It was Christmastime 1984. He had been separated for three years and divorced one. It was a Saturday, and he always spent Saturday with his two sons. The oldest boy was nine and the younger one but six. He would drive in from his apartment forty minutes away and take the boys back to it. The boys sometimes just wanted to stay at his place because Brooklyn did not yet have cable T.V. and Long Island did. They loved to watch MTV with all its music videos. Later on he would take the boys to his favorite Italian restaurant for an early dinner… and then home. The old lady who owned the place, Nefi, loved the kids, as she and her husband never had any. She would take his oldest son into the kitchen and show him around. Then she would go over to the younger one, squeeze him and hug him as always, and ask him to take a walk with her. ” I’m not a dog” he would say, ” To take for a walk! ” And they all would laugh. Sometimes two regular patrons, Buddy and Rita, would be there, and they just adored the boys. Rita had a nervous condition and his little son could see that she was not ‘ right ‘, so he would always talk with her.
It was time to take the boys home. His oldest son said that their Mom and her boyfriend were going to be putting up their tree tonight. The boys had helped him do his tree the week before. As he was driving them home his mind focused on too many sad things. He had just had a girlfriend betray his trust with deception. HIs little son, awhile back when it occurred, had seen him very sad at his apartment one Saturday. He had gone into his bedroom sat on the edge of his bed, with the door closed, and cried. The youngest son came quietly into the room, and gazed at his father. He then came over and stood real close. He first pointed to his father’s heart and said ” Don’t keep it in here”. Quickly he pointed to his dad’s head and said ” If you have to just keep it in here.” His father hugged him and kissed him over and over.
When they arrived outside of his ex wife’s home, he pulled the car over to let them out. His oldest son, seeing through the windows that they were placing the tree into its stand, said to his brother ” Come on, they’re putting up the tree. Come on! ” He dashed out of the car after saying “See ya dad!” The father opened the passenger door to help his youngest son out, and then he did what he always did , grabbing the boys hand and walking him to the front door. The boy would not let go this time though. ” Dad, come on, I want you to come in and see our tree.” The man tried to discourage this by saying it was late and he had to get home. ” NO dad, I want you to come in to see it!” By this time the mother had opened the door. The boy said ” I want my dad to come in to see our tree. ” She, who had as little to do with her ex as possible, just backed off as they went in. The man made a few kind remarks and then excused himself. As he got into his car he could see his young son by the window waving him goodbye.
He cried all the way home.
PA Farruggio
December, 2025