Daddy's Girl

"All too often arrogance

accompanies strength,
and we must never assume that justice
is on the side of the strong.
The use of power must always
be accompanied by moral choice."
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Theodore Bikel

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One day early last summer, I found myself standing outside the Onamia city hall, chatting with the mayor. I remember it well, especially considering that it is the only time other than at public meetings that Larry Milton (aka "Clippers", aka "Bully") has ever faced me since he orchestrated the Onamia Invasion into my township to dump 104 sex offenders* in my front yard. (*The number of sex offenders has now been upped from 94 to 104. Nexus is inconsistent when it comes to numbers... They will now have, according to them, a capacity for 104 sex offenders in their new facility.)

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Anyway, it was a beautiful, sunny day. Larry was reminiscing about my father, whom he claimed to know well - actually, he inferred that he knew my dad better than I did. I listened politely as Larry told the story about how Larry helped my dad buy my farm in Onamia. According to Milton, he himself had located this property and recommended that my dad purchase it. (Always messing around with Bradbury land.... tsk tsk) Of course, being such good pals, my dad always listened to Larry and like everyone else, always did what Larry told him... In fact, if it weren't for Larry, I'd never have come to Onamia. According to Larry.

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"So you're saying that all of the trouble you've had with me - you brought upon yourself?" I said. (Poncho got a chuckle out of that.)

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Larry went on to indicate how ashamed of me, how disappointed in me Dad would have been, if he were still alive. Larry looked sad. Larry talked to me a lot that day. He wasn't wearing that snarly I'm-The-Big-Cheese-Here hat that he wears in public. No.... Larry was my concerned friend. Just like he'd been my father's friend... Right. I could have puked.

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We discussed the Crosier property, where the academy should have been built. That plan was rejected so that Larry's buddy Mike, who owned the adjoining property could make as small fortune selling his land to another buddy who wanted to build a supper club there. You see, you can't get a liquor license within 1000 feet of a correctional facility, which the Mille Lacs Academy is... a correctional facility. Larry traded our lives, our dreams, our happiness - for a liquor license. Besides, if the sex offender institution was built on the Crosier property, all surrounding land would drop in value and be difficult to sell. Larry takes care of his pals. At least when they're still alive. Ask Kenny Apel if you don't believe me.

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So much for Larry's "friendship" with my dad. But the bully mayor wanted no hard feelings. Larry said, "Its business. Its not personal." The Mayor of Nexusville said that when this was all over, he hoped I wouldn't drive through town giving him the finger when I saw him. Yes. As Poncho is my witness, he actually said that.

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My mother was waiting for us in the car. "Come see what you're doing to my mom," I said, opening the car door to reveal a tiny, dignified old lady in the backseat. Larry said how nice it was to see her again, explaining that he had met her years ago, when her husband was alive. She just stared at him, politely. Larry apologized to my mother for ruining her life (he didn't put it that way, of course. I'm paraphrasing.) It was an apology the rest of us never received from the Mayor of Nexusville. They briefly chatted about my dad and then it was time for us to go. "Nice meeting you," my mother said.

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As we got in the car and started to leave, my mom asked, "Who was that man?" We told her. "That's Larry Milton? I've never seen him before in my life!" she said. Now, this is one incident where I'm not calling Larry a liar. Nor is my mom the least bit senile. He probably did meet her years ago. He just didn't make a lasting impression on her back then. He certainly has now. You can bet that my mom will NEVER forget the Mayor of Nexusville.

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The true story about how I ended up in Onamia: My dad was up here fishing on Mille Lacs Lake with his friend Chris. (Chris was a real friend.) My dad talked about how much he liked the area and how he might like to retire here someday. The fishing guide had 85 acres to sell. My dad saw it as a good investment. They made the deal that day. Dad died from lung cancer - just one year shy of that retirement. Although he visited often, he never got the chance to live on his farm and be part of the wonderful Nexusville community... You see, he didn't buy the farm for me, but I ended up living on it for thirty years - time Daddy's Girl bitterly now considers as totally wasted.

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Its true that my father would not have stood behind me in the Nexusville War. He would have stood ahead of me, making me as proud of him as he is of me now - wherever he is - watching what his "old pal Larry" is doing to his wife and daughter and the farm that he loved. But unlike Hannabelle, my father would have been a force to be reckoned with, I assure you. Perhaps he still is. Perhaps...

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I once asked my dad about the Mayor of Nexusville. This is what he said:
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"Watch out for him," he warned. "He's a real shyster."

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That really stuck with me, since my dad rarely made statements like that about people. But as usual, Father knew best.

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As for driving through town, giving Larry the finger? Why limit myself to Mainstreet in Nexusville when I have the entire world at my finger tip........

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