The Voice of Southwest Louisiana June 2019 Issue

ADVENTURES of the Lake
It’s About Time
By Lela Gholar Tizano
George heard the whirring of the
lawnmower outside his window. He
slipped on his shoes and stepped
onto his front porch to see who had decided
to start cutting his grass – without his
permission. When he realized it was his son,
Lionel, he was not surprised.
Pastor Louis F. Guy I and
Minister Louis F. Guy II
George had spoken with Lionel plenty times
before and from the looks of things he would
have to remind his son again that although
he could no longer be considered a spring
chicken, he was not helpless. Cutting his grass
was something that he was perfectly capable
of doing for himself.
“Hi, Pops,” Lionel yelled above the noise.
George nodded and went back inside,
slamming the door behind him. Minutes later
he walked back onto the porch with a pitcher
of fresh-squeezed lemonade.
Lionel finished up then joined his dad on
the porch.
“You know, I look around here at all the things
you’ve done and I’m starting to wonder if you
think I’m a helpless old man or something.
Yesterday you cleaned my gutters, took out
my trash and washed my car, and then you come by here
every Friday with lunch. Son, don’t you think I can do some
of these things myself?”
Lionel snickered then took a sip of his lemonade. “C’mon,
Pops, it’s not like that and you know it. I don’t mind doing
these things for you. You’ve done so much for me all these
years; I just want to help you out as much as I can. I like
spending time with you. The Bible says I need to honor my
father. Is it alright if I do that?”
George put his hand on Lionel’s shoulder, “yeah Son, I
guess that’s fine. I just don’t want you treating me like an
old man.”
“Well, I gotta run. I gotta take David to baseball practice. Do
you still want to come to his game tomorrow afternoon?”
“Wouldn’t miss it for the world,” George answered.
George settled in for the night and turned on the evening
news. “What is the world coming to when young people
begin to fight old people?” he asked, as he listened to the
horrible things that were being reported. The more he
watched the more he began to appreciate having Lionel
fuss over him so much. All the extra things he did like
installing security cameras and an alarm system made him
feel safe.
The next day Lionel and David picked him up for the
game. George had a grin from ear to ear as he watched his
grandson round the bases after hitting a home run. “David’s
a fine young man,” he declared.
“Yeah, he’s been practicing a lot, looks like he finally got
him one.”
22
June 2019 WWW.THEVOICEOFSOUTHWESTLA.COM Volume 6 • Number 11