Robert's Story.
Robert trudged home from school. He wondered if his father would be home, and if he would be drunk or not. Robert's father, Gerald, had been in the Navy and seen action in Vietnam. When he got out, Gerald resumed his law studies, and qualified as a solicitor. He'd set up practice and shortly married soon afterward. When Robert was born, it seemed to be the epitome of a happy family. Until the night Gerald's wife got up to give the baby his night feed, and found her husband passed out on the lounge-room carpet, drunk.
Nothing was said until the same scene was repeated some days later. Nancy Dixon decided to speak to Gerald about it, and his terse response, was, no he didn't have a drink problem; would she mind not making up these accusatory stories please? The years went on, and as young Robert grew, he joined in with his mother in concealing his father's drinking. The secretive pouring of drink down the sink, the lies, the pretence, bearing with his father's drunkenness, his verbal abuse, concealing the problem from other family members.
Robert never wanted his father to attend any school activities, for fear of him turning up the worse for wear. He never invited any of his friends to his home. He tried to talk to his mother about his father's drinking, but all she would say is, "He is a good provider, Robert, we don't starve, we have a roof over our heads. He'll stop one day; you wait and see."
Robert waited to see for years, but the drunken bouts continued. He was in his teens when Gerald staggered in the door one night, after being thrown out of the pub. He started in on Nancy and Robert as soon as he came in the door. He abused them for half the night, shouting at the top of his voice that his wife was a whore, and his son a useless ne'er -do-well who would amount to nothing when he grew up. He tried to throw a chair at them, but only succeeded in breaking a window. He continued drinking and shouting until in a maudlin state, he passed out on the kitchen floor. Robert fetched a blanket and covered him. He turned away in disgust and went to his room.
The next morning, he woke to hear his father retching miserably in the basin in the bathroom.
When Gerald emerged red-eyed, Robert walked past him as if he wasn't there. He found his mother in the kitchen, sitting at the table, staring at the tablecloth. She looked up at her son, and said she had received a phone call while Gerald was out last night. It was Frank Neilsen, who worked in the same firm of solicitors as Gerald. Frank told Nancy the whole story; how Gerald had appeared in court, drunk, to the embarrassment of his clients, several times. He had insulted magistrates, abused clients and court officials. Frank said he had been warned about his conduct; yet instead of heeding the warnings, continued the obnoxious behaviour. During a trial, instead of defending his client, he abused the magistrate and was held in contempt of court. The final blow came when Gerald returned to the office, to be told he was fired. Frank also explained that he'd been told that unless he sought treatment for his alcohol abuse, he was in danger of being struck off. He would be disbarred from practice. Frank said he was sorry that he had to be such a messenger of doom, but he wanted to forewarn Nancy before Gerald returned home.
At that point Gerald shuffled into the kitchen and Robert swung around. He stared at his father. "Dad. You've got to do something about your drinking. You've lost your job, and if you don't get help, you could lose us. You have to do something, Dad. Don't you want your practice back?"
Gerald said, "Who are you talking to, boy? I'm your father, you will show me respect, do you hear? You hear me?"
"I will show you respect if you stop drinking, and get help. That's the only way I will show you any respect. I'm sick of having a drunk for a father."
"Who are you to call me a drunk, boy? You show me respect you hear? I served my country. You show me respect. Don't you dare call me a drunk. You can just get out of this house you hear me? You hear me?"
"Fine," said Robert. "I'll get out and I'm taking mum with me." He went to his room, packed a bag, and said, "Come on Mum, I'll take you to Grandma's." Something in Robert's voice communicated itself to Nancy, and she stood up from the table. "Robert is right, Gerald. I'm sick of playing sentry, waiting up half the night wondering when you will come in, and if you'll be drunk or not. I'm tired of making excuses, and hoping, wishing you'd stop drinking."
Gerald moved toward her and started pleading. But for once, Nancy was unmovable. She said, "I'm not staying here to watch you drink yourself to death. Either you get sober, or lose your family. You choose."
She followed her son out of the kitchen, and moments later, Gerald heard the front door close with some finality in the sound.
Nancy's mother took them in, and when they'd settled, Nancy found a job as a waitress. Robert finished his schooling, and joined the Navy. He sent money back to his mother, and learned of his parents' divorce. His mother used the proceeds of the divorce settlement to move away and buy a small flat in a seaside town.
His father was found dead in a run-down boarding house while Robert was at sea on board Hammersley. The cause of death was liver failure due to excessive alcoholism.
Mike looked at Robert with fresh understanding. Small wonder you kept to yourself, he thought, your childhood was miserable. Aloud he said, "Robert, I never knew any of this. You never told anyone."
"Not even me," Bomber said sadly.
"I didn't see the need," replied Robert. "It's in the past, he's dead, and I've moved on. I thought I'd tell you the story because sir, I think you are a much stronger person than my father. You showed that often onboard Hammersley. You overcame challenges time and again."
That night, as he lay in bed, Mike did some hard thinking. He heard Robert's words again – A lot of disabled people make a go of their lives and become quite successful. He was reminded of his uncle Patrick, blinded after a rifle bolt backfired into his face. Despite this, Patrick continued to run the farm right up until the day he died. Mike realised he had behaved like Robert's father in driving his family away. He felt incredible shame and he vowed that he would contact Kate, first thing in the morning.
In the spare room, Bomber said to Robert, "I wish you had told me earlier. I'm sorry you had such a crappy childhood. But you know, you're OK."
Robert put his arm around Bomber and said, "Your childhood wasn't wonderful either. I figured that, if you could put yours in the past, so could I."
Another decision was made that night; Robert was going to do all he could to make this feisty woman his wife. They lay in each other's arms and fell asleep.
