Malentendu

There is a truth, universally acknowledged, that when my grandfather
sets his mind to something, he cannot be dissuaded.

I’ll rewind a bit. My grandfather decided to give my daughters a toy.
The toy in question was a bouncing rocking horse in a metal frame,
suspended from the frame with large metal springs, of a type no longer
manufactured. The reason it is no longer manufactured is that those
springs are extremely adept at catching little fingers and clothes and
hair. In short, it is decidedly dangerous.

He had offered the horse a few months ago and I declined, stating that
it was dangerous and I didn’t want it for the girls. He was patient.
He waited a month and asked again. I said no again, stating that I
really couldn’t afford the doctor’s bills, and would he kindly not ask
again.

On my oldest daughter’s birthday, he told me that his friend had a
gift for her, a rocking horse. I assumed he meant the horse in
question, and I was right. I told him that I would come by and look at
it (attempting to avoid an argument at my daughter’s birthday party),
so instead he brought the horse to my father’s house. An argument
ensued, with my father declaring the horse to be unsafe for children
to use. My grandfather left unhappy and my father was upset.

The next morning, my father and I discussed the matter and we have
decided on a course of action. The rocking horse is going to a better
place.

The dumpster at the marina.