Wohoo! On Tuesday, my dad ordered the new computer! It'll take 8-10 working days to come in, but still, I'll be back on the computer at a regular basis soon! Oh and two other things that made me happy that I want to share with all of you. First, I found the entire Horace Greely quote! It's "Go west young man, and grow up with the country." Hehe that made me SO happy. And my mom says that one of Michael W. Smith's early, early albums was titled "Go west young man." I just thought that was cool. And in WWI, an early German nickname for American soldiers was "Grinning Cowboys." Okay, so I'm really reaching for a Newsies connection there, but if it made me happy than it might make at least of few of you happy so it's worth it. Oh and sorry if any of you find this chapter boring. I find it boring myself, but anyway, just r/r anyway please!
Chapter 13
Blink and Race eyed Rhys warily as he approached them. Although they were aquatinted with the changed Rhys, both of them were cautious about abusive, even formerly abusive, fathers from personal experience or direct contact with someone with personal experience. Dave, however, was perfectly comfortable. He had gotten to know Jack and Becca's father better during Becca's stay in Kingston. He waited patiently for Rhys to reach them. Dave's calm caused Blink and Race to relax. Rhys walked up to Dave and grasped his hand in a firm handshake. "Hello, David. Good to see you again."
"You too, Mr. Sullivan." Rhys turned to Blink and Race.
"Give me a second," he touched his fingertips to his forehead and squeezed his eyes shut in an effort to remember their names. "Kid Blink and Racetrack, correct?"
"Yes, Mr. Sullivan," Blink answered while shaking with Rhys.
"Ya can call us Blink and Race foah short if ya want," added Race when he shook with Rhys.
"If you like," Rhys returned. He glanced around, "are we close to Thomas's room?"
"Yes," said Dave.
"I'm going to go in there and see if he is awake," Rhys spoke in a low tone. "There are things I need to say to him." Dave nodded and pointed to room 121,
"He's in there. So are Spot, Becca, and Jack." Rhys thanked Dave and softly made his way into Thomas's room. A moment or two later, Spot, a reluctant Jack, and Becca, who was practically dragging the former from the room, emerged.
"Jack," she hissed at him, "what our father has to say to Grandpa is really important and should be done alone."
"But I just ain't comfortable leavin' Grandpa in there alone, even with him."
"Don't be dumb, Jacky-boy," countered Spot. "Ya trusted him with Becca foah weeks. 'Sides, wese was gonna have ta leave soonah oah latah ta go sell oah papes anyway."
"Looks like it'll be soonah," Race announced as he handed Spot a stack of the papers he had been carrying. Blink did the same, only he gave papers to Jack. Then the newsies went around, Spot and Jack greeting Dave and Becca hugged Race and Blink. Finally they finished, and Jack asked Dave,
"So what are ya gonna do taday?" Dave shrugged,
"Go home, see if Mama's there, which she probably is."
"Would you like some company?" Becac piped up. Dave regarded her for a second, then gave in with a heaving sigh that puzzled the others around him.
"Yeah, I would. Besides, there's something I need to tell my parents that you should hear too." Becca's confusion deepened, as did Jack and Spot's. "Blink, Race, could you tell the two of them about it once we're gone?" Blink and Race agreed to. Dave waved to the four newsies as he and Becca gathered their things and made their way out of the hospital, Dave telling Becca that he would explain everything once his parents were there.
Jack turned to Spot, "Ya sellin' in Manhattan taday?"
"Yeah, that way Ise closah ta the hospital." Jack nodded and he, Race, Spot, and Blink left for a day of selling.
***
Rhys tiptoed to the side of Thomas's bed. He was not certain whether or not Thomas was awake, and did not want to wake him up if he was not. Thomas helped Rhys break his uncertainty—"I'm awake, if that is what you're wondering." Rhys felt his throat clasp shut. He had not seen Thomas since he had run away with Samantha. He was sure that Becca had spoken of him to her grandfather, but Rhys did not know what Thomas thought of him at this point in time.
"Hello, Thomas," Rhys said shakily, sitting down.
"Rhys," Thomas returned.
"I, um, I'm not sure of what to say."
"Your daughter has spoken much for you." Thomas kept his voice so that Rhys could not detect any emotion, merely a casual tone. "She tells me that you have begun a new life, and are trying to make amends for what you did in the past."
"Do you believe her?" asked Rhys falteringly.
"Becca would not lie, especially not about this. She is convinced of your sincerity. She is a very perceptive person and would know if you were not being sincere. So yes, I believe her."
"She gets that from you," Rhys commented. "The perceptive part." Thomas sighed wearily. Rhys was startled at the sudden weakness in Thomas's voice. 'He's much more sick than he will admit to.'
"Yes, I suppose so. 'Tis a pity that her mother did not posses such insight." Rhys did not know how to continue that conversation, so he decided to get to the point.
"I've been putting this off ever since I found out that you and my children, and Spot, who I suppose is my nephew, had found each other. It was comparatively easy apologizing to my children. Although Jack was a bit hostile at first, not that I blame him. But with you…I'm not positive of why but it's harder. Not something that I can continue to put off, however. I only wish I had not waited this long. There is nothing else to say save that I am sorry. So very sorry, to an extent that I don't have the words to tell you how sorry I am.
"I was wrong. I was wrong in encouraging Samantha to run away with me, in taking her away from her family." Rhys gulped, "and I was even more wrong in…hurting her and consequently our children, in all the ways that I did. I don't know if it will make things better, but I can honestly tell you that I loved and still love Samantha. As horrible of a man as I was, and however much it may not make sense, I always loved Samantha. And Jack and Becca are the most important things in the world to me." When Rhys finished, the room was silent. Rhys began to worry that Thomas would not accept his apology when the older man spoke.
"I forgave you long ago. I loved Samantha with all my heart, but I could not find it in myself to hold a long-lasting grudge against any man for long. To do so is poison to the soul. Forgiveness is the only way to be set free, something of which I know you are painfully aware of. That is why I tell you this, so that you may be set free. I forgive you." Rhys closed his eyes and whispered,
"Thank you." Rhys opened his eyes when Thomas spoke again.
"If she were here, Beatrice (Samantha's mother) would do the same." Rhys nodded,
"Again, thank you." At that moment, the nurse appeared and shooed Rhys out, claiming that Thomas needed rest, which he did. Rhys said his good-byes to Thomas, who told him to come back later so that they could talk "about the children and other such matters."