`` let 's go back to the willows , '' he said . his brown eyes moved over the shiny hardwood . `` well , '' i said , `` i 'd say that 's pretty much a fail . '' the sight of my father still confused me . it 's just that i have a strong sense of privacy and i have a right to that if i wish , do n't i ? '' it was quiet in the barn , but the boards creaked and settled in the cold . 