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Bo's Journey Home - Chapter 21 Bo drove down to the waterfront from Nora’s house. He parked his truck one block from the pier and walked up the ramp to the docks. He stood, looking up and down, wondering which way to go. He chose left and walked to the first open bar. There were just a few men there, two at the bar, two playing pool. Bo sat down at the bar and the bar tender eyed him.   “Let me have a Sam Adams,” Bo asked casually. The bartender nodded and returned shortly with his beer. Bo sipped at his beer, looking at the bartender. “I’m looking for Skipper. Can you help me?” The bartender eyed him a bit suspiciously. “Just want to talk with him, about my boat,” Bo explained.   The bartender walked away and spoke to one of the men at the other end of the bar. Both men glanced back at Bo. Bo continued to drink his beer, pretending to ignore them, glad he hadn’t shaved and was wearing yesterday’s jeans and shirt. The man from the far end of the bar finally came over to where Bo was sitting and sat down next to him.   The man nudged Bo, eyeing his appearance and deciding Bo was harmless. “What do you want with the Skip?”   Bo eyed him back. “Want to talk with him about my boat.”   The man shook his head. “He’s not here. He hangs out at the Bent Elbow, about ¼ mile down from here.”   Bo took another gulp of his beer and stood, throwing a 20 dollar bill on the bar. “Thanks. Have one on me.” Bo left the bar and walked down the pier, finding the second bar. It had a few more patrons there and the ballgame was on the televisions scattered throughout the bar room. Bo took one of the few empty stools at the bar and ordered another beer. He sat there looking around. The guys were hooting and hollering at the Phillies. When the bar tender returned with his beer, he made his same request for the man called Skipper. The bartender didn’t respond; he just turned from Bo and moved slowly the length of the bar. He stopped in front of an older man at the other end of the bar. He leaned in and spoke softly into his ear, jerking his head ever so slightly towards Bo. The old man looked towards Bo and then stood, moving towards where Bo was sitting.   “I understand you’re looking for me?” Harry was standing directly behind Bo.   Bo turned slowly on his bar stool. “You Harry, the one they call Skipper?”   The man gave a quick nod, extending his hand and replying with his full name. “Harry Lambert.”   Bo returned the same courtesy, shaking his hand. “I’m Bo Buchanan.”   Harry nodded slightly, recognizing his name and taking in Bo’s unruly appearance, eyeing him a bit curiously. “Evening Commissioner. Been wonderin’ when one of you police fellas would be down here to see me. Just never expected it to be the Commissioner himself.”   “I’m not here as the Commissioner of Police,” Bo responded, looking at him intently. “I’m here as a father.” Bo paused as Harry gave him a crooked look. “Matthew’s father.”   Harry nodded in understanding. “Why don’t we go outside.” He held his pipe out towards Bo. “Can’t smoke in here.”   Bo threw another 20 on the bar without touching the beer and followed Harry out to the pier. The night air was warm and there was a soft breeze coming off the river. They were both silent. The only sounds were coming from the pier buoys, and Harry, sucking on his pipe. Bo was looking out towards the darkened river to the lights on the opposite side. “I’ve spoken to my son,” Bo began. “He told me what you did for him.” Harry didn’t speak or look at Bo. He just stared out across the river. Bo continued. “I’m not here as a cop, Mr. Lambert. I’m in your debt for saving my son’s life.”   Harry continued to stare at the same point across the river. “Anyone have done the same,” he said quietly, puffing on his pipe.   Bo looked directly at him. “But you’re the one who did. I can't thank you enough. And I owe you for my son’s life.”   Harry now looked directly at Bo. “You owe me nothing, Mr. Buchanan.” Harry paused. “Did you settle things with your boy?”   Bo nodded. “We’re working on it.”   Harry looked back across the river. “Funny thing, fathers and sons; we spend all our time raising our sons to be men, we never really teach them how to be children.” They were both silent. “I wasn’t much of a father to my own boy. Spent too much time at sea. Don’t even see him now.” He looked back at Bo. “But your boy, he’s still young. You have time.” He sucked again on his pipe before continuing. “He’s a good boy, Mr. Buchanan. You want to pay me back, be a better father to your son than your father was to you, and his father to him, or me to mine. Break the chain. And if your father is still alive, be a better son to him, than he was to his father.” Harry let his voice trail off, sure he had made his point.   Bo extended his hand, smiling gratefully. “Thanks for your time, Skipper. I really do appreciate everything that you did for my son. If there is ever anything I can do for you.”   Harry took Bo’s hand in a firm grasp, cutting him off. “Not for me, but for your boy. The greatest gift a father can give his children is to love their mother.” Harry winked, released Bo’s hand, and started off down the pier. “G’night, Mr. Buchanan. Give my best to your boy.”   “Good night,” Bo called back, watching Harry turn from him and walk down the pier, disappearing between two buildings.   Bo walked back to his truck and drove to his father’s house, Harry’s words filling his brain. It was late and he let himself in quietly. As he closed the front door, he heard his father’s booming voice coming from his office down the hall. He headed towards it, finding the door slightly ajar. Asa was on the phone. Bo poked his head in and waved, starting to leave. Asa bellowed. “Bo! Stay, son.”   Bo pushed open the door and walked in, dropping into a chair in front of his father’s big desk. He sat there and watched him, wheeling and dealing. Asa finally hung up. Asa’s voice was full of sarcasm. “So, my son has decided to grace me with his presence.”   Bo chuckled, starting to stand. “Aww, Pa, don’t start.”   Asa feigned a mock hurt. “Don’t start what? I’m not the one who snuck in here Thursday night and snuck out Friday morning, without so much as a hello or a good-bye.”   Bo rolled his eyes at his father’s attempt to manipulate Bo into some sort of false guilt. “It was late, Pa and then I had to get up early.”   Asa finally noticed his unshaven face and unruly appearance. “Where you been, boy?”   Bo smiled. “The lodge. Needed some time away.”   Asa nodded his approval at him. “Well, good for you, son. So what are you doing back here so late?”   Bo was trying to stay one step a head of him and out maneuver him. “My car is here, and you know I keep my pickup truck here.”   Asa continued to press him for answers. “So what? So your car is here.” Asa pointed his finger at Bo. “Why are you here?”   Bo squirmed in his chair, starting to feel like the child he was to this man. “I’d like to stay here a few days, if that’s okay with you and Renee.”   Asa waved his hand in the air as if triumphant over some thing. “Hell, yes. My boy is finally coming to his senses! Finally getting rid of that Argentina hussy?”   Bo gave him a warning look. “Pa, this is my battle, stay out of it.” Bo stood. “I knew it was a mistake coming here.”   Asa made a feeble attempt to apologize. “Oh, I’ll stay out of it.” He sat back down in his chair, picking up some papers. “Stay as long as you want, son. You know you can always call this home.”   Bo knew that his father picking up papers and reading them was Asa’s dismissal of him, but remembering Harry’s words on the pier, and thinking of Matthew, Bo walked around to the back of the desk to where his father was sitting. Bo leaned in towards his father and kissed Asa on the side of the head. “G’night, Pa, I love ya.” Bo walked out of the office, leaving Asa frozen in his seat.   Asa was too much in shock to attempt to stand. He hollered after Bo, touching his face where Bo had kissed him. “Bo! Bo! You get back here boy and explain yourself. Renee! Renee! My boy has gone loco!”   Bo chuckled as he headed up the stairs to his old room. He met Renee in the upstairs hallway. Renee was surprised to see him. “Bo? It’s awful late. What are you doing here?” She could hear Asa bellowing downstairs. “And what is he bellowing about at this late hour?”   Bo looked a bit sheepishly at her. “Umm, I just threw the old man for a loop.” He shrugged his shoulders much the same way Matthew did, mostly to release his embarrassment. “I kissed him good-night.”   Renee stared at him in amazement and in just as much shock as Asa downstairs. “You did what?!”   Bo chuckled a nervous laugh. “A moment of weakness, I guess, Renee.” He quickly changed the subject. “Anyway, I’m gonna be staying here for a few days, if that’s okay with you?”   Renee was still in shock over his kissing Asa. Bo asking to stay at the mansion was barely hitting her. “Sure, darling. Whatever you need.” She looked at him closely. “What’s going on with you? Kissing your father, staying here, did something happen between you and Gabrielle? Do you want to talk about it?”   Bo shook his head, kissing her cheek, chuckling at his father’s voice still bellowing for Renee. “Not tonight. But soon. You best go deal with him.”   Renee returned his kiss, rolling her eyes. “Thanks a lot. You owe me.” She headed to the stairs, turning back to him. “Good night, Bo.”   Bo felt a little guilty leaving her to deal with Asa but not enough to return downstairs and explain. Bo went into his room. It had been cleaned, the sheets changed, and his shirt and suit from Thursday were pressed and hanging in the closet. “Nigel,” Bo thought, “Thank God for Nigel.” Bo went into the bathroom and stripped off his clothes. He turned on the shower, making it as hot as possible. He stepped in and let the water and steam wash away his emotional exhaustion. Reliving their past all over with Matthew had brought Drew’s death right back in front of his face again. And all of the pain and hurt and especially the love between him and Nora that he had buried deep within his heart was brought back to the surface as well. He leaned back against the glass of the shower stall, letting his tears come slowly, mixing with the water from the shower. He slowly let his body slide down the glass to a sitting position, burying his face in his hands, the tears coming more freely.   Bo didn’t know how long he sat like that, but he felt a little reprieve from his emotions, definitely water logged, and exhausted. He turned off the water, wrapped a towel around his waist and went back into the bedroom. He set the alarm on the night table and lay back on the bed, thinking he should call Gabrielle and let her know he wouldn’t be home tonight, or any other night for that matter. Then he thought about Nora and Matthew, and what might have been, and what could be. The two of them were his last thoughts before he fell asleep, wrapped in a towel. To be continued …