On the eve of his 80th birthday, Richard was filled with excitement as he made his way to visit his daughter, Deidre. It had been months since their last meeting, and he was eager to celebrate this significant milestone with her. As he drove, his fingers drummed nervously on the steering wheel. Thanksgiving gatherings had ceased after his wife’s passing four years earlier, leaving them with only weekly phone calls to stay connected.
When Deidre opened the door, Richard greeted her with a wide smile and a cheerful, “Surprise!” But the happiness quickly faded when he noticed tears streaming down her face. “Dad? What are you doing here?” she asked, her voice shaky.
“I came to celebrate my birthday with you… it’s the big eight-oh!” Richard replied, but his excitement dwindled. “What’s wrong, honey? Why are you crying?”
“It’s nothing; everything’s fine,” Deidre insisted, quickly wiping her tears. “I just wasn’t expecting you, and this isn’t a good time. Sorry, Dad, but I need to focus on my work. I’ll call you later for dinner, okay? Sorry.”
With that, she closed the door, leaving Richard feeling hurt and bewildered. Something was seriously wrong. He stepped back from the door, still feeling the urge to help. Curiosity got the better of him, and he peered through the windows.
Inside, he saw two intimidating men sitting with Deidre. “Who was that?” one of the men asked in a gruff voice. “Nobody,” Deidre replied nervously. “Just a neighbor’s kid playing a prank.”
“Let’s get back to business,” the second man said, glaring at her. “You’re six months behind on your loan repayments. Mr. Marco is getting impatient.”
“I just need a bit more time. Business will pick up again in winter,” Deidre pleaded.
“Time is something you don’t have, sweetheart,” the man retorted, revealing a gun. “People who owe Mr. Marco money don’t tend to live long, you know…” His threat hung in the air, paralyzing Richard with fear. The man soon tucked his weapon away, looking disdainful. “Look around and find something valuable we can take to Mr. Marco,” he ordered.
“But I need that equipment!” Deidre cried. “I can’t make money without it!”
“Too bad,” the thug said, dismissing her concerns. They began to ransack her home, leaving Deidre sobbing on the floor once they had gone. Richard was baffled; Deidre had told him her business was thriving, yet it was clear she was in dire trouble.
After the men left, Richard decided he had to act. He followed them to a rundown bar in town where they entered through an unlocked door. Richard took a deep breath and stepped inside. No one stopped him as he approached the group of rough-looking men gathered around a table.
“Club’s closed,” one man growled as he approached Richard. “Come back later.”
“I’m here about Deidre’s debt,” Richard said boldly.
“Oh?” replied the man at the head of the table, rising to size Richard up. He had a gentlemanly appearance but bore a nasty scar over his left eye. Richard guessed he was Mr. Marco.
“How much does she owe?” Richard asked.
“A good Samaritan, I see. Deidre took out an $80,000 loan from me, and she was supposed to repay me from her profits. Only she never made any.”
“I have $20,000 in savings,” Richard stammered, shaken by the amount.
“That’s just a quarter of what she owes us,” Mr. Marco sighed. “But there’s something you can do to settle the rest.”
Richard hesitated but knew he had to help his daughter. “What do you need from me?” he asked.
Mr. Marco leaned closer, grinning. “My partner and I import cars to Canada, but we’re having issues with the paperwork. A kindly grandpa like you wouldn’t raise any suspicions crossing the border with one of our cars.”
Richard reluctantly agreed, desperate to save Deidre. Later that night, he pulled into a gas station near the border and parked next to a patrol car. Suddenly, a German Shepherd in the cruiser began barking loudly. Panic surged through Richard; service dogs only barked at suspicious individuals.
He quickly jumped back into his car, a Valiant, and tried to back away as the police dog went wild. Officers emerged from the gas station, yelling for him to stop. Richard ignored the GPS voice giving directions and instead pushed the Valiant to its limits, weaving through traffic and narrowly avoiding collisions as sirens blared behind him.
Spotting a narrow dirt road leading into the woods, he swerved off the main road, determined to escape. The muddy trails were treacherous, but Richard pressed on. He turned down a steep path and immediately regretted it as the car got stuck precariously near a riverbank.
Frantically, he tried to reverse, but the tires spun without gaining traction. The vehicle began to slide closer to the water. “No!” he shouted as he pulled the parking brake, but it failed to hold. With a loud splash, the front of the car hit the river, water rushing in. Richard fought to open the door as the vehicle began to fill.
With the water rising, he took a deep breath and plunged underwater, escaping through the opening. He swam to the surface and gasped for air, reaching the riverbank with a new appreciation for life. But he still had to deal with the $80,000 debt.
Richard hitched a ride home and went straight to the bank. “I need to mortgage my house,” he told the assistant. “And I need the cash quickly.” After what felt like forever, he signed the papers, his heart heavy.
A few hours later, he arrived at the club in a rented car, ready to confront Mr. Marco. Just then, Deidre rushed toward him. “Dad, wait!” she called out. “I won’t let you face those thugs alone.”
Richard was torn but knew he couldn’t stop her. They entered the club together, where the men awaited them at the table. Richard placed his duffel bag filled with cash on the table. “Here’s $80,000 for Deidre’s debt, plus $15,000 for your trouble. I, uh, sank the car in the river.”
Mr. Marco’s expression darkened. “You think $15,000 covers this mess? That doesn’t even scratch the surface of what you owe me.” He snatched the bag and threw it to one of his goons.
“You were a promising businesswoman, Deidre, but sometimes you have to know when to cut your losses.” He pulled out a gun, pointing it at Deidre.
“No, please! This is my fault! Don’t hurt her!” Richard cried, stepping protectively in front of her.
Before the situation could escalate, police sirens echoed outside. Mr. Marco bolted toward the back of the club as gunfire erupted. Richard and Deidre ducked under the table, heart pounding as chaos unfolded. They barricaded themselves until the police arrived and escorted them to safety. Thankfully, Mr. Marco was captured.
In the ambulance, a paramedic asked Richard if he had any heart issues. He shook his head. Then a police detective approached, inquiring about their presence at the club. Richard explained the situation, hoping to leave out the details of the car sinking incident.
The detective glanced at Deidre. “If we hadn’t found a car full of contraband in the river, we wouldn’t have been able to save you. You shouldn’t be borrowing from such shady characters, miss.”
“A car in the river?” Richard asked, nervous.
“It belonged to Mr. Marco’s cousin. That’s how we were able to take down this gang,” the officer replied.
Relief washed over Richard; they were in the clear. Once they gave their statements, the police let them go.
“I owe you an apology, Dad. I dragged you into this mess,” Deidre said, tears brimming in her eyes. “How do you tell your father you’ve failed?”
“You’re not a failure!” Richard assured her, placing his hands on her shoulders. “Maybe your business didn’t go as planned, but you tried. I wish you felt comfortable sharing what was really happening in your life. I wish you felt as close to me as you were to your mother.”
Deidre broke down in tears as Richard comforted her. “It’s okay, sweetheart. Everything will be alright.”
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