A FATHER'S LOVE
There once was a man, John Singletary, who cared for his only child, a son, after the tragic death of his young wife. The son, John Jr., grew handsome, strong & tall. Mr. Singletary’s job required him to travel throughout the world & often he would take his son on business trips. During these trips, they would visit art galleries & museums. Often times, they would acquire a new piece of artwork to add to their collection. When John Jr., graduated from college, he & his father decided to open their own art gallery to display & sell some of their collection. Over the years, the collection had grown tremendously & increased substantially in value. But the time these two men spent together was more valuable than any art piece.
Then one day in the mail, John Jr. received notice from the US Government. He was being drafted into the Army to serve during WWII. The father & son had a private dinner the night before John Jr. was sent overseas & they spoke of how their gallery would grow & flourish when he returned.
Six months later, there came a knock on Mr. Singletary’s door. He looked out & saw a young man in an Army uniform, with a bandaged leg, standing on his front porch. Mr. Singletary opened the door & invited the young man inside the house. He introduced himself as Richard Morgan. Richard was nervous & uneasy about what was to happen next. He then told Mr. Singletary that he was serving in the same platoon as John Jr. & how John Jr. saved many lives last week including his. Then Richard, with tears in his eyes, explained to Mr. Singletary that unfortunately, John Jr. did not survive. Richard & Mr. Singletary talked & wept throughout the rest of the evening. Mr. Singletary showed Richard the gallery & the private paintings he & John Jr. had acquired over the years. Then Richard excused himself & walked out on the porch. When he returned he had a painting with him. He said, “I know you & John Jr. collected the finest pieces of art & John Jr. shared many stories about your travels. John Jr. was one of my best friends; I owe him my life. While recuperating in the hospital, I painted a picture of your son in his uniform, to bring to you. I know it isn’t much & it certainly isn’t a priceless piece of work like you have in your gallery, but I hope you know it is from my heart."
Mr. Singletary was so overwhelmed by this loving gesture he could hardly speak. His tear streaked eyes shown brightly as he asked Richard to help him hang it over the fireplace. A priceless painting was removed from its place of honor & in its place now hung the painting of John Jr.
Mr. Singletary & Richard kept in touch over the next few years but Mr. Singletary’s health was failing. Some say it was more than he could bear, to lose his son & eventually he closed the gallery & died shortly afterward.
The art world was giddy with excitement over the estate auction that was to take place. Prospective art buyers gathered with eager anticipation anxious to see the gallery paintings & what the private paintings were. Richard had decided to attend. Not that he could afford any painting, but out of respect for his dear friend, John Jr. & for Mr. Singletary.
The auction began & the first item to sell was the portrait of John Jr. that Richard had painted. The room became angry & people shouted, “We don’t want to see that picture, bring out the good stuff. That’s just an amateur painting of the old guy’s son. Bring out the good stuff.”
The auctioneer said, “We cannot continue until this painting is sold, those are the rules.” Again the crowd became unruly & angry shouting about the picture of the old man’s son. Finally, Richard spoke up & said, “I’ll bid $10. I’m sorry, it’s all I have. Mr. Singletary & his son were dear friend’s of mine, I really would like to purchase this picture.” The auctioneer smiled & said, “$10 is the bid, do I hear $20?” No one spoke & the auctioneer repeated “$10 is the bid, going once, going twice, sold for $10.”
The crowd cheered & some said, “Great, let’s get on with this. We want to see the good stuff.”
Then the auctioneer announced, “The auction is now over.” The crowd yelled & screamed “Are you crazy, it hasn’t even begun.”
The auctioneer said, “Oh, but it has begun & just ended.” The crowd demanded an explanation. The auctioneer took out a piece of paper & read it to the crowd. “Mr. Singletary was very specific in the how he wanted the auction to be carried out. He required the first painting to be sold be the painting of his son & whoever takes the son takes the rest of the paintings.”
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