Dave Casler
PO Box 98
Ridgway, Colorado 81432
Young Adult Novels by Dave Casler...
I've been told by publisher after publisher that there's no market for Young Adult novels. I think they're wrong! So I'm putting my novels on-line for you. Forget the publisher! Read to your heart's content--it's free! And, I'd like to hear from you, too! Contact Page.
You're reading About Phillip. Be sure to check out About Dan here.
Phillip is a computer nerd who suddenly discovers a liking for track. Everything would be fine except for his father.
About Series Home
About the About Series
Index to All Chapters
Here are all the chapters, disguised as asterisks. Hover your mouse over an asterisk to see the title of the chapter. Click on the asterisk to go straight to that chapter.
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
(About Phillip Home) (Last) (Next)
Lance Tries a Gesture
Her foghorn voice shook the rafters, rattled the walls and made the real silverware tinkle in its box way in the back of the oversized sideboard in the dining room, on the bottom shelf, the one on the left.
Martin stopped rubbing his knee. Phillip stopped in mid-complaint and slowly slid back to the floor. Margo had a tissue in front of her nose, ready to blow, stopped in mid-air.
In the sudden silence, they heard the footsteps on the porch. The squeak of a door hinge. Steps coming through the dining room. The door to the living room opened. Lance stood framed in the doorway. He entered and closed the door deliberately and carefully behind him, then turned to address their upturned faces.
He stood for what seemed like nearly a minute. Then, his head hung a little low, oddly low for him, he spoke.
"I’m sorry. I apologize to everyone for my behavior tonight. Phillip, I especially apologize to you. I hope you will forgive me."
No one moved. Martin stared, astonished. Phillip stared, defiant. Margo stared, confused. Carmen just stared.
Lance looked like he wasn’t sure what to expect. He picked up his little speech again, obviously carefully rehearsed during his walk.
"Perhaps it’s time I showed a different kind of leadership in the home. I’d simply like us to kneel in a family prayer. Then we should all get to bed. It’s late."
The response to Lance’s unexpected request was confusion. Martin said "huh?" out loud. Carmen was annoyed. Phillip looked dismayed. Only Margo seemed to appreciate the gesture; she beamed at her husband. She took the lead and got to her knees, next to Carmen. Lance stepped to be at his wife’s side and knelt. Awkwardly, Phillip and Martin knelt, too. Martin winced a bit when his sore knee hit the carpet. Only Carmen stayed in her chair.
"Phillip," began Lance. "Would you please offer the prayer on behalf of the family?"
"What!" exclaimed Phillip. "I really don’t feel like praying!"
"Wait a minute," commanded Carmen. "Now I’m not a Mormon and never will be, but when I was a little girl and my family prayed, we all held hands. So, Margo, you there. Now, Phillip, you there. That’s right. Yes, you and Martin need to hold hands. Don’t you snigger there, young man! Now you hold your father’s hand. You’re not too old! Ok, now Phillip, you say the prayer. It doesn’t matter if you don’t feel like praying. You just get started and it’ll be fine. Go ahead, now!" She closed her eyes and waited.
Phillip hesitated, not sure what to do. It was one thing to say no to his father, but quite another to cross his grandmother. He took a deep breath and began.
"Dear Heavenly Father. Thank you for all our blessings. Thank you we could all go to the ball game tonight." His voice trailed off. "Father," he said, with a different tone in his voice, a firmer tone, as though he’d made up his mind. "We had an awful time at the ball game tonight. We argued a lot and I guess we all said things we shouldn’t have. We’re all sorry. We pray that thy Spirit will come back to us and that you’ll forgive us. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen."
They all opened their eyes and dropped their hands except for Lance and Margo. Margo kissed Lance on the cheek. Lance smiled briefly.
"Well," said Lance, "I guess it’s bed time."
Martin shot out of the room without even a good night. After a moment’s hesitation, Phillip followed, equally unencumbered by words. Margo put her arms around Lance’s neck and kissed him again, both still kneeling on the carpet in front of Carmen. "I’m so proud of you," she said.
Carmen cleared her throat to get their attention. "Lance, you picked a mighty public place for an argument. He’s a sweet young man, but he’s almost sixteen. It’s time he showed some independence. Mark my words, there will be more arguments. Don’t think it’s all going to be over because you had a prayer. Try to choose your venue more wisely next time."
Carmen expected Lance to argue. He always hated it when she told him to face reality. But it was her turn to be surprised.
"Yes, mother," he said.