Advise From an Old Friend Part 3

[Captain Lachlan Bellraven]

  "Boy.."  Papas weak voice trailed off "Listen to..me now I tell you over and over revenge not the path for anyone ...(he sputtered and coughed) Heaven know why but I love you boy everybody in this house love you" As he said this both Mrs Olean and Joan squeezed me tight " We all know you got the spirit in you to kill him, everybody gonna be expectin ya to run out there ..(more coughing, this time so hard it caused him to violently sit up in the bed.) I broke free of the women beside me and dropped to my knees beside his bed Placing an arm around his back to hold him upright as he tried to continue. " I don't wan be lookin down an see you chewin on his spine you understand me?" He pointed a stern finger at me that if he had the strength behind it would have been scary " Your Mama and yore Daddy both trus me with you after they die...now please , Promise me you wan go looking for no trouble?"  I have on several occasions in my illustrious career lied bold faced to a person, this however was not one of those times. "I swear , I won't go looking for him Papa" To be fair I never said I wouldn't arrange things for him to come to me, but more about that later.   "I want you and Joan to have a happy long life, take her to some fancy city in Europe or wherever just take her from here and go, Listen to me boy ....marry a good woman you both know you lovin each other for ever anyways ( he let out a small laugh as did everyone else in the room) By now Joan was kneeling with me beside the bed and holding my hand as Papa spoke "This gone be my last words to you both"  he reached out and held both our hands " This here is real" he held our hands and placed them together "This what really make the world turn, I...(his voice became weaker and he worked harder for breath as he spoke) "I love you both ...my daughter " Joan instantly began to tear up, "And the son I adopted...This what I gonna say ...Love each other...be happy no more revengin..be happy." I heard the shallowness of his heartbeat and his breath one final time and then felt the shiver I always feel when a soul passes on I know. Joan collapsed on him wailing "Papa !...daddy??" she had no strength to restrain herself I freely admit, I could do nothing, just then I felt like I had been stabbed through heart. I was motionless overwhelmed with flood of scents on the room and the sounds.Mrs. Olean and some others began turning all the mirrors around and stopping the clock. Peoples scent changes under stress but, just on the edge there was another scent, nervous elation. I didn't think on it then, but I knew something monumental just happened, I was given the best advise I will ever get, from the truest friend I ever had ,and I can't yet say I followed it.