My father had to take three jobs to support his family of nine children. One of those jobs was working in the local fire station, where there was a soda machine bottles of Cola. A trip to the soda machine was always the most moment of my visit to the station, getting my own bottle of Coca-Cola.
When I was 10, I took two friends there to my dad and see if we could get some Cola out of him. After showing them the station, I asked Dad if we could each have a Cola before we went home for lunch.
I noticed just the slightest in my father’s voice that day, but he said “Sure” and gave us a dime. We to the soda machine to see if our bottle had a cap with the admirable star on the My cap had a star. I was only two caps away from a gift-a Davy Crockett hat. We all thanked my father and home for lunch and a summer afternoon of swimming.
I came home early that day from the I heard my parents seemed upset with Dad, and then I heard my name mentioned: “You should have said you didn’t have any money for Cola. Brian would have understood. That money was for your lunch.” My dad, in his usual way, just said Silently, I hurried up the stairs to the room I with my four brothers. As I emptied my , the bottle I realized how great a sacrifice my father had made for this bottle cap.
That night I made a promise. I would tell my father that I knew of the sacrifice he made that day and so many other days, and I would never him for it.