Unveiled

It was a difficult truth to contemplate, but it stood in front of him now like Mount Rushmore, larger than life, impossible to move. Evan let himself wander down that path--a more easily contemplated one. How many of those men were different than what they appeared? Maybe they had guilty secrets too, even though to the world they were great leaders. They were fathers, not only to their own children (did they have any?), but to an entire country. And they weren't perfect.

So the trick probably was then, to overlook his father's faults and concentrate on the good things he did. Didn't Dad stop everything and throw the football for close to an hour last night? Hadn't he helped--just enough--with the science project that pulled in that glorious A+? Not to mention they had a nice house, and Red who even though he was sleeping, still thunked his tail against the hardwood floor. They had plenty of food. He took good care of Mom. A kid couldn't throw that all away just because his dad might be a greedy person.

Evan screwed his eyes closed, slapped the dictionary shut and pounded on the cover, wishing his curiousity hadn't gotten the better of him. Then the thought flitted across his darkened mind. What made him believe her? Mrs. Horton was just a nosy old neighbor. So what if she told old Mr. Heinz that his father was a gormandizer. Did her word--a haughty, uppity one at that-- make it so?

But even his dark mind wouldn't stay closed. Somewhere in there, it knew. No matter what he wished, or what he wished he didn't know, Evan had to deal with this reality. How?