Remember Savannah

#15 Quality Father Daughter Time

I couldn't sleep that night and around four in the morning decided to head to the kitchen and load up on coffee to keep myself awake for the upcoming day at work. My dad already beat me to it. With his favorite mug and his only robe, he sat at the counter drinking coffee. There was plenty left over, and I grabbed a cup and sat next to him.

"Couldn't sleep?" he asked.

"No. Not with everything that happened this weekend."

"You mean meeting Dr. Peterson's Daughter for the first time since preschool." He took a sip.

"I guess so. Why can't you sleep?"

"Your mom is on a week vacation with a friend. Also, not smoking really keeps you up." Another sip was taken. "So, how's that Peterson girl?"

"I wish I would've befriended her a lot sooner. You know she went to Arizona State. Maybe I should've followed Savannah out there."

"Well, it's good that you met someone you like a lot. I was always amazed how well Savannah and Sabrina clicked. Can you keep a secret?" His face was serious as I nodded. "I never liked Sabrina very much. Always giving me headaches. I know Savannah was the same way, but I guess it's different when it's your own kid."

"Well if it helps, me and Steve never liked Sabrina much especially after finding out they were on the phone before the car accident."

"Sabrina was a good kid though. Don't ever forget that. She meant well with that call I'm sure."

"She would've been alive if she wasn't on her phone." My mouth took a big gulp of coffee.

"That may be, but we all die eventually whether we're ready or not. Look at me. I just had surgery because I've been smoking for so long. Besides that, my body isn't what it used to be. I'm not the young guy I used to be. Remember how when you were little, I would always carry you on hikes and to the river?"

"I miss those days." Another big gulp was taken.

"They were good days. What do you say we go on a hike this evening? Just you and me? Like old times."

"I would love that."

"It's settled. We'll go when you get off work. Your old man can still hike a mountain."

A lot of coffee was consumed at work. Thankfully I made it through the day and hopefully I would get enough sleep that night. I drove straight to the mountain where my dad was waiting for me. He looked silly in his workout clothes. At least he had a walking stick and two big jugs of water.

"You've probably been drinking coffee all day, you'll need the water." He handed me a jug.

The water felt better than the coffee I had been drinking all day. Once I changed my clothes in the bathroom we were ready to go.

"Good day at work?" my dad asked.

"It was fine. Nothing interesting. Mostly reading about a new medicine."

"Sounds interesting. You know, before I worked as an electrician, I was a custodian at a hospital. Worked a lot of nights going to college only to drop out after a couple years. You really were both fortunate to finish college and have well-paying jobs. Not many get that opportunity. My brother Clyde worked his entire life as a Taxi Driver. Hated every minute of it."

The sun was slowly making its way down. It wouldn't be long until it would be officially setting letting the heat cool down a bit which would be a relief. We also remembered to keep drinking our water.

"Did you like your job as an electrician?"

"Sure, it was fine. It was enough to support us as a family and I was perfectly content with just that."

"Would you do it any differently if you could?"

He was quiet for a moment in thought. "Probably not. If I had to do anything different, I would never have smoked, but I guess at this point there's not much I can do about that. Aside from that, I think I gave you girls a decent enough childhood. And I always loved your mom very much."

"Did you ever want something more? How did you know you were happy and there wasn't anything else that could make you happier?"

He stopped, and we sat on a rock for a break continuing our conversation. His hand held my chin as his face looked serious.

"Honey, growing up, I didn't live in the best situation. Your grandparents worked long and hard hours to make ends meet. Your grandfather had a gambling addiction and honestly probably wasn't the best father. Things eventually got better but growing up all I wanted to do was have a better life than what my parents provided for me." He took a deep breath. "How about you?"

I was hoping he wouldn't ask me anything like that. "I don't know. I mean my job is OK and Steve... I don't know."

"I'm pretty sure I've told you this before, but life is to short to do something you hate, and God certainly didn't put you here to waste your life."

"But Savannah..."

"Savannah lived the life she could from what it seems. What do I know? She was married with a child. She had a job. She loved you. She loved everyone around her. Maybe there is something we could all learn from her. I don't know." He stood up. "Come on. We need to reach the top of this mountain before my legs give out."

We kept hiking and conversing. This hike was certainly giving my legs a run that I desperately needed. I was thankful for a dad that encouraged me to keep going when I got tired. It was amazing how he was able to move for an aging man. Once we reached the top we felt refreshed. There laid a stream of clear water that our feet loved and most likely our tongues. We were also in the sight of some ancient ruins which consisted of a few walls, rocks, and stones. While this could provide shade on a hot and sunny day, so could the surrounding trees and plants. The setting sun made the spectacular site more spectacular. In that moment, I had to take a picture. It was at that moment, I felt a unique type of freedom. It was at that moment; my eyes spotted a squirrel in a peaceful habitat.

"We're almost there!" shouted my dad who gave me a piggyback ride as he held a cigar in his mouth.

The heat was not my friend and the little girl that I was, was not ready for such an easy but hard hike for someone my age. My parents were trying to keep up with Savannah who kept trying to run until they told her to walk or else she would trip and hurt something. When we finally reached the top, my dad dropped me into the stream where I laid and felt relieved. The shade around me was able to block out the early afternoon sun. Meanwhile, my mom took a few pictures.

"Get a picture of me mom!" shouted Savannah. "Look!" My mom also took pictures of her.

Getting out of the stream, my eyes caught notice of a squirrel. Being as quiet as possible, I tried to sneak behind and pet it only for it to run away. My dad smiled with a chuckle as he kneeled next to me.

"Don't worry honey, there are plenty more of them."

Hope you enjoyed that chapter! Don't forget to comment and vote!

What kind of hikes have you been on?

Do you think Savannah lived a great life? Can Margo truly learn anything from Savannah?