They Didn’t Mention Papa
Copyright © 1969; 2014 by Peter Weiss
All rights reserved.
This is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.
“Kisses don’t express what I feel,” Nathan whispers.
Pearl sits down on the bed and motions him to her. He joins her, putting his head in her lap, taking her hand in his own. They look deeply into one another’s eyes, as though they can communicate this way, without words or tones. For several minutes, there is neither motion nor sound.
“I want to see Papa today.” Nathan breaks the silence.
“You’ll have to take me with you. I’ll never let you go again.”
They leave the room together, arm in arm, and move to the living room where Nathan greets the rest of his brothers and sisters. Mama goes to the kitchen with one of her daughters to prepare a snack. Pearl and Nathan sit on the couch, surrounded by his siblings.
“Did they treat you bad?”
“Not too bad.” Nathan looks at them. There’s so much to say, but where should I start? “That’s all over now. I’m glad to be home.”
Outside the rain continues to fall. Is it over? Nathan wonders. I don’t feel like I can ever forget it. Papa objected to my enlisting. It hurt him to see me go against him.
The windows are steamed. Nathan sees Papa’s face in one of them. Pearl presses against him, sitting as close as she can without being on his lap. I couldn’t even be here with him when he died, Nathan thinks.
“Did Papa have much pain?”
“It was sudden and fast,” Max says.
“He prayed for you at the end,” his sister Tillie says. “He told Mama he loved her and prayed for you.”
“God answered his prayers,” Mama calls from the kitchen. “‘God,’ he said looking at me, ‘save my baby Nathan.’ Every night and every morning he said ‘God save my baby and take me if one of us must die.’ And at the end he thanked Him. ‘Thank you God,’ he said. ‘Now I know my son is safe.’”
Nathan can say nothing. It was like Papa. He loved God and spent his whole life following Him, understanding Him, knowing Him. I hope Papa understands how I love him.
“Come.” Mama claps her hands. “I have food for all.” Nathan grabs Max’s arm, and holds him in the living room. “Where’s Papa?”
“In Mount Zion. You know where it is?”
“Yeah. I have to go see him.”
Max reaches into his pocket and pulls out a set of keys. “Here, take my car.”
“Thanks, Max.” Nathan and Pearl go to Mama. Nathan explains that he can’t eat now, that he must see Papa. Mama is disappointed yet glad to see how much Nathan really does love him. She’s not surprised at all.
“Go,” she says to both of them, kissing each on the forehead. “I keep the food warm and you eat when you come back.”
The rain is falling harder, as though the storm has reached a peak. It’s been so long since I’ve driven, Nathan thinks. He remembers learning to drive on his brother Sam’s laundry truck.
