Inside me something broke and flowed away like molten metal. Suddenly
my eyes were blurred--and not only with rain. I looked at the old face
before me, and for a moment, I seemed to see a ghostly glimpse of
another face, a small round face that looked up.
He was speaking again. I put my head down:
"Was I ... good ... boy ... Dad?" Then the eyes closed.
I sat for a long time, looking at the still face. Then I folded the
hands on the chest and stood.
"You were more than a good boy, Timmy," I said. "You were a good man."