Part 1, Chapter 7 Summary

Jamie travels to Dumfries, Scotland to visit his father Robert, who vanished quickly after the church ceremony. Jamie recalls his last visit to Dumfries, as a boy, to visit Robert in a mental hospital. He remembers how Granda Hugh had waited outside for him while he tried to visit with his father, only to be verbally beaten down to a pulp. Robert had spewed nothing but hatred to his son and Jamie had left, determined never to see his father again. Now, many years later, here he was, looking for Robert once more.

The locals say Robert is a taxi driver and Jamie tracks him down right away. Robert steps out of his cab with a smile on his face and looks astonishingly well, with no resemblance to his former raging self. Clean and away from his drinking, he has started...