The Lost Son | Ferry's Tale # 2

Noble blood touched by true love

After returning from the Town Hall, Ferry and his father both sat down at the kitchen table. They used to gather around that table every morning when Eileen was still alive. Peter had tried to clean the house as much as he could. He had thrown away the rotten food that had gathered in the kitchen and opened the windows for fresh air.

They were sitting at the table without saying a word and avoided looking at each other. Ferry tried to remember when he had the last conversation with his father, just the two of them. He couldn't remember.

It was his father who broke the silence. "Listen, Ferry, I've never done this before.... Being a father, you know? I don't expect to make it work from the beginning. I will probably have a lot of work to do," he tried to joke. "I know I wasn't  a good father. Hell, I wasn't a father at all. But I want you to know that I'll try. And that anything you decide, I'll try to be there for you. Your mother — Your mother would have liked that ..." he said in a low voice.

Ferry tried to swallow the lump in his throat that appeared every time he thought of his mother."How was she? Mum... When you met her. "

His father smiled. "She was the happiest girl I've ever met. Nothing could have saddened her. Not even the hard life she was living. She came from a noble, wealthy family. The O'Donovan family. They even had a castle, once. But they lost everything before Eileen was born. The girl was hardworking and bright since she was little. So her parents made great sacrifices to send her to school. Of the five children, she was the eldest. And the only one who attended school. Her family had high expectations of her. And she had done everything she could not deceive their expectations. Until-- "and his father sighed deeply, "until she met me. "

Ferry saw his father's eyes become sad.

"She did not meet me at a very good time in my life. But she believed in me. She thought I could change. I thought so, too. Of course, her family did not agree. They threatened her with all sorts of things. But she didn't give up on me. She gave up everything for me. I wonder if I deserved her love ... " he said and his eyes filled with tears.

"Why did you take her name? Donovan? " Ferry asked. "I don't think it was a coincidence you both had the same name."

His father shook his head. "It wasn't a coincidence. There are no coincidences in life. I needed a new life. I needed to leave the past behind ... "

"What do you mean?"

His father sighed again. "I was in prison before I met your mother. Nothing serious. Small thefts and frauds. I was young and stupid and I came across the wrong people. So I needed a new name so I could lead a normal life. So that those mistakes not follow me all my life. People who have been in prison find it difficult to move on. And I could hardly win anyone's trust. So I got your mother's name in marriage. I haven't stolen since. I swear I never stole again, "he said, looking him straight in the eye. "At least I kept that promise. Then I found the ad in the newspaper and got here. The new chance. I took advantage of it. But my real chance was when I met your mother. I can see it now ... "

"Did you love her?" Ferry asked after a while.

Peter wiped away his tears. "Not as much as she deserved. Not as much as she loved me. "

Then he got up slowly and left the house without saying anything. Ferry heard the workshop door creak slowly, then the sound of the planer on the wood. 

*

That night, he finally managed to sleep. No dream haunted his tired mind. he might have slept until morning if he hadn't heard a rustle in the corner of the room. Since Ferry slept like rabbits anyway, he jumped to his feet from the first noise. Someone was watching him from the shadows.