A change of heart

Jody is shocked to see the change in her father after he suffers a heart attack...

Calling home from New Zealand, Jody said: “I’m so looking forward to seeing you all, Mum. Especially Dad – it has been a while since he had his…”

Meryl waited for her daughter to finish the sentence. There was a long pause. Jody was in denial and had never been able to say the dreaded words ‘heart attack’.

“Your dad is fine,” Meryl assured her. With her fingers crossed behind her back, she added: “But be prepared to see some changes in him.”

“What sort of changes?” Jody asked anxiously.

“Well, there are bound to be changes in anyone who has been through the trauma your dad has,” Meryl hedged.

“Yes, I suppose so,” Jody said, thoughtfully. “He has to think more about his diet. No more apple crumble and custard after the Sunday roast. And you said he has been walking a lot more.”

“Yes, all that sort of stuff as well as doing things that he’s always wanted to do, but never found the time before. Like learning to play the guitar.”

“The guitar? Really?” Jody laughed in disbelief. Knowing her father, she thought golf would have been more his thing.

Meryl had been meaning to tell her daughter about the lifestyle adjustments they’d made since Tony had a triple heart bypass, but never quite got round to it. She knew Jody felt guilty about being so far away when they were going through a difficult time.

After Tony was admitted to hospital, Meryl hadn’t told Jody about the heart attack until she was sure he was going to get well again. She felt it wasn’t fair to put pressure on her to fly home, but what if Tony had died and Jody hadn’t had the chance to say goodbye to her father? Meryl sighed. She just hadn’t known what to do for the best.

Well, in two weeks’ time Jody would be back after two years away and in the meantime there were preparations to be made. Meryl was planning a party as a double celebration for Jody’s return and Tony’s recovery. She sang as she set about spring cleaning her daughter’s room, happy at the prospect of having her little family reunited.

The longed-for day arrived and Jody was barely through the door when she dropped her bags on the floor and stared at her father in amazement. “Dad? Is it really you?” she gasped.

Meryl held her breath, knowing how different Tony must appear to his daughter. When she had left for a job in New Zealand, he had been a conventional father figure who wore a suit and tie to work and had his greying

‘As her parents didn’t keep up with technology, she’d been unprepared for the change’

hair neatly cut by a barber. Now he was dressed in jeans, a flowery shirt and a waistcoat. He had grown a beard and his hair was tied back in a ponytail.

“Lovely to see you, too,” Tony grinned, stepping forward to give her a hug.

“What do you think you look like?” Jody demanded.

“Don’t you approve of my new look?” “No, I don’t!” came the blunt reply. Meryl said: “You’ll get used to it, dear. I have.”

But Jody didn’t want to get used to it. As her parents didn’t keep up with new technology she hadn’t been able to Skype or FaceTime them and was totally unprepared for the change in Tony’s appearance. What had happened to the conservative, reliable dad she’d always adored?

A few days later she returned from shopping in town and announced that she had made an appointment for Tony at a hair salon. “Ask for Jack. He’ll sort

your hair out for you and do something about that straggly beard as well.”

“That’s so thoughtful of you,” Tony said.

“When is this appointment?” Meryl enquired.

“2.30pm on Saturday,” Jody said, relieved that her father had made no protest.

“But that’s the day of the party!” Meryl said.

“Which is why I made the appointment. There’s nothing worse than a balding man who grows his hair long to compensate.”

“What about a man-bun?” Tony asked mischievously, slipping the scrunchie off his ponytail and sweeping his hair up on top of his head.

Jody sighed and rolled her eyes. On Saturday she insisted on driving her father to the salon, promising Meryl she would be back in time to get everything ready for the party.

Having dropped Tony off in town, Jody helped her mother make cheese straws and dips. Taking advantage of their first time alone, she asked: “Why on earth did you let this happen, Mum? You could have persuaded him to get a proper haircut and told him how silly he looks in those hippy clothes.”

Meryl stopped what she was doing and turned to face her daughter. “As far as I’m concerned your father can do what he wants. He nearly didn’t have a life to live and now he’s living it the way he chooses. Maybe he’ll go back to being the way he was. Maybe he won’t. I don’t care as long as he’s here and he’s happy.”

Stunned by such a long speech from her normally placid mum, Jody didn’t have an answer. She remained silent as she polished the wine glasses and stretched clingfilm over the bowls.

The phone rang. It was Tony, sounding delighted. He said: “I just wanted to let you know Jack’s done a really good job. I’m so pleased you made the appointment for me, Jody. Don’t worry about picking me up, I’ll catch the bus back.”

Returning to the kitchen, she said: “It sounds like Dad is really relieved to have had a decent haircut. I hope that doesn’t mean he feels he has to return to his old predictable self.”

Meryl looked surprised at her daughter’s sudden change of opinion. “That wasn’t what you said earlier. What brought this on?”

“I didn’t fully understand. I couldn’t bear to face the truth – that he’d suffered a heart attack and we very nearly lost him.

“You’re right, Mum, of course he can do what he wants, the important thing is that he’s still around.”

Jody made up her mind that when Tony arrived home, looking once again like any other middle-aged dad, she would apologise for her negative reaction and assure him that whatever he did was fine with her.

When he strolled into the kitchen and did a twirl, Jody and Meryl burst out laughing. Tony’s neatly trimmed beard was streaked with purple and his ponytail was dyed to match. “What do you think?” he asked.

“Oh, Dad! I think you are absolutely amazing,” Jody said, opening her arms to give him a big hug. “And I’ll clap the loudest when you play your guitar at the party tonight!”

About our author

Lynne spent three years travelling around the country in a motorhome before settling on a farm during lockdown. Over the years she has had 50 jobs, but now writes full-time.