A lesson in humility

The summer I turned thirteen, I heard a surprising sound. There was a car driving up the dirt road that led to our cabin. This was something that happened very rarely. We didn't get many visitors to begin with and the road was so steep that if there was any moisture at all (and there was most of the time) the tires of a car would skid and prevent it from coming up the hill. I put down the sweater I was knitting for 4-H and ran to the tiny cabin window. It was a blue car that I had not seen before. In it were two angry looking people, a man and a woman. Dad walked up behind me and looked out the window over my head. He muttered something and left the cabin. I watched from the window as he approached the car. The man in the passenger seat started yelling. He was so loud that his voice came through the walls of the cabin. Mom stood up, looking worried. She quickly told Dale to get his gun and stand by the window, then she beckoned the rest of us to come outside with her. She hoped that having four extra people standing by Dad's side would intimidate the angry people to leave.

I stood shivering with fright next to my mom, Pamella and Michael. The man in the passenger seat was visibly drunk and now that we were outside we could hear why he was so upset. He had paid Dad to build a fence for him and he thought Dad wasn't building it fast enough. The man's wife, though she did not appear to be under the influence of alcohol, was red in the face and yelling as well, egging her husband on. I shrank a bit inside myself. Dad had had to pick up so many unpleasant jobs to keep us fed. My heart ached for him as the scene unfolded.

Dad was speaking calmly and quietly, explaining that he was still within the bounds of their agreement and that the fence would soon be finished. His words were not enough to satisfy the angry man, however, and with horror I watched as he reached up and hit Dad in the face. Dad's glasses fell to the ground. I must have moved forward because I suddenly felt Mom's hand on my arm holding me back. I felt a mixture of fright and fury. I knew that the man in the car was too drunk to defend himself against Dad. I watched and waited for Dad to hit him and knock him out, but instead, Dad bent slowly down and retrieved his glasses. He stood straight and tall and calmly repeated that the fence would soon be finished. The woman continued to yell obscenities, but put the car in reverse and drove off down the hill.

A few days later, Dad finished building the fence for the angry couple. We never saw them again. I was impressed by Dad's humility, for after it was over I could see that if he had hit the man back things would have ended much worse than they did. I will always be grateful for the sacrifices Dad made for our family and for the lessons he taught me. His example of love and humility in dealing with his fellow man will stay with me forever.