Caveman Jack’s First Father’s Day
Caveman Jack was sitting in the cool cave when he saw his father come in. He waved to his father but it seemed his father was too busy to notice. Caveman Jack stood in the doorway of the cave and watched. He saw his father take his bow off the wall. Caveman Jack was very sad. He knew what that meant. He knew that it meant his father was going hunting and that it would be a long time before he saw him again.
Caveman Jack moped around the cave for the next few days. His mother never thought anything of it because she just figured that Caveman Jack was being the man now that his father was gone. She figured that he was sticking around the cave because he was protecting her and his younger siblings. That was partly true but Caveman Jack was actually depressed because he really missed his father when he went away on these long hunts.
Caveman Jack knew that the hunts were a necessity. He knew that if his father didn’t go hunting that there would be no food to eat or no skins to make warm clothing. He just loved spending time with his father and he was really going to miss him.
The time flew by slowly. Each evening when the sun went down, Caveman Jack made a tick on the wall, marking the days that his father had been gone. He had made close to 60 ticks on the wall now and there was no sign of his father yet. Caveman Jack was starting to get worried. It had never taken this long for the men to hunt. However, Caveman Jack also knew that the past winter had been long and harsh and so, therefore, maybe the animals hadn’t fared so well and it was going to be harder for the men to find food. Caveman Jack also knew that his father would not come home until he had enough meat to feed his family.
Caveman Jack decided he was going to carve something really special for when his father returned. Something his father would be proud of, something his father would use for years to come. He decided he would carve his father a new hunting knife.
About 7 ticks on the wall later, Caveman Jack looked over the horizon and saw a horse coming straight for them. He leaped with joy until he saw that his father was not on the horse. One of the elders were. A bad feeling sat in the pit of Caveman Jack’s stomach. Something was not right. Caveman took out the knife he was carving his father and worked on it some more trying to get his mind off his father.
The elder got down off the horse and went into the cave to speak with Caveman Jack’s mother. Caveman Jack dared not to listen to the conversation. It would just be rude and inconsiderate. He waited patiently for his mother to say something to him. She never did. There were no tears either, something Caveman Jack would have expected if something bad had happened to his father.
Caveman Jack waited with anticipation for the next few ticks on the wall. He thought of all the good times he had with his father over the years. How his father had taught him to fish with a spear and how to throw an arrow with the bow his father had made him. He thought so much about his father that he never heard the footsteps behind him and he jumped ten feet in the air when he felt a familiar hand resting on his shoulder.
Caveman Jack turned around and trying to hide the tears in his eyes, he gave his father the biggest hug ever. That night after the big feast, Caveman Jack gave his father the knife that he had carved for him. His father looked very proud as he showed it to the rest of the clan members. The other young boys in the clan also made things for their fathers while they were gone so they each gave their gifts to their fathers.
“Father’s Day,” said the elder, with pride. “This day is now Father’s Day!”
Moral of this Story:
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