The Unwelcomed Guest: A Father’s Journey on His 80th Birthday

Old Man Goes to Visit Daughter for His 80th Birthday, She Doesn’t Let Him Enter Her House – Story of the Day

When Richard goes to see his daughter to celebrate turning eightieth, she answers the door sobbing and waves him off. Richard looks through her front windows and sees that he is right to suspect problems.

As he drove, Richard nervously drummed his fingers against the driving wheel. Ever since his wife’s funeral four years ago, Deidre has not driven down for Thanksgiving. There were only calls once a week now.

Deidre appeared in the doorway, and Richard opened his arms wide. He exclaimed, “Surprise!”

“Daddy? Why are you in this place?” With tears streaming down her cheeks, she enquired.

“I came to you to celebrate my birthday.The big eight-o is here!” Richard answered, but the happiness soon faded from his voice. “Honey, what’s wrong? Why are you in tears?”

“It’s nothing, everything’s okay,” Deidre said, wiping away her tears with a small grin. “I simply…It’s not really a good moment, and I wasn’t expecting you. I’m sorry, Dad, but I have to get some focus. Regarding my work. I will call you, see. Okay, let’s eat dinner later. Apologies.

Richard was left bewildered and heartbroken when Deidre closed the door. There was a serious problem. Did Deidre have a problem?

Richard moved away from the front entrance, but he stayed inside. He skirted the low blooming shrubs bordering the walkway and crept up to take a quick look through the windows.

Deidre was in the sitting room with two burly males.

“Who was that?” In an abrupt tone, one of them inquired.

“Nobody,” Deidre said with trembling. “Just a neighbor’s kid…pulling a doorbell prank and running away.”

“Now, back to business,” the other man replied. “Deidre, you’re currently six months overdue on your loan installments. Mr. Marco is growing irritated.”

“I simply require more time. “In the winter, business will definitely pick up again,” she begged.

The man said, “Time is one thing you haven’t got, sweetie,” and drew his gun. “People who owe Mr. Marco money don’t have a great life expectancy and end up feeding the fishes in the lake…” The weapon was aimed at her by him.

Fear immobilized Richard. However, the man quickly turned aside, hiding the gun in the waistline of his pants, and walked back with a disgusted expression.

“Look around this dump and see if there’s anything valuable we can take to Mr. Marco, Danny,” he said. “She’s a businesswoman, so there must be a computer or some kind of equipment around here.”

She exclaimed, “But I need those things!” “I can’t make money without my equipment!”

The man gave his rifle a pat on the butt. “Boo-Hoo.” You know, I may yet change my mind. Now stop being unappreciative.”

Deidre was left sobbing on the floor as the men stormed away after ransacking her house.

Richard couldn’t understand anything because Deidre’s business was booming. That’s what she had told him, at any rate. However, Richard now sensed that something was wrong. He was needed by Deidre.

From Deidre’s house, the men placed a number of appliances into their car.

At last, they took off, and Richard went with them.

The men came to a stop at what appeared to be a pub, a two-story brick building downtown. The door was unlocked even though it was closed. Richard entered the facility unhindered by any staff member.

The men had moved to a big table with a number of other burly men seated around it. One of them got up and strode in his direction.

“The nightclub has ended,” he snarled. “Come back later.”

Richard said, “I’m here to discuss Deidre’s debt.”

“Oh?” The man at the head of the table stood up and gave Richard a long look. With the exception of a large scar above his left eye, he appeared to be a gentleman. Mr. Marco, Richard surmised.

“What is the amount she owes you?” posed by Richard.

Mr. Marco grinned. “A benevolent person, huh? I extended a $80,000 business loan to Deidre. She never made the monthly gains that were meant to be used to repay me.”

“I have about $20,000 in savings,” Richard gasped in terror, surprised that Deidre had taken out such a large loan.

That’s not even close to what she owes us. Mr. Marco let out a sigh. “But there’s something you can do to make up the difference.”

Although Richard didn’t enjoy the sound of that, he knew he had to take all necessary action to keep his daughter out of the trouble she had gotten herself into.

He enquired, “What do you want me to do?”

Mr. Marco waved Richard over to the table with a smile.

“My partner and I recently launched a small business importing cars into Canada, but we’re having trouble getting the’merchandise’ across the border because some of the paperwork has been delayed.” It should be easy for a gentle, naive Grandpa like you to cross the border in one of our vehicles.”

Richard was forced to nod in agreement. Later that evening, he stopped beside a patrol to use the restroom at a gas station close to the border town.

The German Shepherd in the back of the police cruiser started barking at him and pawing at the window, and he said, “Jesus!”

Service dogs aren’t supposed to bark at strangers until…Oh, dude.

The police dog went nuts as he hastily got back into the Valiant and began reversing.

He was looked at by two police officers who rushed out of the gas station store and ordered at him to stop. Richard stuffed the GPS app in his pocket to stop the annoying voice instructions.

He threaded through traffic, pushing the Valiant to its breaking point and left a trail of furious drivers and barely missed crashes in his wake. Behind him, sirens began to blare.

Before long, Richard noticed a small, unmarked dirt road heading into the jungle. He made a sudden turn and bolted into the trees, leaving the road behind. Richard continued despite how difficult it was to manage the muddy trails.

He took a narrow road that went downhill. Subsequently, he noticed a tiny elevation and felt instant regret.

Now the car was wedged into an awkward position, perched on a small elevation over a large river. When Richard attempted to go back the way he had come, the tires spun in an attempt to lose traction.

The car was actually sliding toward the water.

“No!” Richard applied the parking brake as hard as he could, but it was ineffective.

With a loud splash, the car’s nose struck the river, causing a wave of dark water to rush over the bonnet. In a desperate attempt to get out of the sinking car, Richard pushed open the door.

Richard felt the automobile door close against his legs due to the water’s pressure. With the interior filled with the river, Richard splashed around in panic.

He tipped his head back, took a final breath, and hauled himself beneath as the water level slowly rose to his face.

Richard forced his way through the gap and thrust himself upwards toward the surface. Inhaling deeply, he started to swim in the direction of the riverbank.

Richard became aware of how near death he truly was upon reaching shore. Thankfully, he was still breathing. Still, he had to take action with the $80,000. Richard decided to hitchhike home.

“I have to mortgage my house,” he said to the bank clerk. “And I require the money in my bank account immediately.”

While the bank staffer processed the paperwork, Richard impatiently waited. He gave a start as he heard Deidre’s call.

“A few guys from a nearby gang stopped over to inquire about you, Dad.what’s taking place?”

Inform them I will be there shortly. I made plans to settle your obligation on your behalf. We shouldn’t talk about it right now, Deidre, even if I don’t understand why you didn’t approach me first.”

Richard hung up the phone and signed the documents. The only way to assist Deidre was to give up the house where he had made memories with his family, even if he didn’t want to.

A few hours later, he pulled his rental car into the club’s parking lot and made his way to the entrance.

“Dad, hold on!” Deidre hurried toward Richard, and he looked back.

She said, “I won’t let you face those thugs alone.” “The least I can do is support you while you save me; I still don’t understand how you learned about this mess or how you got the money to repay them.”

Observing the resolute expression in Deidre’s eyes, Richard realized he would be unable to persuade her to part. The guys led him and Deidre to the table as soon as they got inside the club.

Richard set his duffel bag on the table, containing the cash he had taken out following the closing of the mortgage.

This includes the $80,000 that Deidre owes you in addition to an additional $15,000 to pay for your vehicle. The car ended up in a river after I, well, got into some problems.”

Mr. Marco beat his hand against the table and screwed his mouth in fury.

“You’re going to give me a meager fifteen thousand dollars? When you enter here and claim to have sunk the $100,000 shipment concealed in that vehicle? What you now owe me is not even close to being covered by that.”

The criminal took hold of the duffel bag and hurled it at one of his goons.

“You know, Deidre, I really did think you could succeed, but in business, you have to know when to fold.”

His coat jacket held a gun, which he took out and aimed directly at Deidre’s forehead.

Deidre was hauled behind Richard. “Please say no! I am entirely to blame for this! Please don’t punish her.

“Well, you did raise a valid point.” Richard was gazing down the barrel of the gun when the criminal shrugged.

Abruptly, they heard sirens from the cops outside.

Loud gunfire erupted, shaking the room, and Mr. Marco turned to flee toward the back.

Crawling under the table were the father and daughter. The club was in disarray, and Richard knew he had to do whatever it took to bring his daughter to safety when he met her terrified eyes.

After tipping over a table, Richard and Deidre positioned themselves in a corner. There, they hid until the cops came to take them away. Thank goodness, Mr. Marco was found.

“Are you positive you have no heart-related conditions?” In the ambulance, Richard shook his head at the paramedic.

At the sight of the police detective approaching the ambulance, Richard took a deep gulp.

The investigator questioned sharply, “Sir, what were you and your daughter doing in this club today?”

Richard gave them the rundown on Deidre’s loan and how they were going to return it that day at the club. With any luck, he wouldn’t have to bring up the car he sank in the river.

The investigator gave Deidre a quick look. Our presence to save you would not have occurred if we hadn’t discovered a car loaded with illegal goods in the river. Miss, you shouldn’t be accepting loans from such shady individuals.”

“A car in the river?” With nervousness, Richard enquired.

“It was registered to Mr. Marco’s cousin, which was exactly the lede we needed to take this gang down,” said the cop.

Richard exhaled a sigh of calm. He was safe.

When he and Deidre gave their statements, the police released them.

I really apologize to you, Dad. Richard’s car was parked in front of them, and Deidre apologized, saying, “I dragged you into this whole mess.”

Her eyes welled with tears. “I wasn’t sure how to inform you. “How can someone tell their father they are a complete failure?”

“You are not a failure!” Deidre felt Richard’s hands rest on her shoulders. “Deidre, maybe your business idea didn’t turn out the way you had hoped, but at least you tried.” I wish you had been at ease enough to open up to me about the true state of your life. He went on, “Hell, I just wish you felt you could be as close to me as you were to your mother.” “It seems like you haven’t been ‘fine’ for a long time.”

Richard put an arm around Deidre as she started crying. “It’s okay, honey,” he comfortingly said. “Everything’s going to be okay.”