My dad retired from farming in the late 1980’s. Finding himself with a lot of time on his hands, he started reading library books. That worked out well for everyone because it kept him out of my mom’s hair, and that meant she was able to focus on her arts-and-crafts projects.
Eventually, he developed an allergy to ink and had to wear a single white glove with which to turn the pages (imagine an Irish Michael Jackson). So, all of his kids and grandkids pitched in and bought him a tablet which he used to read his library books.
Since I was already responsible for making my parents’ electronics work, I was nominated to make sure he always had something to read. I started keeping track of everything he had read to make it easier for me to make sure I didn’t get him the same book twice.
My mom died in 2016 and, from then on, he lived alone in the home they’d shared. With even more time on his hands, he continued to read even more books.
While he slowed down in recent years, he continued to be an avid reader and I continued to add books to the list. As of today, he’s read over 800 e-books.
The list includes a lot of mysteries, westerns and a small amount of science fiction. One time, after reading a book on time travel, he told me he didn’t want to read any more time travel books. He said it was because he’d never want to go to the times described in the stories. We talked a bit longer and I asked him if he could go anywhere in time, where would he go?
Without hesitation he said, “1952”.
It didn’t take long for me to do the math. My parents were married in 1953. My oldest sibling wasn’t born until 1954.
If it were possible to do so, my dad would travel back to a time when my parents were still dating. Before they had bills, jobs, responsibilities and kids. When they were young and in love and it was just the two of them ready to take on the world.
I didn’t take it personally. When we had that conversation, he had been living alone for nearly four years and he really missed my mom. I can understand him wanting to go back to a time when they were both young and finding love for the first time.
Today is the day he might finally get his wish. My dad has read his last library book. He died just a few minutes ago. No one knows for sure what happens when we shuffle off this mortal coil. Perhaps, for him, time travel is now a possibility.
I hope it is. As he takes his final journey, my wish is that it brings him to the place in time he most desired to be. A place where he and my mom are reunited in the time when they were at their happiest.
Together forever, in 1952.
