Monday, October 19, 2009

Character Analysis

He walked up, dressed professionally in a black suit, shiny polished dress shoes and red tie, unaware that anyone was paying him any attention.  He reached for the phone and flipped it open to silence the ring, “Yeah, yes. She’s with me now… just got off work a bit early.” He snapped the phone shut and clung to a little girl’s hand whisking her into his arms. It was as if it was just the two of them at the crowded park on this day. The girl giggled in delight as her pink ribbon flittered in the wind while she was spun. Her polka dot dress twirled in circles as he twisted this way and that way and then threw her into the air. The little girl was squealing in delight as she looked down at this man who locked eyes with her in fatherly adoration. He gently set her on the ground and strode slowly into the wind as the girl pushed her legs as fast as they would go toward the slide hand in hand. Sunshine beaming down on the fresh cut green grass and large oak trees surrounding the park made for a picture perfect scene. As they reached the slide he grabbed her by the waste and gently set her on the top. “Now wait here Lyla, I’m going to the bottom of the slide to catch you!” He dashed around and was just in time to see the adorable blonde with bright green eyes and a huge smile coming speeding down towards him. He spread his arms wide and scooped her into his arms squeezing her before he set her back onto the soft grass. “Lyla, mama is ready for dinner now.” The Father grabbed the delightful girl’s delicate finger and smiled down at her in love and they headed towards the parking lot. It was obvious that this little girl had her Daddy exactly where he should be, wrapped around her little finger. 

The two headed toward the parking lot. He was walking slowly as if each step forward were dreaded. He picked Lyla up and placed her on his hip, ignoring the dirt that was transferred from her polka dot dress to his black suit, he squeezed her as he continued forward. Instead of heading towards the direction they arrived in he headed to a Cadillac Escalade that had just pulled up. The blonde girl hugged his neck and he whispered something to her. Next he let her down and she got into the Escalade and greeted her mother. The man and woman’s eyes connected but no words were exchanged. He shut the door and the SUV drove off. The man turned and sauntered over to a bench and placed his head in his hands. Defeat was written all over his body language. At a first glance he appeared to be a successful man and while it was obvious that he indeed was, his demeanor was struggling. The blissful man that was just running in the grass had vanished and was replaced by a miserable and unsatisfied human being. With slouched shoulders and sad eyes he reached into his pocket.

From out of his suit pocket he pulled a leather wallet. Opening the wallet he withdrew what appeared to be a discolored and tattered note. Unfolding the paper, it was obvious he had studied whatever it was frequently. He began to repeat aloud, “Proverbs 15:17, Greed for money can lead to family problems. Proverbs 15:17, Greed for money can lead to family problems.” A single tear slid down the grown man’s cheek. This person that once seemed so simple, a stereotypical businessman father spending time with a daughter he adored on a beautiful day at the park, suddenly became very complex. He had suffered a great deal. This man had a past with inner demons that were tearing at his soul. Lifting his head he glanced around the park at the commotion around him as if finally realizing other people were in his presence. A child was laughing and reaching for a teen girl at the other end of the playground and the girl grabbed him in her arms. The word “Mama” came out of the boy’s mouth. The businessman straightened up and headed toward the sandbox where the two were sitting. He reached them and began a conversation, “What’s his name?” Hesitantly she replied, “Well I named him Steven after my grandfather.” Somehow the well-to-do businessman got this young girl to open up about her past and the things that led up to her pregnancy. She confessed that she was only sixteen when she gave birth to the little boy and that the Father was not present in her life or the life of her son. How it happened, it is not clear, but the man opened his wallet and instead of reaching for his piece of paper like last time, he confidently grabbed a handful of bills and stretched his hand out to the teen girl. A look of shock came upon her face and it was replaced by gratitude but rejection. “I cannot take that.” After a struggle and victory for the businessman he grabbed a business card out of his pocket and insisted she give her email address to him in return, requesting that she would please allow him to bless her with the opportunity to help her and her son whenever possible. The girl had tears streaming down her face as she whispered that he was an answer to her prayers and it was too much. He reached down to Steven and grabbed the toddler in his arms, gave him a tight hug and set him back down. He said, “You may not understand, but you are a blessing to me. You have given me a bigger gift than I can explain and while I may not have done things right in the past, you are giving me the opportunity to redeem myself. I will be in touch.”

The man turned then and headed for the parking lot. Dusk was arriving, the sky transforming from a vibrant blue to shades of orange and red, and the park was becoming less crowded. As the man in a black suit, with shiny, polished dress shoes, and a red tie headed towards the parking lot his shoulders were just a bit straighter, his head just a bit higher. The door squeaked as he opened and sat in the vehicle. The rusted grey car managed to crank to life and sputtered and struggled as the businessman drove away with a smile on his face as the words, “greed for money can lead to family problems” repeated on his lips.  

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