Happy Father's Day!

Throughout my youthful years, I had always been good at remembering and honoring important dates on the calender. I was always the first to remind other family members of a birthday or some other event. But around June 2002 something went amiss. I had remembered Mother’s Day which had fallen in the previous month.

My mother had been happy as a lark on her special day filled with nothing but laughter and presents. I resolved to give my father the same joy the following month come Father's Day. I probably overwhelmed myself to the point of actually forgetting when the big day arose. That Sunday, I got up and greeted it like any other normal day. I went for an early morning jog, took a cold shower and prepared breakfast for the family. Everyone else had gone for the Sunday service, I wasn't up to it but I decided to make myself useful nontheless.

While setting the table, I tuned into the radio. I enjoyed the first few tracks until the DJ got to speak. 'We will now take calls for Father’s Day'- I remember him saying . Did I hear correctly?. Oh no, I could not believe it. I had forgotten that it was Fathers Day. Looking at the time only aggravated the situation- it was 10.30 a.m. any minute from now the family was to get back from church. I opened my wallet, which proved hopeless as I could only spare a few hundreds. Besides most of the reputable malls would have been closed being a Sunday. I went through my stuff-'any port in a storm' I thought. Fortunately I found something.

Although it wasn't exactly a tangible gift I decided to use what was left of my time to practice the song ‘Daddy's Hands' I decided to sing for him right before breakfast; I got the mic nearby, cleared my throat and got dressed for the occasion. Oh it was lovely!. He enjoyed it. I could see the tears were in his eyes. The song saved my neck and I felt relieved to have kept a copy of the track.