Unexplained Emergency

When my mother called Sunday evening, she was distraught. The conversation was confusing and short. The only thing I could understand was “come home.” I didn’t know what was happening, but it was urgent and terrible. I thought something was happening right that moment, in my mom and step-dad’s house. Many horrible possibilities went through my head, including my step-dad having a heart-attack. I told my mom to dial 9-1-1, and that I was coming.

I was in my car and on the road within minutes, but it would take two hours to get to my hometown. I was on my cell phone trying to get more information regularly for the first half hour of the drive.

I learned that my step-dad had died of a heart-attack. Even though that very potentiality had gone through my head a few minutes before, the reality of the concept just didn’t set in my mind. He had died a few hours previous, but my mom had just found out.

I had left my house with just the clothes on my back; I hadn’t taken time to pack anything. I had left the kids in the capable hands of my wife and mother-in-law. When I understood that my absolute immediate presence was not necessary (I could take five minutes to pick up some necessities), I pulled into a grocery store.

I went in and quickly grabbed some toothpaste, a toothbrush, and some other such items. I took my basket to the checkout with the shortest line—just one customer. I’d forgotten that it was a Sunday night; the store was busy, and most of the checkout lines long.

The guy ahead of me was purchasing just a six-pack of beer. The cashier had to check his ID, and then the guy asked for a carton of cigerettes. The cashier went over to the cigerette case and pulled out his brand. I was in a hurry, so this was seeming to take just such a long time. They cashier rang the two items up and the guy wanted to pay with a check.

The cashier had to call over a manager to approve the check, and there was some problem. I noticed the other checkout lines were moving customers right along—the next register over had already rung out two customers in the length of time I had been standing behind this loser with the beer, cigerettes, and bad check.

All the other open checkouts had several customers in line, but I saw a self-checkout with a vacancy. I gave up on the hang up line and went to ring myself up. Ironically and frustratingly, there was a glitch in this self-checkout computer. It hung up on some recurssive routine, telling me to place the item on the conveyer belt and scan the next item, place the item on the conveyer belt and scan the next item, place the item on the conveyer belt and scan the next item. Dammit! For the love of. . .! I’m literally dealing with a death in the family, and I’m getting this sitcom scenario holding me up.

I was about to just cuss and forget about the purchase when a clerk came up and helped me out. In just another minute, I was heading out the door, back to my car.

I eventually made it to my hometown and met up with my family. I learned that my step-dad had been out at his dog pen, where he keeps his deer hunting dogs, must have gotten tired and hot, sat down on the tailgate of his pickup truck, and just passed peacefully. That’s probably the way he would have wanted to go. Doing something he loved to do (dealing with his dogs), peacefully, and quickly.

He was 70 years old. He leaves a wife, 6 children, 8 grandchildren, 1 new great-grandchild, many other family members, and friends too numerous to count. He was a good man. Heaven has improved with his arrival.

Bullgrit
bullgrit@totalbullgrit.com