The Elder Son – Part 3
Things continued as normal. I still couldn’t persuade Dad inside in the evenings. Even when it was freezing cold Dad would sit under an animal skin trying to warm himself as he waited.
“What is he hoping for?” My friends asked.
“He doesn’t really think your brother is really coming home does he? I mean, its more likely he will drink himself to death!”
Sadly I had to agree. Joe had never been wise. I wondered how long the money would last. I wondered how many women he had slept with and how many slanderous things he had said about our lovely generous Dad. I shuddered.
It wasn’t that much later in the year when it started to get really chilly at night. I thought Dad would catch cold up there on his own, so I built him a kind of fire in a metal container. It made him happy to sit there and watch the flames dance around. He stayed up there for hours. Just watching and waiting and hoping. He never seemed to think it was time to give up.
One day I had to go to market to gauge the price for some new heifers. I was gone for the whole day and didn’t get back until night fall. I was exhausted when I reached our fields and needed a long drink and a rest. But, as I was nearing the house I could hear music. All the lamps were burning and the whole place was lit up. The lights spilled out from every window – just like when Mum was alive and we were having a party.
I checked myself.
As I walked towards the house I found a servant running out to fetch more wine.
“What is going on?” I asked him
“Your brother has returned.” He told me “and your Dad has thrown a huge party for everyone. People have come from miles away. Your aunts and uncles are all here. Go in and see!”
Suddenly there was a stale metal- like taste in my mouth. The smell of competition was in the air. Jealous bitterness rose in my throat and threatened to choke me.
“What?” I cried, not believing him. “What do you mean? How can he be home?”
“The story is, that he ran out of money and ending up feeding pigs, sir.” The servant told me. “Then he realised he would be better off at home and came back.”
“Typical” I thought. “He comes back because he is hungry. He comes back because he has wasted everything. He comes back stinking of pigs.”
I breathed.
I couldn’t go in. I couldn’t be happy. This was not how I thought it would go.
And then my Dad came out to see me.
He was crying with joy. He embraced me and held me tight.
“Your brother is home!” he said “He is back as if from the dead. He is alive and well and safe and he is here. Come and see him. He’s so thin and he looks ill. But some good food and care will help him. Come with me David! Please!”