At a gathering, we were all telling stories of our most embarrassing moments. It came around to Frank.
Frank began to tell us of his childhood. "I 1 in San Pedro. My Dad was a fisherman, and he loved the sea. He had his own boat, but it was 2 making a living on the sea. He worked hard and would stay out until he caught enough to 3 the family."
He looked at us and said, "I 4 you could have met my Dad. He was a big man, and he was strong from pulling the nets and fighting the seas for his 5 . When you got close to him, he 6 like the ocean. He would wear his old coat and his overalls. No matter how much my Mother 7 them, they would still smell of the sea and of fish."
Frank's voice dropped a bit. "When the weather was bad he would 8 me to school. He had this old truck that was older than he was. 9 he would drive toward the school, I would shrink down into the seat hoping to disappear. He would 10 right in front of the school gate, and it seemed like everybody 11 be standing around and watching. Then he would 12 over and give me a big kiss on the cheek and tell me to be a good boy. It was so 13 for me. I was twelve years old, and my Dad would lean over and kiss me goodbye!"
He 14 and then went on, “I remember the day when I said 'No'. ”
It was the first time I had ever talked to him that 15 , and he had this surprised look on his face.
I said, “Dad, I'm too 16 for a goodbye kiss.”
My Dad looked at me for the longest time, and his eyes started to tear up. I had never seen him 17 . He turned and looked out of the windshield. “You're right,” he said. “You are a big boy....a man. I won't kiss you anymore.”
Frank got a sad look on his face, and the tears began to 18 in his eyes, as he spoke. "It wasn't long after that when my Dad went to sea and never came back.”
Tears were running down Frank’s cheeks. He spoke again. "Guys, you don't know what I would 19 to have my Dad give me just one more kiss on the cheek....to feel his rough old face....to smell the ocean on him....to feel his arm around my neck. I wish I had been a man then. If I had been a 20 , I would never have told my Dad I was too old for a goodbye kiss.