Train Me Daddy

I didn’t even notice that Neil’s poking his head into the laundry room.

“Hey, Olivia, I see Isaac’s not going to work this morning?”

“No, he said he didn’t have any appointments until this afternoon, and he felt like taking Buckskin out for a ride,” I explain, but I have a feeling that Neil already knows the answer to his question.

Neil slowly shakes his head. “That’s his problems. He does only what he has to do! He doesn’t put enough of himself into running the business. Not like before. He hasn’t even asked me who I put in his place while he’s here. It’s as if he’s not interested in it anymore. Maybe I should just think about putting him in rehab and forget about him going back to the office.”

Neil takes a deep breath, “Sorry to unload on you like this; I don’t know what’s got into him. I’ve hidden all the drink in the ranch. And I think that he’s got someone buying him some, because sometimes at night it’s clear that he’s drunk.”

“At least we’re on the same page about that.”

“You’ve noticed it too?”

I nod my head because I feel as if I should have spoken to Neil sooner, but Isaac’s only been here three days. It’s not as if he was going to change over night.

“An old saying comes to mind, and it seems to apply to him.”

“What saying is that?” I ask thinking that maybe I can be of more use to Neil and try and get Isaac away from his bad habit or disease as they call it.

“You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink.”

We both smile and laugh, just at the irony of him thinking of an old saying about Isaac drinking.

“I haven’t seen you smiling much lately. How is it going between you and Isaac? If I may ask?”

“It’s not going,” I admit. “I try, but if I get too close, he seems to lash out at me.” I shrug. “I’m not sure if he even likes me or thinks of me as a human being or just some servant?”

“Oh, I believe he does,” Neil says. “Maybe he won’t admit it. But I think he does. When he comes back from riding, he’s briefly his old self. Then he starts drinking and goes into the new Isaac, the one that I’ve become accustomed to hating lately,” he crosses his arms and leans back on the machine. Luckily, I never started one of them. I was too busy thinking about Isaac and maybe allowing him to take advantage of my kind nature.

“Neil, I’ve tried. I have tried, but I don’t know if I want to bother with him anymore. I’ve been more than fair to him. But I give, and he just takes,” I need to tell him the truth. That enough is enough. I know that Neil’s my boss, but I have to draw the line somewhere.

“Olivia, there’s something that I haven’t told you,” he sighs and takes my hand, and now he’s scaring me.

“What?”

My heart is racing out of control like the old dryer, the one that Neil refuses to replace because he said that his wife loved that dryer. It was her first one, and it makes so much noise at times I think that the whole ranch is going to collapse. That’s how I feel right now, as if the room’s making so much noise, but the only sound is my heart beat racing out of control.

I beg him, “Please. Tell me.”

Oh God! No!

I move away from him; I can’t breathe. The room feels so hot, and it’s as if I’m suffocating so I need to get out. I can’t lose someone else I love. I can’t take it.

“It might look like I’m in good health, but I’m not.” He pauses and takes a deep breath. “I don’t have long to live!” He says the words fast as though if he speaks generally, he won’t be able to tell me.

“What’s wrong?” I ask feeling a wave of panic swell up from the pit of my stomach.

He holds up his hands. “Olivia, I hate telling you this. You lost your parents not long ago, and I took you in. But I didn’t want to burden you with my family issues.” He starts to walk away, “I shouldn’t have told you. I’m sorry.”

I shake my head, “No Neil. I shouldn’t have asked. Maybe they’ll find a cure; maybe it’s not too late. You’re a rich man. They’re always bending over to help the rich.”

“You don’t have to worry you’ll be taken care of.”

“Neil, you think that’s bothering me? My family didn’t even bother helping me. They thought that we had money, and then they were interested, but when they learned that dad had drank it all away. They slowly took me in one-by-one. Please don’t tell me that this is the end. Neil, you mean so much to me. I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t given me a job on the ranch. I owe you. And I pay my debts. Please tell me what it is I can do?”

“Help Isaac! I need to see him happy again before I go. I can’t let go knowing he’s lost his way. I need to see him in a better place. And only someone as kind and good-natured as you can help him. Olivia, do this for me.”

I feel like crying as I hug Neil, he