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Joe frowned He’d always known his father to be a tyrant about punctuality This wasn’t typical of the man who’d raised him

"That doesn’t sound like Dad"

"I’ve known your father a goodisn’t right It’s like…it’s like he’s given up"

"He misses Mom," Joe said, more to himself than Mrs Johnson

"But it’s been two years now, and I’d have thought roorse My own Floyd’s been gone seven years I kno difficult it is to lose one’s mate"

"I don’t knohat to tell you," Joe admitted

"Frankly, I’m worried There isn’t anyone I can talk to about this I thought to phone your sister, but this sort of thing is difficult to discuss without being able to look the person in the eye, if you knohat I mean"

Joe wasn’t sure he did, but he nodded anyway

"With you co ho youI could tell you," Joe said, at a loss

"Thisis a perfect example," the secretary continued "I don’t have a clue where Pastor Morris ht be He hasn’t even co of the elders at two What am I supposed to tell them if he doesn’t show?"

Joe hadn’t a clue Leta Johnson looked at hi eyes, and he felt he had to say soet back to you"

"Thank you, Joe," she said, and sounded relieved

Joe left the church, his head buzzing He returned to the house and found Annie in the kitchen, washing dishes She’d wiped down the countertops and cleared the one, his father used the tabletop and counters as a filing cabinet Odds and ends of mail were tucked in every conceivable corner This troubled Joe, since he’d always known his father to be neat and orderly

"I can’t find my dad," he told Annie

"I heard hi Maybe he’s still in bed"

"No," Joe said, growing concerned, "I already checked"

"Just aout the kitchen"I think that e"

"The garage?" Joe asked He gave Annie a puzzled look and wandered outside Annie followed

Sure enough, his father was busy sorting through a stack of cardboard boxes that had been in precisely that spot for fifteen or more years

"Dad?"

"Howdy, Joe," Paul said cheerfully "Annie" He pushed up the sleeves of his sweater

"What are you doing?" Joe asked, not knohat to think

Paul laughed and braced his hands against his hips "What does it look like? I’ot more junk than some of those disposal centers It’s tie out of here"

"Today?"

"Why not? It see"

Joe looked over to where his father had set their fishing gear "I put that aside for you," his dad said, pointing toward the two poles "You should take that stuff with you"

"But why?"

His father gave hih another stack of boxes, lifting one and then another "I hear there’s good fishing in Seattle"

"Dad," Joe said, not understanding any of this "Mrs Johnson said you have an elders’ htened and frowned "The ’s this afternoon?"

"That’s what she said You haven’t been into the office yet"

Paul Morris rotated his shoulders "I ot sidetracked I’ll wash up now and meet with the elders"

He walked past Joe on his way into the house