Eric on the back and tell him he's like another son to me, if I'll ever get to call Jen my daughter-in-law.
They're all missing, in danger, again... I tell myself they have a job to do, they're Rangers, they're doing something important, something worth taking risks for. But I find myself wishing it was someone else facing those dangers.
I tell myself Wes is an adult, so are Eric and Jen, they can take care of themselves. They've been in worse situations, and come through it all right. Wes is strong, and smart, he'll be fine, he'll be back before I know it, they all will. But that sick fear still knots my stomach.
I can't help it. I'm a father.