Chapter 36

“Daddy,” said Tina Hardy. She and her husband were unexpected. I mean showing up at 9:00 p.m. on a week night.

“Christina!” I said, “and Ronald.”

“Daddy we are here to talk to you. I know you and mom talked, but she won’t say anything about what you all talked about. And that’s not fair!”

“And you, Ronald, are you on her side?” I said, half tongue in cheek.

“Sir, Tina and I are married. I’m trapped. Of course, I’m on her side,” he said.

“Hmm, point taken,” I said. “Look, I have a few questions of my own.”

“Oh? Okay?” said Tina. Ronald was nodding.

“You two are both still in school, right?” I said.

“Of course, Dad, and I know you know that,” she said.

“Yes, well, and you’re both business majors, right?” I said.

“Yes, well sort of,” said Ronald. “Tina’s a General Business major. I’m into Finance actually.”

“Okay, and the both of you are essentially running the apartment building. And the business per se. Right?” I said. “I mean your stepdad’s business.”

“Well, yes, because mom couldn’t do it and stepdad was, well, in jail and couldn’t do it,” said Tina.

“And as I understand it, you’re doing okay. I mean keeping the business in the black, right?” I said.

“Yes, well, so far,” said Ronald. I was nodding.

“Okay, you are both, at least for now, hoteliers, professional hoteliers. Stick with it; it’ll work out for you; I can feel it.

“Okay, so to address your question, whaddya want to know?” I said.

“Dad, we know you paid off stepdad’s debts, but I know you didn’t have that kind of money; I mean more than a million dollars,” said Tina, getting right to the point. Ronald was nodding. I smiled.

“Really, you two, it’s none of your business; but I know how to make money if I want. It’s that simple,” I said.

“But Daddy...” started Tina.

“Look, I parlayed a loan into enough to do the job, and that is all I’m going to say, and I do want the two of you to continue to say nothing to anyone about that. Just know that it was all legal, and my business, not yours or anyone else’s, okay,” I said.

“Dad, you are so frustrating at times!” said Tina.

“Tina, Ronald, I do not want people coming at me wanting me to make them a ton of money. I don’t actually hate money, but I really don’t care about it the way most people do.

“Now, I’ve already told you more than I told your mom. Be satisfied with that, and let it be enough. The man needed money to avoid a long prison sentence, so I got it for him. That’s the end of it. Okay?” I said. They nodded their reluctant common okay, but they were clearly not happy with my short answer.

“Okay,” said Ronald. “I guess we understand.”

“And, like I said. Do not let anyone in on what I’ve said to you today. I mean it,” I said.

“Okay, Daddy, but we’re are here for another reason actually,” she said.

“Oh?” I said.

“Dad, we are so grateful for what you did for stepdad. He’s a good guy and mom was devastated when he was arrested. And she has cried every night since he got out; she is so relieved. You did good Daddy,” said Tina, “though I’d still like to know exactly how you did it.” She was smiling.

“She’s not exaggerating, Dad,” said Ronald. “Her mom just couldn’t believe how lucky she, they were to have you in their corner.” That the boy called me “dad” made me feel good. I wonder what his Hardy relatives would have thought had they heard him.

“Well, your mom and I were married a long time, and then we had you, Tina. And, she treated me right in the divorce. I owed her for that. So, I still have her back,” I said.

“Just so you’ll know, Daddy, she talks about you all of the time. She does not have a clue how to say thank you. Neither does stepdad, actually,” she said. “But they want to. Believe me they really, really, want to.”

“She’s saying it true, Dad,” said Ronald. “They do talk about you a lot, and it’s all good. Well, you can imagine.” I had to laugh.

“Well, good. If people are going to talk about one behind his or her back, one would hope that it would be good talk,” I said.

“Dad, Ron’s mom and dad are going to ask us questions. Is it okay if we just say you got a loan to help out stepdad?”

“It’d be better if you just said that I wouldn’t tell you anything. They’ll believe that. I never tell anybody anything if I don’t have to. You two are one big exception to my rule in that regard,” I said.

“Okay, Dad. Maybe that would be best. Otherwise the questions would never end,” said Tina.

“Yes, I agree,” said Ronald.

The kids and I talked some more, mostly about the apartment building and the costs and other stuff relating to it. The good news was that they listened to me. And then they cut country and went home.

“Let’s go upstairs and have a little hoochy-coo before the kids arrive,” said Grant.

“Sounds like a plan,” said Penelope.

An hour later, the breathless couple lay in the afterglow of their exertions. Penelope checked her phone.

It’s a text from Ronald,” she said. “Tina and Ronald are coming over. They’ve been to see Lee. I’ll bet it’s something about Tina’s stepdad getting out. I just can’t believe that Lee wouldn’t help the man get out of jail. But at least Ian got a break. Probably cost him every dime the two of them had, him and Glory, but at least he’s out.”

“Yes, I was kinda shocked too that Lee didn’t get involved. I know he’s been kinda bummed because you and Glory both eventually dumped him. But I mean really...” said Grant.

“Maybe the kids pinned him about that,” she said.

“It wouldn’t matter. He won’t say anything about it. He does not like to talk about his decisions, not ever,” he said.

“Yes, that’s for sure,” she said.

“Wait that’s them. That’s the kids,” she said. “We gotta get dressed.” The two of them rolled off of the bed.

“No lights, your mom and dad aren’t home yet,” said Tina.

“They’ll be here soon. Just remember, do not slip up and tell them anything about what your dad told us. He was really hard care about that,” said Ronald.

“No, I won’t,” said Tina.

The older couple heard the exchange and backed up into their room trying to hear what they could hear.

“I know mom was surprised that daddy wouldn’t volunteer to help them out. If they knew what dad actually did, well...” said Tina.

“Yes, him and mister Conniff too,” said Ronald. “I mean the loan to pay off all of those people ... had to be a million bucks at least.”

“He didn’t say that, just that there was a loan,” said Tina.

“Trust me, it had to be a lot of money. Your dad will be paying that off for a thousand years,” he said.

“Ian will be having to do that, at least some of it won’t he? I mean it was him that my Dad saved,” she said.

Penelope and Grant Hardy looked at each other.

“Well, that does answer the twenty or so questions we had,” said Grant, looking at his wife who was sitting next to him in the darkened room.

“Yes, for damn sure. But what do we do now? We should go down and pin the two of them,” said Penelope.

“Yes, as soon as we finish putting our pants back on. I mean...” he said.

One minute later, the more or less presentable Hardy elders descended the stairs startling the younger members of the clan.

“So, the man is a hero yet again,” said Grant, not smiling and coming to a halt right in front of his son.

“Dad!” said Ronald.

“None other,” said Grant Hardy. “So... ?”

The two younger Hardy’s stared at the elders.

“Dad, we can’t...” he said.

“You may as well tell us what our hero has done, Ronald. Because we are definitely going to go to him and beg his forgiveness for about a million things and thank him for another million like he has never been thanked before,” said his mother.