LIFE HAPPENS !!
(A
Fictional Story That Proves Again That Life Can Be Unfair)
In spite of
all that had happened in the last six months, Wilbur (Wil) Madison had a spring
in his step as he passed through the revolving front door of the County General
Hospital. On this day, Wil was filled
with an abundance of pride and joy as he pushed the third floor button on the
elevator.
When the
elevator door opened he smiled as he walked past the OB/GYN nurses’ station and
immediately went to Room 324. There his wife Sharon was nursing their two-day
old daughter---Roslyn---Wil already called her Rosie. Sharon’s mother was
taking care of their two boys---Michael and Steven. He kissed his wife and
gently placed a fatherly butterfly kiss on the back of Rosie’s small head.
Sharon told
Wil that she and Roslyn would be going home tomorrow and asked Wil a dozen
questions about preparations to receive her and their new baby. Wil assured her everything was ready. An hour
and a half later Wil gave goodbye kisses and started for home.
On the drive
home the events of the past half year automatically started playing in his
head. Right after the first of the year the dog collar factory where Wil and 20
other employees worked ceased operations and all of the jobs went to Mexico. (The
bosses said they wanted more buck for the bark!)
His
unemployment check, combined with severe belt tightening, enabled the Madison
family to survive for two months. After three months of no payments, the “Buy
Here—Pay Here” car lot reposed Sharon’s mini-van.
That was
just the beginning of sorrows: Sharon’s father died from a heart attack during
a pickup Dodge Ball game at the YMCA. At the funeral the assistant second shift
supervisor at the YMCA said that in her Dad’s last Dodge Ball game he was the
last man standing; Wil’s 20 year old
brother---Larry--- ran off with a 47 year old waitress who worked at an
all-night Denny’s; Steven’s cat was run over by a sugar crazed skateboarder;
Michael was bitten at kindergarten by his pet ground squirrel (Bucky) during
show and tell---the squirrel escaped from the school and the sheriff’s SWAT was
called in to locate and put down the freedom-loving rodent. The squirrel was
determined by a County Public Health janitor not to be rabid. Little Michael
has watched so much TV he is considering filing a law suit against the sheriff’s
department for excessive force against his ground squirrel.
Wil’s life
was no picnic either: While collecting aluminum cans he was beaten up by two
homeless guys who accused him of jumping their claim; The Salvation Army had a
free Easter ham give away and while he was standing in line he had his cashless
wallet lifted by a drifter from West Virginia---at least that’s what he told
police when he was arrested. Wil contracted head lice at the ham give away; Wil
took some of the aluminum can money and bought a snorkel and mask at Wal-Mart
and searched for golf balls in a large and deep water hazard near the 3rd hole.
One day he got a late start and was unaware the course had opened for
play. He surfaced without warning and
was struck repeatedly by an elderly gentleman welding a nine iron. Fortunately,
the snorkel and mask absorbed most of swings. The old golfer was assessed a
quadruple bogey by the other three members of the foursome for all of his extra
swings!
That night Wil
took a call from a classmate who had just opened a small manufacturing plant
and immediately accepted a job offer that paid almost as much as he was making
at the dog collar factory. The benefits were much better. Wil couldn’t wait to tell Sharon and he
called her at once. She cried and said to Wil that Roslyn had already changed
their luck.
The next day
the trip home with the new baby was very, very happy. When they arrived at home
there was a note on the front door. It read, “Sorry we missed you. Enter again
next year.” It was signed, “Publishers Clearing House 10 Million Dollar Prize
Patrol.”
Glenn <>< 6-21-13
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