The Board Meeting had come to an end. Bob starred to stand up and jostled the table, spilling his coffee over his notes. "How embarrassing. I am getting so clumsy in my old age."
Everyone had a good laugh, and soon we were all telling stories of our most embarrassing moments. It came around to Frank who sat quietly listening to the others. Someone said," Come on, Frank. Tell us your most embarrassing moment."
Frank began," I grew up in San Pedro. My Dad was a fisherman, and he loved the sea. He had his own boat, but it was hard making a living on the sea. He worked hard and would stay out until he caught enough to feed he family. Not just enough for our family, but also for his Mom and Dad and the other kids that were still and home." He looked at us and said," I wish you could have met my Dad. He was a big man, and he was strong from pulling the nets and fighting the seas for his catch. When you got close to him, he smelled the ocean."
Frank's voice dropped a bit." When the weather was bad he would drive me to school. He would pull right up in front, and it seemed like everybody would be standing around and watching. Then he would lean over and give me a big kiss on the cheek and tell me to be a good boy. It was so embarrassing for me. Here I was twelve years old, and my Dad would lean over and kiss me good-bye!"
He paused and then went on," I remember the day I thought I was too old for a good-bye kiss. When we got the school and came to a stop, he had his usual big smile. He started to lean toward me, but I put my hand up and said,' No, Dad.' It was the first time I had ever talked to him that way, and he had this surprised looked on his face.
I said,' Dad, I'm too old for a good-bye kiss. I'm too old for any kind of kiss.' My Dad looked at me for the longest tine, and his eyes started to tear up. I had never seen him cry. He turned and looked our the windshield.' You're right,' he said.' You are a big boy…… a man. I won't kiss you anymore.'"
For the moment, Frank got a funny look on his face, and the tears began to well up in his eyes. "It wasn't long after that when my Dad went to sea and never came back."
I looked at Frank and saw that tears were running down his cheeks. Frank spoke again." Guys, you don't know what I woud give to have my Dad give me just one more kiss on the cheek…… to feel his rough old face…… to smell the ocean on him…… to feel his arm around my neck. I wish I had been a man then. If I had been a man, I would been a man, I would never have told my Dad I was too old for a good-bye kiss.
董事會議結束了，鮑勃站起身時不小心撞到了桌子，把咖啡灑到了筆記本上。“真丟臉啊，這把年級了還毛毛糙糙的。”他不好意思地說。
所有人都哈哈大笑起來，然后我們都開始講述自己經歷的最尷尬的時刻。一圈過來，輪到一直默默坐在那兒聽別人講的弗蘭克了。有人說：“來吧，弗蘭克，給大家講講你最難為情的時刻。”
弗蘭克開始了他的講述。“我是在桑派德羅長大的。我爸爸是一位漁夫，他非常熱愛大海。他有自己的小船，但是靠在海上捕魚為生太艱難了。他辛勤的勞動著，一直待在海上直到捕到足以養活全家的魚為止。他不僅要養活我們的小家，還要養活爺爺奶奶以及還未成遠的弟弟妹妹，”弗蘭克看著我們，繼續說，“我真希望你們見過我的爸爸，他是一個身材高大的男人。因長期拉網捕魚，與大海搏斗的緣故，他十分強壯。走進他時，你能夠聞到他身上散發出來的大海的氣息。”
弗蘭克的聲音低了一點：“天氣不好的時候，爸爸會開車送我們去學校。他會把車停在學校正門口，好像每個人都能站在一旁旁觀看。然后，他彎下身子在我臉上重重的親了一口，告訴我要做一個好孩子。這讓我覺得很難為情。那時我已經12歲看，而爸爸還俯身給我一個道別的親吻。”
弗蘭克停頓了一下，又繼續說道：“我還記得那天。我認為自己已經長大到不再合適一個道別親吻了。當我們到了學校停下來的時候，像往常一樣爸爸露出了燦爛的笑容，他開始向我俯下身來，然后我抬手擋住了他，‘不，爸爸。’那是我第一次那樣對他說話，他十分吃驚。”
“我說道：‘爸爸，我已經長大了，大到不再適合接受一個道別親吻了。也不再適合任何的親吻了。’爸爸盯著我看了好長時間，潸然淚下。我從來未見過他哭泣。他轉過身子，透過擋風玻璃向外望去：“沒錯，你已經是一個大男孩兒……一個男子漢了。我以后再也不這樣親吻你了。”
講到這兒，弗蘭克臉上露出了古怪的表情，淚水還是在眼眶里打轉。“從那之后沒多久，爸爸出海后就再也沒回來了。”
我看著弗蘭克，眼淚正順著他的臉頰流下來。弗蘭克又開口了：“伙計們，你們不知道，如果我爸爸能在我臉上親一下……讓我感覺一下他那粗糙了臉……聞一聞他身上海洋的氣息……享受他摟著我脖子的感覺，那么我付出什么都愿意。我真希望那時候我是一個真正的男子漢。如果我是，我絕不會告訴爸爸我已經長大到不再適合一個道別的親吻了。”