07.02.17. Home Again

17. HOME AGAIN

It was late at night when Todd opened the gate and passed up the little stone walk. A light was shining under the door and he knew his parents had not yet retired. He knew that inside by the old fashioned fireplace sat an old man and woman, his father and mother. It was not a fine room elaborately furnished which he was about to enter; just a sixteen by eighteen foot room, celled overhead with canvas and around the sides with building paper. In one corner to the right of the fireplace stood a small stand table. In the other, to the left, was a cabinet machine on which was the old family Bible and a two burner oil lamp. Each of the other corners contained a full sized bed. He knew that on the right hand side of the fireplace sat his father in a straight backed chair with hickory bark seat; that over near the lamp his mother would be sitting in an old, homemade rocker, made of hickory withes. No, it was not fine, but it was Todd’s home and he longed, yet hesitated and feared to enter.

Steeling himself as best he could to face the ordeal, he knocked upon the door, and what do you suppose he heard? He had other brothers who were away from home. In fact, no one lived athome now but father and mother. Todd had not been home for a long time and they had not heard from him in months; they did not know whether he was dead or alive, but when he knocked he heard his mother say, "I wonder if that is Todd come home?" His old father opened the door and when he saw the boy, he had so changed that he scarcely recognized him and he said, "Is that you, son?" Todd answered, "Yes, sir." When they heard that, the old mother did not push him away and say, "Where is the money we gave you? What about the promises you made us? Why are you coming home in this condition?" But with a cry of "Thank God it is my baby boy," she ran across the room, threw her arms about his neck, pulled his head down on her shoulder and pressed kiss after kiss upon his pale, drawn face. She did not see his ragged clothing, nor his twisted features, but glimpsing back into the past she saw the baby boy for whom she had gone into the valley of the shadow of death to give life and she welcomed him back home His old father with tears in his eyes, gripped his hand and patted his shoulder in a way that spoke louder than words.