Forrester, Dr. Forrester’s father, who I referred to as Pa-Pa, came in at 4:30 in the morning banging on a pan. It suddenly dawned on me where Ms. Alicia had gotten that method. I got up, showered, and then met him outside. He had a paint bucket and paintbrushes. “What are we doing out here, Pa-Pa?” “You’re going to repaint my daughter-in-law’s gazebo.” “It’s pitch-black out here, Pa-Pa.” “Now it’s not.” Pa-Pa shined a bright flashlight in my face. It was so bright, it lit up the entire backyard. “Where did you get that flashlight from?” I turned my head away from the light. “’Nam?” “They didn’t even have light when I was in ’Nam. No daylight, flashlight, moonlight, nothing! So no, this didn’t come from ’Nam, it came from Wal-mart.” “Didn’t you say Bri was coming today?” “Yes, I did, Private Butterfly. But I can’t get her daddy to bring her here any earlier than five a.m., even if it’s going to teach her a lesson.” Pa-Pa laughed.
