SHORT STORIES - 'DADDY'

DADDY

In May 1978 a little boy came into the world and in normal circumstances this would have been an occasion for much celebration but recent events had tinged his arrival with sadness. Some six months beforehand Robert's father, Peter, along with two other close relatives, had become victims of a senseless and untimely road accident. Miraculously the unborn child, mother Robyn, 2 years old Robert and the family dog survived the crash. Incredibly Robert, completely unharmed, had managed to extricate himself from the carnage by opening and lifting the rear door of the family camper van and then climbing down onto the road. Fortunately Robert was swept up into the arms of two elderly people from the car that had been following.

The first time I met Robyn and the two boys, Scott was just four months old, a babe in arms. Robert, on the other hand, was an active three year old besotted by the love of horses. He could whip up a corral with a piece of rope in three shakes of a pony's tail and because of his penchant for lassoing the legs of all available furniture, he soon acquired the nickname of "Booby Trap Bob". Given my relative inexperience with young children, I was told that Scott had 'the most perfect shaped head of any baby ever born'. It was very clear that he was a very cherished bundle of happiness and when one of my parents suggested at the end of the day that I carry him down the front stairs, I baulked at the hurdle much to the amazement of all. An event from the past came flooding back to me ... As an impressionable eight year old, I had seen my brother drop one of my grandfather's prize pups which managed to wriggle free and fall awkwardly head first onto a rock. The pup subsequently died in my grandfather's arms. My grandfather was upset, albeit forgiving, but my brother and I were devastated. If I had dropped Scott on the stairs that day, my life would not have been worth living!

Fifteen months after first meeting Robyn, Robert, Scott and Toni (my new dog) and I officially became one big happy family. Robert was soon to go to school and after much deliberation, it was decided that the boys would use a combined name. "Robert Clifton Faraday-Bensley'. It had a certain ring to it we thought - definitely Prime Minister material! When working for a law firm later in life he claimed the name sounded like 'the whole bloody law firm'.

In the mind of a young boy unfairly deprived of his dad who loved him like nothing on Earth, coping with a new dad came relatively easily. Having met him as 'Gra' though, 'Gra' I remained, although to his mates he would nonetheless refer to me as his 'dad'.  Scott, on the other hand, had grown up knowing his dad as 'Gra'. Fate, indifferently, had deprived him of ever meeting his biological father and so for him there was less confusion than for his older brother.

Uncle Don and Peter's sister Aunty Helen were something else. After illustrious academic careers, they had made their lives in the United States and were reaping the rewards of their years of study. Their collective reputations were fearsome. Aunty Helen, who had been dux of the local selective girls' high school, had gone on to win a University Medal in Mathematics and gained a PhD to boot. She took delight from the fact that tradesmen calling on her for the first time would quickly change their chauvinist attitude when she told them she was not just the good little housewife but was a doctor no less.

Helen's first encounter with Don at New England University was memorable. During her first year at the time of the half yearly exams in Maths, Don came into the second year Maths exam half an hour late and sat down in the row next to Helen. He reputedly 'scratched around' for an hour or so whilst emitting the occasional chortle and then left the exam half an hour early.

"He must have been upset at arriving late for his exam and left early," Helen volunteered to the girl sitting next to her and behind Don's table. "No, don't worry about him," the student replied, "that's Don Adams. He always comes first in the year!" Don subsequently went on to win the University Medal the year before Helen and gained his PhD a few years later too. After spending some time lecturing at Melbourne University, he decided he'd really like to try his hand in the world of business and what better place than in the United States. After gaining first place in his course at the school of business administration, he turned up for an interview at the McGraw-Hill publishing company, solved an economic model problem on the spot and was immediately hired for the position.  Over a ten year period he quickly rose to a senior executive position in the firm which entitled him to an office overlooking Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty. Helen in the meantime had carved out a niche for herself lecturing at Smith College, one of the most prestigious colleges for women in the States.

Robyn and the boys had visited Don and Helen in New York just prior to our decision to marry. A year and a half after our wedding, Don and Helen decided to come out to Australia for Christmas to see the family and meet Robyn's new husband for the first time. I was anxious, to say the least, not quite in awe, but almost.

Don and Helen arrived in town on the Saturday while I was playing cricket. The plan was for me to go in after the match to meet them at Helen's parents' place.

On the way into Hamilton from the university, I became quite nervous. How would these strangers find me, their nephews' new father? What do you say to people of their pedigree and background? 'Bet I'll say something goofy, for sure ... better not to say too much and leave most of the talking to Robyn.' I mused. I walked down the drive, up the stairs of the porch and rang the doorbell. "Come in," came Gram's voice from down the end of the long dark hallway. 'Ah', I thought, 'they're in the back room and not in the lounge room.'

Just as I turned the corner and walked down the hallway, I was nearly bowled over by an excited three year old boy who jumped into my arms while calling out excited: "Daddy, Daddy!"  Swinging around in my arms and with a grin all over his face, Scott announced to the visitors: "Here's my Dad!" Robert joined him straight after: "Dad, where have you been? We've been waiting ages to go out and kick the footie?"

Neither of the boys have ever called me 'Gra' from that day on.