Chapter 4

August fifteenth--it was a Wednesday, I came home and Dad was sitting on the deck to my trailer. "Hi Son." I didn't answer him as I unlocked the door. I motioned him to enter.

"You son-of-a-bitch. I was worried about you. I know you got out of jail when you were supposed to. Where in hell have you been?"

He was shocked at my outburst. "I said you would see me. I'm here. I didn't think I meant that much to anyone anymore."

"Damn it Dad, some day you are going to realize that in spite of yourself, there are people out there that care what happens to you. Sandy has three kids and whether you know it or not, she has never trashed you to them. You're the kids' father. They remember you. I almost got away from thinking you are a shithead, but you make it damned hard for me."

"How are the kids?"

"Fatherless and feeling it. I try to do what I can, but they know I am their brother."

"Are you saying that Sandra would take me back, now that I am free?"

"I doubt it, but that is between you two. It is about time you started stepping up to the plate and doing your duty by us all. Andrea and I don't feel as if we ever had a father and we could use one, even as old as we are now."

"How is your sister?"

"She is good. Andrea is working for some state energy agency. She'll be here in a couple of days for the weekend. Dad, you're going to be proud of her. Andrea not only is intelligent, she is beautiful as well. Mom says she must have got it from your side of the family, because she and her ancestors didn't have such beauty."

"How is your mother?"

"Fine. Happy now that she can see me and she does see Andrea fairly often. We are family again."

"I don't suppose family would include me, would it?"

"Afraid not. Mom went to jail and you grabbed her money. Dad, you have destroyed so many people, I don't know how you can look at yourself in the mirror."

"I don't much. You're so right. I have a question. Does the firm you work for take all kinds of clients?"

"Yes they do. Do you need an attorney?"

"I think I should have one. I'm going to see if I can right the wrong that I did your mother. I know I can't replace the two years that she was in prison or the pain that came after she came out. I would like her to have her record cleaned up. I expect I might even have to spend some time in prison myself. That I'm not looking forward to, but I'm willing to do time if I have to."

"I'll introduce you to the head of the firm tomorrow. Now tell me what you have been doing to keep from coming here as soon as you were released?" I was ready to reevaluate my feeling toward my father. Was he serious about righting some of the wrong he did Mom? I certainly hoped so. I listened to the answer to my question.

"I had a job. The sheriff didn't consider bigamy too serious a crime. I guess he had a girlfriend as well as a wife. You see, I did some accounting for the sheriff while I was incarcerated. Anyway, I worked for one of the church missions near the jail. The sheriff suggested to the padre that I be employed to straighten out some of the mission's finances. I thought a few bucks earned wouldn't do any harm in case I got put in jail again. I really do want to stand by the three young kids I have with Sandra."

"Dad, you aren't just blowing smoke are you?"

"No Son. I've had a lot of time to think in the last year. I can't say as I like myself very much. You and Andrea seem to have done okay, but these young ones are going to need a boost in life. I can't really be a close part of it, but maybe I can make it easier for them down the road."

"I hope I can believe what you are saying."

"You'll see that I am serious. Are you going to let me stay here for the time being?"

"Yes, of course. I'll start supper. Do you want the others to know you are in town?"

"Just Andrea, until after the weekend. I want to start the ball rolling on getting Barbara straightened out before I say anything."

"Okay then, that is the way we will play it."

The evening was spent with us talking. I started by asking questions. I guess I was more at ease with my father than I had ever been. I could talk to him as an equal. "Dad, I'm going to be an attorney. You are basically a person who has broken the law. I'll be dealing with your kind in one form or another the rest of my life. Tell me how you thought it was okay to railroad Mom into prison, steal her money, deny her the love of her children and eventually steal their money as well."

Dad sat there on the couch with his head down. I could tell I was hurting him. I didn't care, he had hurt me enough. "Son, put the way you just did, it sounds terrible. I don't think when I married your mother I ever intended to hurt her, or later, you. But then this money came from your grandparents. I had the managing of it, but suddenly I wanted it for myself. I thought I had a foolproof plan to get it. I became a crook when I made that decision. I have no excuse. It was pure greed.

"Later after I moved you to Texas, I thought Barbara was far behind me in my past. I met Sandra. She is younger and attractive and had a nice little nest egg to go along with everything else that was desirable about her. She wanted marriage and she wanted kids. I gave her the children she wanted and suddenly with the increased responsibilities she wasn't so attractive to me anymore. I confess I had plans for her similar to the ones I had for Barbara.

"To be honest, I had belittled the knowledge that my two oldest kids would someday acquire. I thought you and Andrea would grow up and have forgotten your mother by this time. You were only ten and eleven years old. I suppose crooks play out a scenario, not taking into consideration that you can't control every little variable. I guess you were the biggest variable in my scenario."

"That sounds about right. So what are you going to do next?"

"As I say, I'm getting a lawyer to see if he can get Barbara's record cleared. I've paid my dues to Sandra by spending a year in jail for bigamy. Whether it is enough, it probably isn't. I intend to keep paying support for the three kids. That will help."

"What are your expectations for the rest of your life? You are still short of fifty."

"I don't have any at this time. It would be nice to have a stable job again, and yes, I would like to find love again. I'm going to be so honest with everyone from now on. You can help with that."

"How so?"

"I expect you to clue everyone I'm associated with about my past."

"I can do that."

This was my last week of work before I went back to college. Dad went into the law firm with me. I asked if Attorney Smith could give me a few minutes when he came in. I had an appointment at ten to see him. Dad sat out in my car until just before the hour. He waited in the reception area until I asked him to come with me.

"Sir, this is my father, Aden Hunter. He has a problem. He wants to make a confession. He just doesn't know who to go to. As long as I am working here he thought this would be a good place to start to get some advice."

"I'll listen to your problem and we'll see if we can help you. You know Mr. Hunter, Adrian has been a real asset to the firm this summer. He is going to make a fine attorney someday. Now tell me what is troubling you. Adrian, you can go back to what you were doing."

"Sir, would it be possible for him to stay here and listen? This concerns my former wife, who is his mother. Since I was incarcerated last year, Adrian has been the glue that has held the family together."

"Yes if you wish." Smith turned to me. "You understand that what is said in this office is to go no further?"

"Of course. Understood."

"Okay, continue Mr. Hunter. Tell me your story. I can give you an hour."

It took Dad forty minutes to hit the highlights of his transgressions. Attorney Smith had been taking notes and now he looked up and said, "Let me get this clear, you want to confess to someone so that your former wife's prison record can be expunged. You realize that the statute of limitations on any crime you committed at that time is beyond anything you can be charged with at this late date?"

"Maybe, but can anything be done to clear her record? I owe it to her. To Adrian and Andrea as well. I'm willing to go to jail myself just to get this done. I have some money set aside to pay your fees if you would take this on."

"Tell you what. Let me make some phone calls and get back to you. Where are you staying?"

"I'm staying with Adrian at present."

I interjected, "That will be his home address for awhile."

Dad said he was going to go over to his former employer to see if he could be hired. "I'm not trying to put anything over on them. I'll tell them a little about my history so they will know I'm not hiding anything. Does the bus still go to West Brattleboro like it used to? If it does, I can get to the trailer. I've got some laundry to do. I'll see you at home tonight."