The Professor Ch. 12

"I haven't been rude to you on your land Mr. Wright so there's no need for your rudeness to me sir. I will tell you what I told your wife and you can pass this along to Phylissia's brothers and sisters too '"Mr. Wright I respect you because you're Phylissia's father and because you're my elder. My parents raised me to be a gentleman. I will not discuss with you or any other person the details of my relationship with Phylissia – I love her. If she wants you to know something Mr. Wright she can tell you whatever she wants to but I won't talk about our relationship except to tell you that I love your daughter with all of my heart and it is my intention to marry her - I'd much prefer it if we could keep our conversation polite sir," they both had their chance. Lissia's hand tightened on my forearm. "Lissia didn't want to come here sir. She was scared to do this exactly for the reasons that you are exhibiting right now. She's your daughter. You've treated her as badly as any other townie who knew about her rape. I know that she wouldn't get a chance to be a proper wife isn't that right sir?"

Both of her parents look apoplectic. Lissia was silent. I stared at her parents, "Well?"

"You think you know shit Mr. Edwards but you don't know what it's like," he argued and then shut up.

"Teach me what I don't know don't just clam up sir. Are you a coward who let's other people tell him how he's to treat his own child?" that one cut him and he started to cry.

He looked at Lissia, "I'm sorry baby, I'm so sorry, child will you forgive me for how I've treated you?"

Lissia was up and on her feet. She knelt down next to her Daddy and put her arms around him, "Yes Daddy I love you and Momma. Please don't shut me out. What Kevin and his buddies did was wrong but it was just as wrong for you to treat me like I had a disease for the rest of my life." Her Momma got up and put her arms around both of them. I leaned back and watched with tears rolling down my face.

I couldn't believe what had happened. Mr. Wright looked up and held his right hand out to me, "thank you Steven for bringing my baby back and slapping some sense into my stubborn-assed head."

I took his hand, "She loves you and Mrs. Wright sir. She just wants to be loved."

They held each other for a while. There were quite a few 'sorry's' and 'forgive-me's' and finally Lissia stood up and came over to me and sat in my lap. She kissed me on the mouth in front of her parents who by now were sitting with their chairs next to each other holding hands wiping each others tears. There would necessarily be a lot more of these family gatherings where they needed to mend some bridges.

Mr. Wright looked at me, "You got some balls on you Mr. Edwards. I carry a pistol I coulda shot you."

"Maybe," I smiled as I pulled a little .38 snub-nosed Smith from my boot holster and held it up, "I carry too sir."

He started laughing, "Damn Momma that's a serious young man!"

She slapped him on the chest, "Oh I know it he didn't take any shit off me either."

The three of us talked for a while. Her parents asked a lot of questions and while they were sure they were going to butt heads with me they were equally as sure that Lissia wasn't going to tolerate any bad behavior on their part. She didn't want to stay for lunch and deal with her cousins and uncles who always ate on the farm at lunch. We said our goodbyes for a while – her parents shocked me by shaking my hand and hugging my neck – telling me to come back. They held onto Lissia for a while and finally she told them, "We've got to go Momma, the Edwards have invited me to church with them tomorrow."

It was a parting bombshell.