[Vfw-times] Adventures In Chattahoochee Hollar - The Heart of a Father (Part 2)

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Adventures In Chattahoochee Hollar

The Heart of a Father (Part 2)

A Hard Lesson to Learn

After supper, Mrs. Foxley went into the livingroom to fetch the family Bible 
while 
Mr. Foxley dealt with Travis.  Cheyenne gave an exhaustive sigh.  It had been 
a long day.  What was wrong with that boy?  Haven't she and Jack told him 
time and time that he was not allowed in that plane?  'Only the grace of God 
is keeping me from skinning that boy alive," Cheyenne thought.  The vixen 
closed her eyes.  'Dear God, thank you for saving Mr. Shaconage's life.'  Slen
der fingers ran along the volumes of books on the shelf, but the Bible wasn't 
there!  'Where?'  Mrs. Foxley looked at the shelf again and saw the empty 
spot.  The vixen placed her hands on her hips and contemplated in thought 
where she must have left it.  Mrs. Foxley walked over to the small table by 
the sofa, and then looked at the writing desk.  'I wonder... '

Pacing back and forth upstairs in his bedroom, Traivs was working up a sweat 
thinking about his coming punishment.  Thoughts about what the muskrat 
brothers said in the waiting room came to the vulpine's mind.

"You could put a book in your pants, that way when he goes to spankin' ya, it 
won't hurt!"  "Yeah, it always works for me," Travis recalled Wadell and 
Strogie.  

Oh!  If only he hadn't climbed into that dumb old airplane!  Travis stopped 
and looked at the back of his pants.  The Bible was bulging out of the back 
of his overalls!  Surely Daddy will see that!  Travis sat down on his bed in 
order to conceal the book.  Minutes seemed to turn into hours waiting for 
Daddy to come up.  Palms sweaty, Travis looked around his room.  Deep inside 
his heart, the new inner man was telling him it was wrong for him to climb 
into that plane, and that he should confess his sins.  The new man also told 
him it was wrong to use the family Bible in the fashion it wasa being used.  
He knew better than that!  Convicted of these things and for the 
deceitfulness of his heart, Travis began to cry.  Nevertheless, the cherished 
book remained in place, fearing the hand of his father more than that of his 
Heavenly Father!  Would the Saviour pardon this disobediant and foolish lamb?

Hearing Daddy's footsteps on the stairs, Travis closed his eyes and forcibly 
swallowed the lump in his throat.  A few seconds later, the door swung open.  
Travis looked up at his father as his heart raced.  A scowl was upon Jack's 
face.

"Stand up, boy!  I don't want you sitting down!"

"Y-y-yes Sir," Travis whimpered.  Unconsciously, the small vulpine's hands 
reached towards the back of his overalls.

Mr. Foxley eyed his son, whose face streamed with tears.  The boy trembled at 
the tone of his father's voice.

"What'cha got hidin' back there?"

"Nothin',"

"You're not lying to me are you?"

"Uuhh..no Sir, I-I-I mean, yes Sir!"

Mr. Foxley turned his son around to see the bulge in Travis' pants.  The 
vulpine man turned Travis back around to look at him.  Travis lowered his 
head as he flattened his ears and curled his tail between his legs.  Mr. 
Foxley sat upon the boy's bed and sighed.

"Well, let's see what we've got back here."

The vulpine man grabbed Travis and put him across his lap.  Reaching an arm 
down Travis' overalls, Mr. Foxley pulled out the Bible.

"The family Bible!"  "What do you think you're doing?"

"I-I'm sorry!" Travis offered weakly.

"Oh boy, are you gonna get it now!   Putting Mr. Shaconage's life in jeapordy 
and now putting the family Bible down your pants!"  "Unstrap those overalls 
boy!"

"Daddy, no!"

"If you don't take those straps off, I will!"

With shaky hands, Travis complied to his father's demands.



Downstairs on the sofa, Mrs. Foxley heard her youngest son exclaim his 
regrets of disobeying his parents.  The rest of the children were upstairs 
getting ready for bed.  They would soon be downstairs for the Bible lesson 
they all enjoyed.  Tonight wouldn't be so joyous, though.  The vixen sighed.  
How she wished the boy hadn't been so hard-headed!

"Praise Jesus that Cloudchaser's still alive!" Mrs. Foxley whispered to 
herself.  Thoughts of the day's events raced through her mind.  'How are we 
going to pay
Mr. Shaconage back for his plane?  How are we going to pay for the hospital 
bill?'   
The only solution that was visible at this point would be to sell the 
tractor, and still that wouldn't be enough.  'But if the tractor was sold, 
then what would happen to the farm?'    "Please Dear Lord, don't let it come 
to that," Mrs. Foxley shook her head. 

Upstairs, Mr. Foxley faced a sobbing, sniffling boy.  The hardened scowl 
softened.

"Travis, do you know why you were punished?"

The boy shook his head in silence.  

"I love you Travis.  I love you more than you will ever realize.  Only when 
you grow up and have children of your own will you realize how much me and 
your mother loves you and your brother and sisters."

Travis keeped his head down, looking at the floor.  The vulpine man got on 
his knees beside Travis.

"Can I have a hug?"

Mr. Foxley sighed as he felt two tiny arms around his neck.   The man patted 
his son's back and kissed him.

"I-I'm sorry Daddy."

"Okay.  But remember what you said.  You've told me this once before.   If 
you want me to trust you, you have to keep your word."

"Okay."

"I love you Travis."

"I love you too."

Mr. Foxley put his arms around his son and held him tight for several minutes 
before he let go.    Unknowingly to Travis, the man's face was in tears.

End of part 2

Note that this story as well as other stories of 'Adventures In Chattahoochee 
Hollar' are copyright (c) 2000 Kimberly M. Edwards.

Heartshot Foxley
Chattahoochee Hollar:  http://www.geocities.com/heartsh0t