Davinci Code sounds like a hard book. I wish I were good enough

Your father must be lonely. In fact I think all the old people are lonely. I am getting there.
I was surprised that you didn't speak to your father for years. A lot of people in the old days, especially people with little education and a lot of children, tended to resort to shoe soles, canes, belts, palms etc to teach their children instead of reasoning in words.