Worthington’s father, despite being illiterate, had a negative influence on his life. Despite being industrious and supporting his family, he did not find satisfaction in his roles as a husband and father. Instead of allowing Worthington to continue his education beyond first grade, his father withdrew him from school and assigned him farm work.
Worthington greatly admired his father’s hands, appreciating their roughness and immense strength. He especially noticed the special warmth emanating from those skilled hands, which could even be felt through his shirt. However, although they possessed numerous talents, these hands never acquired the skill of writing. In instances when Worthington’s mother was not around, his father would use those capable hands to take care of things and go buy dinner from the store.
Later, Worthington shared with his children a surprise dessert, only to discover it was actually a can of Whole White Potatoes. His father felt ashamed because the picture on the can resembled pears, which made him seem foolish in front of his child due to his inability to read. Years later, after his mother’s death and his father’s declining health from multiple heart problems, Worthington relocated with his new family to another country for a fresh job opportunity and place to reside.
Three weeks later, Doc Green’s father passed away and he went back home by himself for the funeral. Doc Green expressed remorse, mentioning that his father had recently been given nitroglycerin but it was not found on him. If someone had taken it, maybe his father would still be alive. “Right before the chapel service, I found myself standing next to Dad’s garden where a neighbor found him. In my grief, I stopped to touch the soil where an extraordinary man had come to the end of his life.”
As I absentmindedly moved my hand, I came across a partially buried brick. I lifted it and threw it aside, only to discover a twisted and battered yet unbroken soft plastic bottle underneath. It had been deeply embedded into the soil. In that moment, I imagined my father’s arduous battle to open that very bottle in search of just one pill. I understood why his large and warm hands ultimately succumbed to the clutches of death. The words, “Child-Proof Cap – Push Down and Twist to Unlock,” were imprinted on the bottle cap, serving as a reminder of his illiteracy and how this disadvantage had hindered him throughout his entire life. Ultimately, it was this same illiteracy that tragically cost him his life.
