Fathers

She remembers when she was just a toddler, her father got a real kick out of her temper tantrums. A bus driver for the city of Chicago, Willie Mannion was a good man, a hard-working Irishman who loved his family and loved his drink. Willie was self-taught, read encyclopedias, and had a voracious appetite for history. A distinguished man with a widow’s peak, he had a full head of dark, unruly hair. The widow’s peak, a strong genetic trait, was handed down to the grandsons and great-grandsons.

One day, Willie bought his youngest child, Rita, a tea set with tiny pink flowers on it. He enjoyed watching her play. He began teasing her and laughing lightheartedly. Rita was sensitive with a quick temper and soon became enraged at his laughter. She took a small teacup from the coffee table and threw it on the ground, shattering the cup into pieces. Willie laughed loud and long at this, his belly shaking so that he had to catch his breath. Rita covered her face with her little hands and ran crying to her mother.

Eventually, all the pieces of this ceramic tea set were broken. Willie had his fun, and Rita had no more afternoon teas with her doll. Then Willie felt a bit sad for her and bought a new set for his youngest daughter. Even though they were pinching pennies with six children, even though his wife Annie worked part-time as a nurse, he sprang to buy a new tea set.

Rita was overjoyed and began playing with the new set. Even though it looked different, and it did not have the tiny pink flowers on it, she loved it. Then, her father began to tease her again. She flashed a warning with her big brown eyes, which made him bubble up with laughter. She reached for a saucer and held it high in protest. His eyebrows went up, and holding his breath, he waited. She flung the plate to the ground, and it bounced but did not break. “What was this sorcery?” she thought. Willie lost his composure, belly laughing and winking at her. She tried again, and her father put his hands to his head and bellowed, “Do it again!” She did, and the plate bounced around, then lay still. It was intact, it was not broken. She squats down to inspect it, looking at the saucer on the ground, in complete confusion.

She slowly stood up, looking at her father laughing and slapping his knee, running his hands through his thick, dark, unruly hair. He bought her a plastic set, so it would last for his youngest daughter. He did not realize the entertainment value of this purchase. He was having the time of his life. She was not. At the age of three and a half, Rita stopped entertaining her father. She did not run and cry to her mother. She learned a great lesson that day. When people are having fun at your expense, it is not worth it. That was the last time Rita threw anything, ever again.